davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-06-27

Exporters in Ecuador are report
ed to be successful in fighting the
government export control ofnce.
Just authorized by law. and 1t Will
not be organized for the present.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-06-27

The song of the nightingale was
broadcast recently from woods IN
England.
The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-06-27

Because Of the declining birth
rate an dother factors, it is esti-
mated that the number of children
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
PROFITEERINC WORRYING N. R. A.;
.KEEZER PLEDGES CONSUMER AID
Appointment of Young Newspaperman Answer to Charge
Public Is Neglected; Two-Salary Employees Block Price
Control; Wallace Fears Buyers Strike.

81 understand my job is to look af-
ter the interests of the consumer, and
| expect to do So"
That assurance was given this week
by Dexter Keezer when he cleared for
action as economic adviser to the con-
sumer's advisory board of the NRA.
Keezer is a young Coloradan who
has made a reputation as a Washing
ton newspaper writer. He is a rec
ognized economist and a liberal. For
years he has specialized in the study
of distribution and consumption and
has written books on these subjects.
The appointment of Keezer was re-
garded as the administrations re-
Spouse to a challenge by William F.
Ogburn, a University of Chicago pro-
lessor, that the consumers board was
following policies that paved the way
for profiteering.
A Disturbing Situation.
Ogburn and two associates resigned
because, they said, they were unable
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
BOSSES OF METAL
N TO FIGHT
6-HOUR DAY
WOULD WORK A HARDSHIP ON
THE WORKERS

LEADVILLE, Colo.-(FP)-Indica-
tons that the metal mining industry,
largely non-union since the tremend-
GUS struggles of the early years Of
the century, would fight the proposal
of a 6-hour day in the MIRA code, was
given by mine operators meeting for
discussion of a code satisfactory to
them.
The 6-hour day would be a great
hardship on the workers, they assured
reporters plaintively.
However, the miners have been join
ing the union by the thousands and
they have decided that the 6-hour day
is necessary if the miners are to be
put back to work. These hard rock
miners are a very hardy group and
the suggestion is made in labor cir
cles that they could probably stand
up under the rigors of hardship inn
posed by working six hours a day
without putting undue strain on the
sympathies of the operators.
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21

to make the board an effective instru-
ment to safeguard consumers
What the economists declared open
ly officials of the NRA have been
saying ''Off the record" They admit
that the bureaus set up to protect
consumers have neither the staffs nor
the money to do an effective job.
One official told LABOR that they
were set up for psychological effect"
and were not expected TO go after
prOfiteers with a club.
In both the AAA and the MIRA are
strong elements which bitterly OPP
pose every suggestion of price regu-
lation.
1t is openly charged that employees
in responsible positions are drawing
salaries from outside interests in adj
dition to their government pay, and
that their loyalty, apparently, is to
their private employers. So far this
Continued on page four
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
PART V.
is MIRA SOCIALISM?

Does the act mean that industry is
to be run along Socialist lines?
Most certainly not. Private owner
ship of industry is not touched. The
control Of private owners over indus
try is very slightly affected. A GER
tain amount of regulation has been es-
tablished, but our experience with
regulation of public utilities lets us
know that the activities of private cor
porations + never greatly handicap
ped by regulatory laws.
Has anything like it ever been done
in other countries?
In many European countries trade
associations to regulate prices have
been formed, frequently through the
cooperation of governmental agencies
They are called "cartels." In prac.
tically every instance they have failed
to solve any important economic prob.
lem.
Does MIRA do away with the need
for a working class political party?
No. On the contrary it makes that
need greater than ever. Now that
the government is to have direct con.
troll over minimum standards Of work.
ing conditions it is more desirable
than ever that workers should contro
the government and use it in then
own interest.
Is MIRA Fascism?
No. but it can easily be made intC
Fascism. Fascism is the attempt by
the owners of industry to use thu
power of the state to stabilize profits
If necessary, Fascists propose tina.
the state should take over all industry
but to continue to pay interest OF
bonds and dividends on stocks to tn,
present owners. Should American
capitalists find such a step necessary
the machinery of the MIRA can b.
used for that purpose.
Does MIRA eliminate the prof
system?
No. The act is a deliberate attemp
to bolster up the profit system. Mem
bers of the 'brain trust" in privat,
conversations have repeatedly state'
that the purpose Of the act was tt
safeguard profits.
End
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21

