davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
STANDARD CABLE
WORKERS SLAVE
Ten HOURS A DAY
Low Wages, Insurance
Scheme In Plant
by a Worker Correspondent

(By Worker Correspondent
PERTH AMBOY, N. j., (By
MaiD.-The Standard Underground
Gable Co. is the biggest factory in
Perth Amboy. When it is running
full speed it employs over $500
workers. Now there are about 1900
workers working in the plant.
Several hundred of the workers.
are women and young workers.
Many women work in the rubber
mill. We work 10 hours a day and
half day Saturday. Our wages
are from 20 cents per hour for the
women and some young workers to
4S cents per hour for the men. Of
all the big plants in this city we in
this factory are the only ones that
work ten hours a day, and get such
low wages.
All kinds of electrical wires and
cables are made here. The last raise
we got was three years ago when
the workers of the Raritan Copper
Works went on strike for more
money. Then the company gave US
four cent raise without asking for
it on the first day of the copper
works strike, because the company
knew we were going to join the
strike too.
Lay Off Old Hands.
About two years ago the company
decided to "reorganize" the plant
to change things. They changed
things such a way that many work.
ers who worked here ten to fifteen
years were laid off. This is the kind
of reward the old workers got
there for long years of service to
the company. Instead of getting a
pension they got the gate. Younger
men and fresh labor power was
hired in their places.
The company has an insurance
scheme to which everyone belongs
who works here after six months.
The insurance starts with $500, and
is increased $50 every year until it
goes up to $1,000, and that's the
highest it goes.
1t is about time we were getting
a raise and our hours were reduced
to eight hours day and five days
a week. We will not get this tho
unless we put up fight for it.
We must organize a shop COM
mittee to form plans for fight for
better conditions, and we ought also
to send a delegate to the Trade
Union Unity Conference to be held
in Cleveland June l and 2, by the
Trade Union Educational League.
GABLE WORKER.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

Prosperity, what does it mean for
the lumber slaves? Four years when
the bosses filled their Golfers with
gold and we filled the hospitals,
cemeteries, missions and streets with
our carcasses.
Now these $3.50 jobs on the board
point the finger of scorn at us and
sceram to the skies, Wanted, one
scab." Why don't we organize?
Must Organize.
If we refuse to work for low
wages, when unorganized, we simply
go on the bum, become mission stiffs,
or crooks, and wind up in prison.
If we want to raise the wages,
the best way is to stop the wheels
of industry. The only way to do
away with our slave conditions is to
organize and call a general strike
of the lumber workers. If the boss
knows we are always ready to walk
out to get better conditions, then
the conditions will improve.
The old song Nobody wants to
strike" is sweet music to the bosses
ears. Let him do the singing of it
in the future. We have songs to fan
the flame of discontent-let's sing
them.
LOGGER.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
BOSS COLLECTS
FOR HILLMAN
Misleaders Start the
Checkoff System
(By a Worker Correspondent

by a Worker Correspondent
BALTIMORE, Nd, (By MailD.-
The check-off system has been intro
duced here in Baltimore for the
clothing workers by the treacherous
Hillman machine. Workers ar e
forced to pay dues to the Amalga-
mated here thru the bosses who take
their money away from their en-
velope on pay day.
The sweatshop conditions for the
Baltimore tailors still prevail. The
speed up Liece-work system is kept
by the clothing manufacturers here
with the aid of the Medonick, Sol
Gross, Flingman, Hillman machine.
Starvation Wages.
Young girls are forced to toll for
the miserable wages of $40 and
less per week and under the worst
speed-up system. Workers with a
family of four, five and six children
are receiving the starvation wages
of $50 per week.
The Sunneburn Clothing Co. "con-
trolled" by the Amalgamated here
has introduced special schemes to
reduce the wages of the workers. Be-
side the speed-up and piece-work
system prevailing in the shop, be-
side the fact that the Sunneburn Co.
has the right (given by the Anal
gamated officialdom) to hire and
fire workers at any time it is con-
venient for the company, beside the
fact that reductions are granted by
the Amalgamated officialdom at any
time requested by the bosses. The
Sunneburn Co. take away from the
envelopes of the workers 5 per cent
of their wages every week with the
approval of the A. c. w. officialdom.
The per cent robbed by the Sunne-
burn Co. Of the workers is supposed
to be "shares" to lake workers be-
come partners" in the business.
The Sunnebaum workers were
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
SOCCER
MEET SUNDAY

