davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

downward followed in March 1t was
then that the company brought in the
U. T. w.
Workers in one of the plants had
revolted against the company union
as far back as 1928 when, under the
leadership of the National Textile
Workers Union, 200 weavers Of the
Coolidge Mill struck against cut of
10 per cent and won certain conces-
siors.
Stock Heavily Watered
The Amoskeag Mfg. Co. has always
been tremendously "overcapitalized"
the capital having been piled UP
through the handing of stock divi-
dends to stockholders in addition to
generous cash dividends. The largest
stock dividend to the parasites came
as the result of its war operations.
The company had shown net profit
during the days of the imperialist
slaughter which reached 1924, e44 in
1919.
On the basis of this surplus of loot
the company declared a 100 per cent
stock dividend In 1919.
Between the years 1907 and 1922 the
company had increased it's capitalize
ton, out of profits, from $4,000,000 to
$44500,000. Thus the cash dividend
paid out in 1922, for example, was
equal to about rs per cent on the
capitalization as 1t stood in 1907
Although the Amoskeag Mfg. Co.
itself has not reported net profits
since 1929, the holding company-the
Amoskeag Co.-that sucks the prof
it's out of the operating company, re-
Gently declared dividends of So a
share on common stock and $3.50 a
share on the preferred, the payments
being made on profits of 1882 and
payable July 2, 1888. At the end Of
1881 the holding company still had
reserve for stockholders" of over
SIS 900, 900.
At the time of the 1922 strike an
official of Amoskeag declared:
1T is nothing but Socialism for
person to say that the public has any
right to inquire as to how much
money firm makes or how much it
lays by for expansion"
The banking control of the COM
pany has centered in Kidder, Pea
body and Co., big Boston private
bankers and .ao~gan's representatives
in New England. Members Of this
firm and of the First National Bank
of Boston are on the Amoskeag Board
of Trustees as are the representatives
of other leading New England banks
and corporations.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

support of all 4 locals for buying
all union bread was opposed by the
s. P. delegates who wished to vote
support for the international label
only. The Amalgamated Food Work
ers representative spoke for the am
endment, claiming that the bosses
want to use bakers of the Anal
gamated to scab on shops On strike.
He proposed one food workers Or
ganization.
Socialist delegates wanted to delay
the question until after the strike
saying it was not a question for the
delegates but for the bakers to de-
eide.
The strikers spoke in favor of the
amendment also. While the Com
nlittce was out to reformulate the
amendment, the wc-kers sang the
international and Solidarity.
The amendment finally read 1--WE
the delegates assembled here by the
Peoples conference for the bakers
strike endorse the policy of Local sos
with the aim of uniting all bakers
into one strong power against all
bosses
The meeting ended with the sing
ing OF the International.
The Bakers Strike Support Con-
ference of Brownsville calls all mass
organizations to a Joint Mass Meet
ing to be held tonight May 26, at
8 pm. at the Brownsville Labor Ly-
ccun, 219 >Sackman Street.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
Telephone Company
Pays Dividends; Fires
Workers; Cut Pensions

NEW YORK.-While declaring its
regular quarterly dividend last week
to its stockholders, the American
( Telephone and Telegraph Co. at the
same time laid off hundreds Of work
ers who have been in the company's
| employ almost all their lives. This
is part Of the plan of wholesale lay
offs which has been going on for
some time under the cover Of eco
i1oiny' but actually intended to speed
UP the workers and reduce their own
labor costs.
The discharge of the old workers
Is in complete disregard Of the old
pension plan so loudly advertised by
the company to prove its generosity
to its workers. These workers, now
among the jobless, have ample proof
Of this generosity.
The Hudson and Canal st. Offices
are closing. The Western Building
and Bell Telephone Laboratories is
running with only one half of the
number of workers. Firing Of work.
ers is taking place every day. Work.
ers in the A. T. and T. are working
and a half days on the basis of
80 hours with corresponding cuts in
wages. \
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