He whines against the "unjustified
abuse" He did not refer to Will
Rogers scathing witticism that,
through the Reconstruction Finance
Corp, the bankers were the first to
go on the dole, under Herbert Hoover.
###
Much more humble, as befits a
banker from the provinces was F. M,
Law of Houston, incoming president
of the bankers association. "Most of
u.s." he assured the delegates, "know
better than even before the requisites
of good banking. We know now, if
we never knew before, the meaning of
sound policies and the Interpretation
of them in the right running of a bank
and especially with regard to the use
of %depositors' money in the making of
loans" Then he announced that hui
mar nature, at least banking human
nature, was going to be completely
changed. They were all going to help
Pres. Roosevelt's recovery program
and were going to do it, not with the
cold glass eye of the profiteering bank
ster, but in an exalted mood in which,
marvellous to behold, grab and greed
and selfishness will have no place"
This sort of thing was too much for
h~ardboiled Sisson, and for flinty
Leonard P. Ayers of Cleveland. They
set the switch dead against the Roose-
welt Legislation so far as it concerns
banking. They want no guaranty of
bank deposits, no divorce of their
gambling investment affiliates from
commercial banks, and no initiation.
A&#
Ayers held out the threat of the
prospective suspension and liquida-
ton of some thousands of banks" UNI
Continued on page four
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
BANKERS IN CONVENTION WHINE
OVER DISCREDITED STANDING
BLAME AUTO, HUMAN TEMPERAMENT N Pc
LITICAL ORATORY FOR BANK FAILURES

CHICAGO-(FP)-Not in outward
physical appearance but in spirit and
"front" it was a bedraggled set of
whipped dogs that assembled in Chi
cago at the annual convention of the
American Bankers Assn. this week.
They whined about the black eyes
they had got from the public. They
complained about the attacks made on
them by officials of the Roosevelt Adj
ministration. They blamed every
thing but their own greed and dis
honesty and ignorance for the most
APPALLING banking catastrophe in
American history. They whimpered,
They cringed. And at the same time
they set about to sabotage the credit
side of NRA. Suppose we listen to
the announcements of their leaders:
There were $1,000 banks in the
United States in 1921, By 1929 there
were only $4,000, by 1882 only 18,40O,
and by 1888 only 14,517. In the first
three depression years banks closed
at the rate of over 10 per day. Pretty
bad, Ell? Not at all, says Vice-Pres,
Francis H. Sisson of Morgan's big
Guaranty Trust Co., of New York.
Sisson told the bankers in his presi-
Dental address:
"The banker is neither any better or
any worse than any other human fac
tor in the community. The situation
does not justify violent or drastic
changes in our banking system" Be-
sides, as Sisson proudly points out,
even in boom times the banks in the
United States keep topping over at
the rate of two each banking day.
**A
Since the banker is not to blame,
in his own eyes, for his bad reputa-
ton and for his bad record as a keep
er of other peoples money, just what
was the cause of the Depression Sis
son knows. Among other causes he
lists the automobile, the v tenn
permanent of the American people, and
political oratory. Those, my breth-
rem, he told the assembled money
lenders, are the causes. The auto kill
ed the small trading centers and the
small banks, nervousness started bank
runs and hit somewhat larger banks,
and RECKLESS political strategy and
oratory doubtless played no small
part in so extensive a destruction of
public confidence in the banks and
popular suspicion and antagonism
against them that the closing of all
of them under government protection
finally became inevitable"
Sisson complains that bankers are
regarded as the demons responsible
for all their troubles" by the public
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
DRESS STRIKE Is
SETTLED, OTHERS
CONTINUE FIGHT

CHICAGO-(FP)-The 5000 silk
dress strikers in Chicago are back at
work under a federal settlement
which gives them minimum wages of
$14 up to 500 a week, depending on
the nature of their work. They had
asked for $18 to $40. The code is to
be strictly enforced. The great ma
jority of the workers are enrolled in
the Init. Ladies' Garment Workers
Union of the A. F. of L. The .nillin-
cry workers are still out, picketing un-
der a modified injunction. The pock-
etbookmakers are out again.
Other labor union activity that is
hobbled by injunctions is the attempt
Of the cooks and walters union to Or
ganize the Hotel Brevoort ~bartenders
and the strike of piano makers at the
Kimball works against low wages and
speedup.
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
CHISELERS ARE DEFEATING NRA:
UNIONS ROOSEVELT'S LAST HOPE
MILLION CHISELERS IN THE u. S. A.; BLUE EAGLE
MEANINGLESS TO HI WORKERS