A conference of representatives
from workers soccer leagues and
clubs from various parts of the
country will be held here in New
York City next Sunday. The con-
ference will start at IL a. M, at
Irving Plaza, 18th st. and Irving
Pl.
This conference will establish a
workers soccer association of the
United States or a real amateur
basis. 1t will be a rallying center
for all the workers soccer players
who are now members of the United
States Football Association "a
bosses soccer organization) and
will make a step forward in the
broadening of the labor sports move
lent.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
NEGRO SLAVES
Treated WORST
IN AUTO PLANTS
Get Only Janitor Jobs
In Dodge
an a Worker CORRESPONDENCE

by a Worker Correspondent
DETROIT, (By MaiD .-At Dodge
Brothers conditions are bad. Many
of the well-paying piece-work jobs
are auctioned off by the "straw
bosses; Negroes are employed only
on the janitor, chip tucking, car
loading and trash-hauling jobs.
After working 10 and IL hours the
janitors are forced to scrub the
floors several nights each week for
two and three hours extra.
Straight" time is paid. l per-
sonally know two young men who
have died with tuberculosis taken
while working there, and another is
in the sanitarium now.
l am constantly inquiring about
the conditions of plants I have not
worked in and / get about the same
reports as my experience in the
places 1 have worked.
There is the mighty Ford Motor
Company, Production is the watch
word. Men are simply universal
joints to the machines. The thing
that men suffer from in this place
is overwork. Production is ever in
creasing. New men, which has never
been before to my knowledge, are
forced to make the production limit.
There seems to be nothing human
about the entire process-all ma
chimes, men and all.
Summing up: the worker is faced
with a horrible condition throughout
Detroit, which is continually grow
ing worse. All have grievances but
no one to redress them. The Negro
it seems is faced by the most serious
problem of ALL He is refused decent
jobs in many factories, yet he must
compete in the great struggle for
existence. Both he and the white
worker are ignorant of what lies at
bottom of their ills. But unless
Negro and white workers unite for
the cause of liberating themselves
from their worse than chattel
slavery the knell of both is sounded.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

promised by the company and the
officials of the A. C. w. that after
two years of payments of the 5 per
cent of their wages their money
would have been returned plus the
profit" Two years have passed,
since the workers are paying with
their sweat and blood, but nothing
has been returned. Three weeks ago
when these workers demanded that
their money be returned and that
the Sunneburn workers should stop
the boss robbing them as per cent
of their wages every week. Hillman
came here from New York to force
these workers to accept the robbery
of their wages every week, Hillman
speaking to the workers who de-
manded that their money be re-
turned by the company, said:
Morally you should get the money
back, but l cannot guarantee it"
Then in making his treacherous ap-
peal, Mr.. Hillman said: Doesn't it
pay to give 5 per cent of your wages
to have a job? Just consider it that
you had wage cut"
The left wing forces in the A. c.
w. will fight to the end against
these corrupted high paid re-
dictionary officials of the Amalga-
mated
BALTIMORE NEEDLE
WORKER.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
D r A VI A
Harlem" Ia kes Up
New Quarters at
Times Square

After a nine-week stay at the
Apollo, Harlem" the Rapp-Thur-
man play of New York's black belt,
moved last night into the Times
Square Theatre next door, there to
continue its run until its departure
for London within the next month or
two.
Tonight will mark the 250th per-
Torrance of "The New Moon" at
the Imperial Theatre and the 125th
performance of Follow Thru" at the
Chanin 46th Street Theatre.
The Theatre Guild production of
Caprice" will be presented by the
Guild at the st. James Theatre,
London, on June 3. The last per-
Torrance of the comedy here in
New York will be given Friday even
ing, ay "a and the company will sail
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
THOUSAND SLAVE
in ANACONDA co.
AMb0Y BRANCH
Workers Want To Be
Organized
By a Worker Correspondent

