The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-10-12
BY J. RYAN

of the capitalist state is
going to be used against the work !
ing class movement with greater in
tensity in the future. Already, four |
trade union leaders have been prose-
cuted for their actions during the
recent industrial disputes. Brown
and Carrigan we're heavily fined a
few weeks back, and the latest to
be prosecuted are Garden and John
son.
Trumped Up Charges.
Gardens alleged crime was Sin
element to murder" l quoted his
statements in my last letter. The
charge was so ridiculous that the
jury found him mot guilty" after
considering the matter for only fiji
teen minutes.
Johnson was charged with at
tempting to intimidate men against
working on a certain ship. In other
words, he was prosecuted for trying
to persuade men from scabbing.
Johnson was brought before a
magistrate who, in his summing up
of the case, denounced strikes and
working class leaders and sentenced
johnson to six months imprison-
rnent. The sentence is even more
serious than what it appears at
first glance, because under the
Crimes Act johnson, who was not
born in Australia, can be deported.
Arbitration.
Now that the Anti-Trade Union
Act has become law, many trade
union officials who were loud in
their denunciation of the act be-
fore it became law are Fastening to
proclaim their allegiance to the sys-
tenn of compulsory arbitration. 1t
seems that the penal clauses of this
act have already had remarkable
effect on the mentality of some
trade union officials.
Perhaps the most dangerous part
Of the new act is that it provides
protection for reactionary trade
union officials, and inflicts severe
penalties on any trade union leader
guilty of militancy.
Arbitration court judges have in
timated that they intend to attack
the 44-hour week gained by the
metal workers last year, and also
the 8 per cent margin above the
basic wage which was gained in
1922.
Coming Federal Elections.
1t now seems certain that the
federal elections will take place on
November IT. Already a certain
amount of election propaganda is
going on. The present federal gov
eminent is one of the most reaction
airy governments Australia has ever
known. 1t has been responsible for
the most vicious anti-working class
legislation and administration, such
as the Crimes Act, Anti Trade Union
Act, ban on working class literature,
ban on Pan-Pacific Conference, and
so on.
The Labor Party, which has not
been in office since the war, has an
excellent chance of success if it's
leaders only fight the nationalists
(capitalists) instead of attacking the
militant section of its own ranks.
Coal Industry.
The speed-up in the coal industry,
coupled with competition from the
mines of Great Britain, has caused
a serious crisis in the coal industry.
Thousands of miners are unem-
ployed, and the bulk Of them are
working short time. The capitalist
press insists that there must be a
reduction in the price of coal and
the coal-owners say that the work.
crs must sacrifice wages and condi-
tons to achieve the reduction.
The Miners Federation has a COM
paratively militant membership, but
& dreadfully weak leadership. In
stead of carrying on a national cam
paign for a shorter working day,
the leaders are tlnkerlng about with
such reactionary solutions" as COL
lective Notwithstanding that for
a certain price per ton of coal the
mine workers take over all the re-
sponsibilities of production. Agree
ments have been made to this effect
in two mines. 1t is noticeable that
the companies which own these two
mines have never paid a dividend.
Unemployment.
Notwithstanding the fact that
there are still approximately 10000
workers unemployed in Australia,
thousands of immigrants are being
from the British Isles and
other European countries. particu-
larly Italy. 1t is obvious that these
are being imported for
the express purpose of breaking
down wages and working conditions.
Australian Workers Union.
The fight against the bureaucratic
officials of the Australian Workers
Union was taken step further last
week when the Labor Council of