creased its output fourfold and the
average worker thought Morgan's mer
would rather pay decent wages and
make a profit than pay unorganized
workers low wages and lose money.
1t was this illusion, which seemed
sound enough in early summer, which
brought Roosevelt probably the most
nearly unanimous support that any
president has ever had in peacetime,
In July they believed in the NRA. By
Labor Day that faith was shattered.
The reason is simple. Everywhere
the workers are saying, "The Blue
Eagle doesn't mean anything" A lum-
Der yard in Amherst, Mass, flies the
Blue Eagle but doesn't change pay be-
cause, as the employer explains, he
does not pay by the week but by the
hour" so the code is meaningless
Just ~chiseling of course. A big grain
company near Perrysburg, Ind, part
of the Checker chain, carefully raises
all pay to the NRA minimum and as
carefully lowers those above that level.
making the minimum the maximum.
Big scale chiseling. The Hearst papers
announced with flare and big head
lines that they had signed up and gone
on the 5-day week. So they did-for
one week. Then they went back to tbs
6-day week, cut hours a bit for the
editorial staff, with the understand
ing of course that "all men will stay
CONTINUED on page three
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
by A L. PALMER

NEW YORK-(FP) - A million
chiseling employers are defeating the
expressed purposes of the NRA, the
whole recovery program IN Labor Day
was in dire danger of collapse instead
of being at the high point of success
predicted a month earlier and the only
hopeful point in the whole situation
for those whose hopes are based on
the NRA is the fact that workers are
flocking to the unions as never before
in our history.
At least that is this writer's judg-
ment after a trip of 1000 miles
through New England and the mid
die west in which scores of workers,
merchants, employers and Others
were interviewed on Americas lead
ing topic of conversation, the NRA.
Everywhere the story is the same;
The common people of the country
had great faith in Roosevelt and the
NRA. The idea of shorter hours I'M
til everyone had a job-the 30-hour
week-and decent pay instead Of
sweatshop pay, was sound. Conditions
had become so bad that surely, they
thought, the employers would rather
pay decent wages if everyone else had
to do the same, than to see all the
banks crash, factories close, thousands
s~tarve, chaos rule. Then came the
spring speculative upturn, confirming
that view. The steel industry in
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
LEFTWARD REVOLUTION IN CUBA
HAS WASHINGTON WORRIED
FEAR AMERICAN HOLDINGS BE NATIONALIZED

students secret society, the A. B. G.
Supporting it were virtually all the
workers as well as the armed forces.
State Department experts on Gu
ban affairs see in this new revolution
a strong tinge Of class bitterness
the masses against the handful of
landowners and big business men,
most of them puppets of American
banks and American corporations.
They anticipate that the revolutionary
junta will quickly call a constituent
assembly which will write a new Gu
ban constitution in which the right of
the people to live will be placed ahead
of the right of investors to draw div
idends. Hunger and restitution have
become chronic for a majority of Gu
ban workers. Soldiers in the nation
al army, fearing dismissal or cuts in
pay in order that the budget might be
balanced and interest be paid on bonds
sold to Americans, turned their rifles
against the creditor class, rather than
join the unemployed.
Hull and the President say there
will be no Intervention in the Cuban
political struggle, but they indicate
that this promise is based on the as
sumption that the new government in
Havana will maintain "order." By
order they mean safety of American
lives and of American investments
from attack. Since Cuba has piled up
a debt of over S15O,OOO,O0O, in recent
years, to American bondholders, and
can pay interest only by taxing more
heavily the $1,500 1000, 900 of property
owned by Americans, not even Roose-
welt can easily prescribe a way in
which landowners, bondholders and
hungry masses can all be satisfied.
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21