Il 70 " OfhCf CoUOItUGHE
PERTH AMBOY, N. j., (By
MaiD.-One of the largest plants
in Perth Amboy is the Raritan Cop
per Works. This plant when run
ming normal employs 1900 men.
Now about 1000 men are employed.
The plant belongs to the Anaconda
Copper Co. The wages are 53c per
hour and up.
We recently got a SC raise when
the price of copper was going up
on an average of a half a cent per
pound per week, and the men threat
ened to strike for more money, in
fact the electrician department actu-
ally did walk out.
Walkout Wins.
Three years ago the workers in
the plant were getting 45c per hour.
There was a spontaneous walk out,
strike in which all came out to
one man asking for ten cents per
hour increase in wages. The strike
lasted two days and we won five
cents per hour raise for everybody,
and changed the pay from every two
weeks in check to every week in
cash.
The bosses being afraid the strike
would spread thruout the whole city,
as the men in the other plants in
town were beginning to ask them
selves that if the copper workers
are not afraid to ask for ten cent
raise why should we be afraid to ask
they gave their workers raise of
from four to five cents per hour in
practically all the important fac
tories in the city.
Workers in the following plants
got the raise: Standard Under
ground Cable Co., Chemical Plants
several of them), American Smelt-
ing & Refining Co., Barber Asphalt
Co., and United Lead Works, all en-
ploying from 500 to 1900 workers
each.
ohN ~ LIZ biifNs
Soon after this the American Fed
Grafton of Labor started an organi-
cation campaign in this city to or
ganize all the workers They had or
ganizers from the following unions
here: United Hatters of North
America 1.-TWO organizers), Cigar
Makers Union, Brick & Clay Work
ers Union, and an organizer of the
International Union of Mine, Mill
G. Shelter Workers.
We know what kind of an organi-
cation campaign the A. F. of L..
takers carry on. Spending most of
their money in their hotels and
saloons, where they spent most of
their time.
Anyhow he workers wanted to be
organized and they joined the
unions of their calling. Soon after
strikes broke out in almost all the
plants where the union was being
formed. But because of the A. F.
of L. organizers betrayal, by their
inactivity, sleeping in their hotels
until 10 o'clock instead of being on
the picket lines with the workers and
raising their fighting spirit-especi-
ally in the hatters strike, and by
their disqualification no gain
was made.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
LABOR TAKERS
union drive"
Was BUT FARCE
Fear Makes the Bosses
Give Small Raise
(By q Worker Correspondent

BY w OTh6F COIT6Sp0HueHG/
PERTH AMBOY, N. J., by
MaiD.- I want to speak about the
Raritan Copper Works where l
work. Hundreds of workers in the
plant joined the International Mine,
Mill & Shelter Workers Union. A
number of workers who joined the
union were fired and the local, over
the protest of the organizer declared
a strike for the reinstatement of the
fired men and for the recognition
Of the union.
Men Walk Out.
Several hundred workers respond
ed to the strike call, but the organ
izers' conservative policies failed to
bring out the whole plant and the
strike was lost, and the union melted
away.
In this strike several rank and
file workers were framed up, two
from my plant and one from the
United Lead Works, who also was
in our union, and was active in our
picket line. These workers were
thrown into jail for their militant
activities and later fined $3.50 each
by the boss-controlled courts of
New Brunswick, N. j. They were
convicted of the charge of assault
and battery"
Company Promises Just Talk.
In the first strike three years
ago the company promised to give
the other nickel raise we asked for
when business picks up" About
two months ago we noticed in the
newspapers that the price of copper
was going up almost every week by
from one-quarter to three-quarters
per pound, so we decided to kick for
more money. But the company,
through the company union it form
ed after the loss of our strike lead
by the International Union of Mine,
Mill & Shelter Workers Union, did
not want to give us raise. So the
electrical department walked out on
strike, but the rest of US did not go
out with them and couple of cleo
tricians lost their jobs. The COM
pany seeing that we were still dis
satisfied and talking about asking
more money, then decided to give
the whole plant a three cent per
hour raise.
Fellow workers, when things get
slack the company will lay off many
Of US and will try to take back our
wage increases by speeding us up
more and by wage cuts. To protect
ourselves we must organize into a
real fighting union with a fighting
leadership, and smash the company
union of the bosses that is in the
plant now.
-INGOT.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
RELIEF TAG DAY
IN CLEVELAND
Workers Will Collect
for Southern Strike