cards in the gangster- socialist A. f.
of L. union, the International Fur
Union.
Hundreds Of shops were supposed
to enforce this ruling But the de-
monstration of thousands of furriers
of the Needle Trades Industrial I'm
ion on Wednesday, has forced most
of the bosses to retreat already.
Twenty-Five shops tried to enforce
the ruling and were met by strikes
Of the workers. At l pm. yesterday,
several shops had already asked for
settlement on the basis of pay for
time lost. They signed a statement
promising to keep up payments Of
the unemployment insurance fund
and all other existing conditions Of
the Industrial agreement. The state
ment that they had to sign also bore
paragraph in which they had to
pledge "in no way to force the work
ers to join the so-called A. F. of
L. fur union"
Promptly at noon yesterday, fif-
teen dicks of the industrial squad
marched down 30th Street to 7th
Avenue escorting two scabs with A,
F. of L. leaflets. Thousands of fur
riers stood in the street and booed
them.
Mounted police and foot police
made a Gordon on 18th Avenue from
3lst down to 10Th streets. The leaf1et
distributors stood with the cops be"
tween goth and 30th streets.
Boo Scabs
AS the workers marched by the
scabs, they booed them and took the
leaflets, standing still and tearing
them UP. The torn leaflets were
thrown in the faces of the scabs and
the police. The dicks attempted to
beat the workers but were prevented
by the solid ranks.
One woman worker stepped up to
the scabs, slapped one of them and
scratched his face. The workers
saved her from arrest.
AS was the case Wednesday, one
of the distributors was Socialist
by the name Of Goldberg. The march
ing workers numbered between eight
and ten thousand. The demonstra
ton was of more militant character
than that of Wednesday. Slogans
such as eve don't want Roosevelts
new deal of gangster unionism-We
have cur union-Police and gang
sters can't drive us into the Social
ist-A. F. of T.. union" were shouted.
The Needle Trades Industrial I'm
ion issued leahet which was dis
tributed in the demonstration. I'M
mediately thousands of arms were
raised in the air with the leahet.
This is our union - Long live the
industrial union! shouted thousands
of voices.
A young mechanic walked with me.
7 asked him what he was doing in
the demonstration. He answered:
81 read in the Times about it yes
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

the strikers under McMahon's
leadership, but instead Of
achieving this, Mcmahon was
placed on the defensive by the strike
committee Nlicn exposed the UTW
officials as enemies OF the workers.
Mcmahon then made the follow
ing declaration to the strikers: IF
you strikers do not come back under
cur leadership and adhere to our
rules and bylaws by Thursday,
shall go to the Pequot management
and tell them that the UTW Is
through with you, that We can now
declare an open shop in this mill and
that the Company can go as far as
it likes with you. He also threatened
expulsion for various members Of the
Strike Committee.
U.T.W. officials Fleece $4,000 From
Workers
The militancy of the strike COM
mittee at this meeting forced the
officials to open their financial re-
cords to the workers who have never
been able to examine them before.
The records reveal that the union
has been a source Of revenue to them
Of more than $4,000 in the past
years. Most of the expenditures
of the local were for high salaries,
and hotel expenses for the officials.
Office equipment consisting of two
chairs, a desk and a typewriter is
listed as having cost $l,298. 1t is
not surprising that Mcmahon warn
ed the strike committee that if the
local secedes he will fight to the last
ditch.
Mcmahon informed the strike COM
mittee that he does not recognize its
authority and will order the election
of new committee of 2 from each
department which will meet together
with the Executive Board and settle
the strike.
The strikers rejected this proposal
unanimously at their last meeting
and will maintain their committee to
carry on all negotiations with the
company Plans are being made TO
provide relief for the families of the
strikers and relief committee was
elected.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

state to organize and TO protest
against the use of the National
Guards, and deputies, as strike
breakers. The farmers are voting in
favor of busting sheriffs who super
vised the strike breaking, and to re-
irlstate one sheriff who was fired for
his friendliness to the farmers.
Give Farmers Third Degree.
Ninety of the strikers, held as pri-
soners and guarded by a machine
gun company, said that they had
been submitted to third degree treat
ment in the efforts of the officials to
obtain confessions" from them that
the strike was engineered by out
side and undesirable influences" No
one denies that the, Communist Par
ty and the city workers aided the
farmers in their fight. But to deny
that the strike was determined
mass movement of farmers would be
just as absurd. Economic conditions
MAZE radicals-not the other way
round.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

one is the circulation Of thousands
of petitions by the United Front Pro-
visional Committee Against Evictions
and Relief Cuts. The petitions are
addressed to Mayor O'Brien and the
Municipal Assembly Of New York,
and demand:
l. Stopping evictions OF nnemploy-
ed or part time workers unable to
pay rent.
2. Payment Of rents for the an
employed by the Home Relief Blu
reau.
3. Increasing relief to meet rising
cost of living.
4. Ceasing Of police and court at
tacks upon the iobIess who protest
the eity's starvation and eviction pro-
gram.
On May 81, unemployed all over
the city are called by the United
Front Committee to mass at the
Home Relief Bureaus in their sec
ton. Ten delegates will be elected
at each bureau. The delegates from
all the bureaus will combine and
bring the signed petitions collected
up until then to City Hall while the
workers at the bureau wait the de
legations return for report. They
will camp at the bureau until they
get a satisfactory answer to their de-
mands.
Three days later, June 3, an event
of importance to every worker in
New York will take place.
Every workers organization in New
York has been called by the Uni
ted Front Committee to send dele
gates to a broad conference at 10
am. to irving Plaza, Irving Place
and 18th Street, where plans will
be laid to follow up the May 81 de-
monstrations with a city wide de-
monstration at City Hall.
Already a number of organizations
have promised to send delegates,
hailing the conference and urging all
organizations to send delegates.
Among these are the Workman'S
Sick and Death Benefit Fund I'm
employed Committee, Amalgamated
Food Workers Union. This in addi-
ton to the organizations on the Pro-
visional Committee including the IN
employed Councils, Conference for
Progressive Labor Action, Industrial
Workers of the World, A. F. of L.
Committee for Unemployment Insur-
ance and Relief and others.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