Observation-Disclosures sup
port of the National Recovery Act by
every person in the United States was
urged by William Green, president of
the American Federation of Labor, in
a radio address here over National
Broadcasting Company's network.
He stressed the fact that the pur-
pose of the act was to put millions Of
jobless back to work and raise mass
purchasing power by higher wages,
which was being accomplished by the
Presidents voluntary agreement and
the various fair competition codes.
Mr.. Green said, in part:
1.-THE law was passed by Congress
for the purpose Of dealing with a
great emergency. Unemployment had
constantly increased over a period Of
years until more than twelve million
people had been forced into idleness.
Approximately sixty million people
were seriously affected, all of them
suffering in varying degrees from the
effects of widespread, continuous I'M
employment.
"The chief objective of the act was
to increase work opportunities through
a reduction in hours of labor and to
increase buying power through in
in wages.
Drive On Unemployment.
at was clearly the purpose and in
tention of the sponsors of this legis-
lation, as well as Congress, to launch
a great offensive along a nationwide
front upon the distressing unemploy-
ment situation which prevailed
throughout the country through the
operation and application of the pro-
visions of the industrial recovery law
Gwen a superficial examination OF
the act reflects, in a most clear and
convincing manner, the broad, compre-
hensive powers vested in the Federal
Government to formulate industrial
codes of fair practice for all lines Of
industry. If unemployment is over.
come so that the number Of people
who are suffering from enforced idle
ness is reduced to a minimum and if
buying power is increased so that the
consumers demand for manufactured
goods will be created corresponding
with industrial facilities of production
the act will prove to be a complete
success.
There is one fact in the whole eco
nomic procedure which stands out
boldly. 1t is the fact that action is a
reality and that the horrors and evils
of unemployment are being attacked
in a most vigorous and uncompromis-
ing way.
Red Tape Abolished.
"Much red tape is being cast aside
in the straight drive which is being
made toward the realization of a com
non purpose and men and women
identified with the administration OF
the law are working with superhu-
man zeal, inspired, as it seems, by
the urgency and needs of a desperate
condition.
"The people of the nation had been
praying for action, the kind of action
which is being taken now. They
wanted something done. They de-
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
FORM UNITED CONFERENCE FOR
PROGRESSIVE POLITICAL ACTION
A NEW GROUP OUTLINES RADICAL PROGRAM
THIRD PARTY TO BE CONCENTRATED IN
THE D ID WEST

cousin; Hjalmar Petersen, w. j. Nc
Carren and John Bosch of Minnesota;
Prof. Paul H. Douglas, DIR. Kennedy
and w. ]. Joyce of Illinois; Judge
John F. Wirds and Jesse Sickler Of
Iowa; Ted Graham of Missouri; G. G..
Librant of Michigan; Paul L. With
of South Dakota; Alfred Dale and
Green of North Dakota; d. R. Traux
and Huntley DePres of Ohio; Frank
Wood and Stacey Cox of Colorado;
j. Stitt Wilson, H. Gail Atwater and
Anthony Ramuglia of California; Lar
ry Hogan of North Carolina; Stephen
Raushenbush of Pennsylvania; Alfred
Bingham of Connecticut; John Nc
Laren of Massachusetts,; and from
New York City and vicinity j. B. S.
Hartman, Ben Gitlow, Estelle M.
Sternberger, Abraham Lefkowitz,
Francis Henson, Paul Blanshard and
Williams. These are subject to ac-
ceptance by the nominees.
Considerable debate ragged round
the question whether Communists and
their affiliates should be allowed to
join the new organization. A motion
by Douglas to exclude them by name
was lost by a large majority but a
later motion, also by Douglas, to in
form the Committee of Action that
Communists and their affiliates are
not wanted in the organization carried
AZ to 35. Farmer-Labor spokesman
from the northwest, led by Mayor VIM.
Mahoney of st. Paul, were strong
hackers of the Douglas exclusion pro-
posals.
Continued on page two)
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21

WASHINGTON (FP) Fear of
naturalization Of part of the $780,
100000 of American holdings in Cuba
by the new revolutionary government
set up by the rank-and-file movement
of soldiers, sailors, police and organ
lied students, Sept. 5, was the first
reaction of officials of the Roosevelt
administration. The reactionary
Washington Star reflected their agi-
tation with its 9-column headline
Radicals Seize Cuba In Bloodless
Coup" While Secretary of State Hull,
in a statement to the press after he
had communicated with the President,
said hat the sole purpose of sending
warships to Havana and Santiago
was to safeguard American "lives
and persons" in case of emergency, his
subordinates, before the day was over,
were talking of 'lives and property
as being the object of this naval pro-
lection.
1t was admitted that Ambassador
Welles, who had much to do with the
ousting of Machado on Aug. 10, had no
advance information that the Cuban
army was to arrest its officers and
start a leftward revolution on the
night of Sept. 4. The radical ele-
ments, knowing that Welles did not
want any such movement to start,
were careful to keep their secret I'M
til they had seized power. At 6 a.
M, Sept. 5, Secretary Hull was call
ed out of bed, at Washington, by
Welles in Havana, and was told that
the three-weeks-old regime of Acting
President de Cespedes had been thrust
aside by a rising of the spokesman of
economic unrest, backed by the soldiers
and sailors, At the head of the move
ment was the radical wing of the ex-
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
(Bv CARL H%AESSLER.O

