The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-05-28

radeS are due to appear before the Prison Board,
for determining the definite lengths of sentences
they are to serve 1t is part of the raging fas-
cist terror campaign of the employing class
against the working class in its attempt to de-
stroy the workers militant organizations, the
Communist Party the T. U. U. L.. the lynch
ings of the Negroes, the deportation of the for
eign-born workers, ETC.
Fort Bragg is town of about 5000 popula-
ton, built around the sawmiI of the Union
Lumber Co., which operates also logging camps
in the redwood forest in the vicinity The Union
Lumber Co. is the virtual ruler of Mendocino
County, the company owns the railroad that
connects Fort Bragg with the North Western
Pacific Railroad at WilIets It owns the steam
ships which carry lumber by water from there
and bring ocean freight in. To prevent compe-
tition, with its transportation system the COM
pany has effectively blocked the attempts to
put a good paved highway through; it has like
wise blocked the attempts to establish a good
harbor in the vicinity Of Fort Bragg other than
its own. 1t has its own detectives who work
with the sheriff's Office. Several years ago,
Deputy Sheriff Reesa arrested oscar Erickson
for L W. w. organizatonal activities.
At the trial on the witness stand Reese ad-
mitted being in the pay of the Union Lumber
Co, at $3.50 per month, and received mileage
from the county for use of his automobile The
company maintains store which carries quite
complete stock of groceries. wares cattlefeed,
etc. This, until recently at least, the company
has not declared it obligatory for the workers
to purchase from its store, but particularly more
recently it is actually obligatory, because the
wages are not sufficient for sustenance, the ma
jority have to buy from the company on credit
and they have no money with which to buy
elsewhere
The lumber industry is one of til industries
worst hit by the present economic crisis The
smaller lumber companies on this part of the
coast have shut down completely; some mills
have been running with but a fraction of their
usual force, while the only logging woods run
ming recently have been those of the Union
Lumber Co., and those only by part of the usual
force. The Union Lumber Co. is one of the most
vicious labor baiters. 1t has driven out bv mob
force the labor organizers who have ventured
within its domain 1t is a most relentless slave
driver and wage-cutter Since the world war the
average production per worker has about
doubled, while wages have been continually
scaled down. The wages and employment is
about part Of the usual level The workers
are faced with starvation. In the face of the
growing miltancy of the workers, the Union
Lumber Co. is attempting to frame-up this mill
tant worker on a charge of arson to put out
OF the way the workers leaders and to destroy
their organizations and to terrorze the rest of
the workers into submission
The lumber ssrons are again using their
courts-these vicious institutions of capitalist
class justice-in the attempt to put over this
frame-up just as in the Mooney Billings case,
the Imperial Valley case, Centralia Scottsboro,
Sacco- Venzett the pending Patterson Atlanta
cases. We call upon the American working class
to SKATER this frame-up with its mighty force
Expose this dastardly frame-up, circulate and
distribute literature, newspapers magazines,
circulars, leaflets, etc. Develop mighty cam
paign of kilograms of protest to the governor of
California at Sacramento and Judge Preston at
Ukiah, California Join the T. u U. L. the
only union fighting for the lumber workers
Fight with the I. l.. d. on the amnesty cam
paign! Fight for the release of all class war
prisoners! Comradely LAURENCE EMERY.
San Quentin.