CLEVELAND, April ga tag
day to raise funds for the striking
textile workers of the South will be
held Saturday, May A by the Work
ers International Relief. Hundreds
of workers are expected to partici-
pate.
Stations for the collectors have
been established at 1886 E. 118th
ST.; 5607 st. Clair Ave; E. 67 and
Chambers Ave-; and the w. I. R.
headquarters, 226 w. Superior Ave.
All those who wish to participate
are asked to report for duty at any
Of the stations mentioned.
May Day is the holiday of milf
tant labor.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

they melt the copper and make
bars out of it. 1t is hotter than
hell in this department. The COM
pany only pays time and a half
for after ten hours of work. When
ever it can the company tries to
gyp the workers out of their over
time.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

the ''big boss" If you want to get
a job here you have to pay for it
from So to S. and up to the COM
pany agents" The foremen drive
the men pretty hard.
Hotter Than He'll.
One of the worst departments
here is the copper room where
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

from where we punch our cards.
The company gives us no time to
change our clothes or to wash up.
We must do it on our own time.
This is only little instance of
how the workers in Guggenheim's
factories are treated. To improve
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
IN GUGGENHEIM COPPER WORKS AT PERTH AN

our conditions we will have to put
up fight, something like the
workers did here about 1920
years ago when they even had the
militia out here against the work.
ers. In that fight some workers
were killed. Organization is pow
err. Let's organize a shop commit
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

| know a case where a worker
sometime ago worker five hours
overtime and was gypped out Of
it. When he asked for it he was
fired.
The Mushroom where We change
clothes is about minutes walk
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
Children Less
Than 16 SLAVE
At Bellas-Hess

by a Worker Correspondent
| would like to call attention to
he conditions in the National Bellas
less Co, oath st. and Seventh Ave-,
lew York City. "a cloak house.)
There is posted on time clocks a
roster stating that work is from
$3.50 a. m. to 6 p. M, with three
uarters of an hour for lunch. There
ire hundreds of women and girls
nd also boys under 16 years of age
working so hours a week. This in
ludes Saturdays until 4:30 p. M,
III this overtime being without pay.
This should be stopped, taking ad-
antage of children under age.
They just finished five weeks of
overtime the Monday after Easter,
nd never received any pay for it.
IRE these conditions to go on for
yer?
-BELLAS SLAVE.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

on Saturday, May 25. The Guilds
"Porgy" is now playing in London at
Majesty's Theatre.
John Dunn, who played for the
Theatre Guild in "Wings Over Eur
ope," has succeeded Percy Waram
in "The Camel Through the Needles
Eye" at the Martin Beck.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

We work s hours day and get
SOC an hour. Most of the jobs are
heavy and dirty. There are many
Latin-American and Negro work
ers working here. The company
hires and fires workers every
week.
The big shot here is Bob Miller,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

tee with representatives from all
departments. Let us send dele
gates to the great Trade Unity
Conference TO be held under the
auspices of the Trade Union Edu-
cational League in Cleveland,
June / and 2.
--GUGGENHEIM SLAVE.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

Slogan for May Daylight
against the speed-up and for the
winning of the eight-hour day.
Long live the seven-hour day, and
the six-hour day for young work
crs.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
TERMINAL STRIKE.

BALTIMORE, Md, (By MaiD. -
Low wages has caused threat of a
strike in the Baltimore
Port Development. Terminal devel-
opment strike has already started.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
BIZ a Worker Correspondent.

~ WofkeF Correspondents.
PERTH AMBOY, N. j., (By
MaiD.-The American Smelling
& Refining Co. of Perth AmbOy
is owned by the Guggenheims. 1t
refines gold, silver, zinc, lead, etc.
There are about 1900 workers
working here.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

On May Day-long live the
Communist International! Join
the ranks of the Communist Party!
Hail the world revolution.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
TRACTOR CRUsHEs FARMER.

