The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-08-31
"Prepare to Strike"--The Battle of the N. J.

the same stand and they will be
backed by the full powers of the
state"
The meaning is clear. The P. S.
and its agents, the Amalgamated
officials, will use the full powers of
the capitalist state to break any
strike undertaken by the workers
for the 8 hour day and the 25 per
cent wage increase. Wepner will
be on the side of the police in its
strike breaking efforts among the
P. S. workers. The strike breaking
role of the capitalist government,
which is now preparing another
world war for markets, is clearly
exposed by the capitalist press it
self.
The SeIl-Out by the Officials.
The Newark Sunday Ledger be-
walls the fact that the workers fol-
lowed the fighting advice of the T.
U. E. l.. and defeated the arbitra-
ton sell-out g. in preference to
the wise council of the 100 per cent
American leaders. :" The wise
council" of the 100 per cent Ameri-
can leaders consisted of a 100 per
cent betrayal of the workers de-
mands. In the statewide balloting
prepared by the reactionary State
Conference Board of the union, the
men were called upon to vote for
the following alternative: care you
in favor of arbitration, or do you
desire to renew the present agree
ment ?" Not even a mention of in
creased wages and shorter hours.
The 100 per cent American leaders
gave the workers the choice: sell
out through arbitration, or, a SELL
out by renewing the old contract.
The men answered: to hell with
either betrayal, we stand by our de-
mands. The few ballots which were
voted had to be burned in Newark.
There was not even sufficient bal
lots to take a chance on taking"
the vote.
The men saw clearly the meaning
of arbitration, that it means two P.
S. agents picking a third P. S. agent
to decide their fate. In a statement
to the press William Wepner, presi-
dent of the State Conference Board,
was forced to admit; "Of course, ar
bitration is gamble" Yes, it is a
gamble with the cards stacked
against the workers. A gamble in
which the P. S. has "fixed" the
game.
The Challenge of the p. S.
The Public Service utility trust
commenced by refusing to give seri-
Gus consideration to the demands of
the workers. But seeing the devel-
oping rank and file struggle the P.
S. soon gave in to arbitration. They
gave into arbitration not because
they wanted to consider a wage in
crease, but because they wanted to
consider a wage cut. The poor"
P. S. cried that it was losing money
under the old agreement, when the
facts are that the P. S. Of N. j.
made $14,334,316 profit in 1927 and
$22, 972,18 profit in 1928, according
to the figures of the U. S. Depart
ment of Commerce. The P. S. in a
number of statements has threat
ened a wage cut, the revocation Of
pass-book privilege for employees
and has even limited at the smashing
of the union and the institution Of
an open shop. AS a means of divid-
ing the working class the p. S. has
threatened to boost the cent fare
upwards.
This challenge of the Public Ser
vice, which is part of the American
super-power trust, had to be an
swered with a struggle. This fight
has already been started by the mil
liant rank and file of the Amalga-
mated Association of Street n d
Electric Railway Employees. 1t
must now be brought to a successful
conclusion, despite the reactionary
officials, the utility trust and its
agency-the capitalist government.
IOnly an organized rank-and-file
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