The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-22
BY A. B. MAGIL.

water, Bells ring, there is the
clanking of chains, the sound of
feet running, voices. And New Bed
ford, city of smooth green lawns
and textile mills, of ornamental
wealth and starvation, of tight New
England faces and warm dark
southern European laughter, crawls
meekly out of a wet gray dawn.
I was glad to shake the ship from
my feet. I hadn't felt much at ease
among my elegant travelling COM
panions. Most of them were of the
respectable well-to-do, business and
professional men, clean shaven,
well-dressed, their shoes shined,
their neckties in place, all their
thoughts and emotions well-groomed,
polished and neat. None of these
had ever gone hungry, none of these
had ever come home with aching
limbs to dark dismal houses and
watched the youth Of their children
swallowed up by the mills, chained
to the relentless wheel of exploita-
ton and wage-slavery. ...
These were the possessors of
wealth and power, their manners inn
peccable, Haunting bright agreeable
smiles.
A fine drilling rain began to fall
as left the dock. A newsboy thrust
a New Bedford Mercury in my face.
Strike news. Joseph Costa, a young
striker, had entered a classroom
when the teacher was absent, had
denounced the American flag and
urged the children to pledge al
legiance to the Red Flag of the
workers. The teacher and the prin-
cipal were indignant. Joseph Costa
would pay dearly for his blasphemy
Strike news. The end of the tex
tile strike was near and leaders of
the Textile Council were reported
considering favorably the new
specialization" plan which the more
progressive mill owners were adj
vocating and which was absolutely
necessary if the New Bedford in
dustry was to survive. Mr.. Batty
and Mr.. Binns repudiated the stand
of the Communists and the Textile
Mill Committees, etc.
Former Judge Panken, "the poor
mans friend" is coming to sprinkle
the poor people of New Bedford with
some of his friendship. A pity so
few of the poor people will be able
to benefit by the Judges kindness,
as only handful of them ever at
tend the Textile Council meetings.
But at least the socialist party is
sending it's choicest fossils to drum
up trade for Mr.. Batty and Mr..
Binns, who are compelled to while
away the dull hours playing poker
at their headquarters in the New
Bedford Labor Temple.
ONE million, one hundred thousand
v human beings earn their bread
by shaving in the textile mills of this
country. This is larger number
than is employed in any other basic
industry and they constitute one of
the most ruthlessly exploited sec
tions of the American workingclass.
Only about 10000 of these 100000
are organized in the official A. F. of
L. union, the United Textile Work
ers of America, which has been in
existence for some SO years. with
the detection of several Passaic and
New York locals at the recent U. T..
w. convention in New York, the
membership of the union has been
greatly reduced.) Out of the more
than a million textile slaves $4,000
have been thrust into the center of
the stage in one of the epic struggles
of the American class war-the
New Bedford textile strike. At the
time the strike was called only a
few thousand of these workers had
been organized in the American
Federation of Textile Operatives
whose Textile Council in New Bed
ford has since affiliated with the
| U. T. w.
William E. G. Batty, secretary of
the New Bedford Textile Council
and Abraham Binns, treasurer, had
for years been honored and re-
speeted members of the New Bed
ford community. Mr.. Binns was
elected Justice of the Peace, fol-
which office he was eminently fitted
by his years of experience as SER
want of the mill owners. And in
truth, it has been the sole endeavo1
of both Mr.. Batty and Mr.. Binns tc
promote peace in the New Bedford
community even if the mill workers
had to accept dollar or so less q
week, or work an hour or so longer
or operate a machine or so more
Mr.. Batty and Mr.. Binns were much
esteemed by their fellow-citizens anc
more than once evoked the praise
of press and pulpit for the spirit OF
service which animated all their
activities.
Even SO did Mr.. James Tansey
president Of the A. F. T. O., com.
port himself in the neighborine
town of Fall River, So that in time
his fellow-citizens chose Mr.. Tan.
sey as Commissioner of Police, ir
| which nfficn he s1na rcd No efforts te