MASSILLON, Ohio (By MaiD -
Edgar Filknitter, a farmer, was
killed when tractor he was operat-
ing overturned and crushed him to
death.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30
VETERAN KILLS SELF

hAbLC toELT
HOBOKEN.-Made hopeless
wreck by bursting shells in the i'm
perialist world war, and his COM
pensation from the Veterans Hu-
reau cut off since January, Frank
Orr, worker, committed suicide by
drinking carbolic acid.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

On May Day-long live the al
lance Of the working class and the
poor farmers!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

Demonstrate against imperialist
yar May First at the Coliseum.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-30

May Day is the holiday OF milf
tant labor.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-06
The Dying Gag.
BY JAMES L. FORD.

James L. Ford. born in 1854 was an
american humortst, author of The Literary
shop" and other popular comic wcrks)
There was an affecting scene on the
stage Of New York theater the other
nights scene invisible to the audience
more touching and pathetic than any
thing enacted before the footlishts that
night, although 1t was a minstrel COM
pany that gave the entertainment.
It was a wild, clustering night, and
the wind howled mournfully around the
street corners, binding the pedestrians
with the clouds Of dust that it caught
up from the cutters and hurled into
their faces.
Old man Sweeny. the stage door,
keeper, doing in his little glazed box,
was awakened by q sudden gust that
banged the stage door and then went
bowling along the corridor, almost ex-
tinguishing the gas jets and making the
Ministries Shiver in their dressing rooms.
''Whatl You here tonight" exclaimed
old man Sweeny, as a frail figure, muf-
fed up in a huge ulster, staggered
through the doorway and stood lean
ing against the wall, trying to catch his
breath.
yves; felt that I couldn't stay away
from the footlights tonight. They tell
ter take a rest, but I'll 60 on till
drop" and with q hollow cough the Old
Gag plodded slowly down the dim and
drafty corridor and sank YEARLY on
sofa in the big dressing room, where
the other Gags and Conundrums were
awaiting their cues.
Poor old fellow!" said one Of them
sadly. He can't hold out much longer"
HE ought not to go on except at
replied another veteran, who
was standing in front of the mirror
trimming his long silvery beard. And
just then an attendant came in with
several basins Of cruel, and the old
Jets tucked napkins under their cninS
and sat down to partake of q little
before going on.
The bell tinkled and the entertain
ment began. One after another the
Jokes and Conundrums heard their
cues. went on and returned to the
dressing room, for they all had to 90
on again in the afterpiece. The house
was crowded to the dome and there was
scarcely q dry eye in the vast audience
as one after another Of the old Quips
and Jests that had been treasured
household words In many q, family came
on and then disappeared To make room
Tor others Of their kind.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-06
SAYS VICTIM LIVES
IN TORTURE Staying
Counsel for Five Accused Men
States Witnesses Have Seen
Man.
BY the ASSOCIATED Press

BY the Associated Press.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Ark, December
6.-5en B. Williamson. attorney for nve
men charged with mutilating and burn.
ing to death Connie Franklin near here
last March, announced Wednesday night
the defense would present ample wit
nesses at the trial on December Is to
prove that Franklin has been alive since
the night Of the alleged torture murder.
Simultaneous with WilliamSon's an
nouncement, Deputy Sheriff o. L. Mas
Sey, at Morrilton, revealed that he had
statements of several persons living in
that section that they had seen Frank
lin alive as recently as October IS last.
On that night, Massey said, Elmer
Wingo and members of his family, for
whom Franklin was said to have worked
in 1927, said Franklin stayed all night
with them. Massey also quoted r. r.
Philpot, farmer in the same section,
as saying Franklin was there about the
same time. Franklin at one time court
ed a daughter of Philpot, Massey said.
Sheriff Sam johnson of Stone County,
who is largely responsible for gathering
the evidence upon which was based In
dictments against Herman Greenway,
Alex Fulks, Joe White, Hurbert Hester
and Bill Younger, last night discounted
the statement of the defense attorney.
Johnson has some charred bones which
he says he found in a heap Of ashes in
the vicinity Of the alleged murder and
which the State contends are those of
Franklin.
Franklin's story, Massey quoted
Wingo as saying, was that he and Tiller
Euminer, a hill country girl, were on
their way to be married when q band
Of men accosted them. They had q Jug
Of liquor, it was said, and Franklin
drank some. He knew nothing until the
next morning, his story went, when he
awoke In a wooded section.