CHICAGO (FP) - Government
monopoly of foreign trade, public
ownership of natural resources, rail-
roads, utilities, mines and other basic
industries, naturalization of banking
mot privately owned national banks),
soaking the rich, insurance for all
against economic insecurity at all
times, a job for everybody and a high
standard of living, farms for the farm
ers, and abolition of profiteering in
food and necessaries of life-these are
the platform planks adopted by the
conference held in Chicago, Sept. 1-2
under the auspices of the League for
Independent Political Action.
Over 100 delegates from many
states sat through committee work
and general sessions hammering out
the program. A new organization
not a new political party as yet-was
formed, to be known as the United
Conference for Progressive Political
Action. 1t is anticipated that the l..
I. p. A. will disband and that Secy.
Howard Y. Williams will become sec
rotary of the new conference.
The delegates voted that the fol-
lowing should constitute the Commit
tee of Action with power to fill va
cancies and to expand its numbers up
to 40. Honorary Chairman, John
Dewey, professor of philosophy at
Columbia University; Chairman Thorn
as r. Amlie, former LaFollette con-
gresham from Wisconsin; Treasurer
Oswald Garrison Willard of the Ma
ton; and Henry Oil, Jr., A. M. Mil
Ter, Soref and Tannensberg of Wis.
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21

manded the presentation of a formu-
la which would, in some degree, at
least, prove to be a remedy for the
economic ills of the nation.
"Never before in the history of any
nation have those in charge of the
government embarked upon an eco
nomic adventure as fascinating and
far-reaching as this one, under the in
spiration of the Industrial Recovery
Act, upon which our own Government
has embarked.
"The Government, through partner
ship with industry and labor, is doing
what industry refused to do separately
and of itself. For years labor had
urged and pleaded that hours of labor
be shortened and additional work OPP
portunities be created as the only way
by which the slack of unemployment
could be taken up.
"The Government is doing exactly
that very thing. Through the develop
ment of industrial codes of fair prac-
tice work is being allocated. A
wider distribution of the amount OF
work available is being made through
a reduction in the hours of labor. For
obvious reasons wages must be in
creased as hours Of labor are reduced
Otherwise the balance between pro
ducing and buying power would be
destroyed.
Reduce Hours, Raise Wages.
owe may not be fully satisfied with
all that has thus far been accomplish
ed. know there are still millions who
are unemployed and | know that there
are millions who are suffering as g
result of unemployment.
ut is clearly the obligation of the
Government to go forward with its in
dustrial recovery program reducing
the hours of labor to the point where
in operation, work opportunities will
be further created so that all who are
wiling and able to work may be ac.
corded the privilege Of doing so.
"With such reduction in hours
wages must be lifted to a higher leve.
so that purchasing power will be re,
stored and thus a steady flow of man.
ufactured goods from the point of pro,
duction to the consuming market will
be maintained.
Watch Blue Eagle Employers.
"This constructive economic pro.
gram can be advanced in an accelerat,
ed way if the people of the nation
Individually and correctively, will dc
their part in a full and complete way
Merchants and manufacturers who
have been given the Blue Eagle EN-.
blem should religiously discharge theil
obligation. There should be no at,
tempt to evade the performance Of
their duty or to modify the terms Of
the contract they entered into with thC
government.
"The people in every community
should be alive to the situation ans
through the exercise Of their commun-
ity and collective influence they SHOULD
see to it that the terms upon which
the Blue Eagle was granted are fully
met.
Continued on page twO)
Montana labor news., 1933-09-21
STRIKING WOOD
CUTTERS TEACH
BOSS A LESSON

MONTEAGLE, Tenn-(FP)- The
striking WOOD cutters OF Monteagle,
Tenn, have stopped all scabbing.
Recently members of the Cumber-
land Mountain Workers. League
marched into the store of a local mer-
chant and demanded that he stop in
sisting on payments of debts by men,
bers of the league until the strike
was over. Threats to picket his store
if the request was not granted
brought immediate results.