about organizing farmer-owned CO.
operative distribution system. This
scheme will not be put under way
until the farmers recover from the
effects Of their six-day strike" an
nounced Singler. But when it does
get going, it is to be AFFILIATED with
the American Federation of Labor
that shows how militant it will be ir
the fight to better conditions for the
farmers.
Singler Against Strike Weapon.
what we really hope" said Sing
Ter, sis that the farmers will soor
have enough strength SO that they
won't have to strike to get their de-
mands listened to- So to build ur
their strength this hypocrite turns
to-the A. F. of l..
The farmers will not be so easy to
mislead. They are already saying
that If the terms of the strike truce
are not met thoroughly, the strike
will be continued. Mass meetings
are being held in every Dart of the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

to lockout the workers and force
them into the A. F. of L. union.
Marchers joshed with the old men.
1t seemed that they were very religi-
Gus workers and had been afraid of
the Communists" of the industrial
union when it organized the trade.
Now they knew the answer to any
remarks about reds"
Alright Communist leaders, yes.
They don't make friends with the
manufacturer and use the police to
organize us. Not wage-cut since
we Joined the industrial union" one
said in answer to my questioning.
For two hours they marched. Sing
ing and booing the scabs. Mounted
police charged the streets time after
time but could not break the ranks.
Several were arrested but at a cost
to the police protectors of the gang
STEERS!
Down 31st Street in front of the
A. F. of l.. they marched shouting
their answer to the leaflets that
called their union union Of Com
fnunist sluggers."
Laugh at A. F. of L. Lies
The A. F. of L. leaf1et yesterday
stated that the union had won con-
ditions for the workers. This amused
the furriers. A union that is not
in the shops and trusted by the
workers can win conditions for whom
they asked
I'VE demand unemployment insur-
ance," was printed on yesterdays
leaf1et. Today the furriers expect
that the lesflet will state this had
been won" On paper lot of things
can be promised and claimed, but
the fuiriers know who has won and
held the gains in the trade; they,
the furriers who run their own union.
HolIander Driver Denounced
Students from the nearby voca-
tional school cheered and joined in
with the demonstrators. On 28th ST..
near the union headquarters, truck
Of the Hollander Fur Dyeing Corp.
unloaded Thousands jammed the
street denouncing the scab drivers
Of the truck. The Hollander bosses
are behind the murderous drive
against the industrial union. They
had Morris LANCER murdered for or
ganizing their workers in Newark re-
Gently. Another worker, militant,
was murdered by the thugs of this
company.
The chairman Of $50 w. 80 St.,
345 It'll Avenue and 800 7th Avenue,
representing so large shops of the
Associated met and passed a reso-
luton, pledging to resist to the ut
most any attempt to force them in
to the A. F. of L., or to lower their
conditions in any way.
Today at noon, again the market
will be flooded by workers, fighting
to hold their union. The bosses will
be forced further back The fight
will go on to victory. Two years of
union leadership that fights for the
workers cannot be destroyed by po-
lice and gangsters
In the hall Of the Industrial I'm
ion there is a cardboard sign 1t
reads: we will remember Morris
LANCER by building a greater union"
That promise is being kept.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
METAL SHOP WINS
UNION DEMANDS

NEW YORK-Threat of a strike
by the shop committee at Lehman
Brothers, 1877 Grand Street who de-
manded that the wage scale for sold
erers be s24 a week prevented the
hiring of new man at $1S week.
In addition the shop COMMITTEES
forced the bosses to recognize the
Steel and Metal Workers Industrial
Union and to agree to hiring and
firing through the union. They also
conceded division of work and main
tenance Of the present wage scale.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
Police Attack and
Arrest Workers at
Meet Backing Bakers

NEW YORK-One woman was
held in $500 bail after being beaten
and choked by police who arrested
her and two other workers, Jack Reed
and Isadore Vents, at an open air
meeting called by the Women's Coun-
Gil in support Of the striking bakers
at Schenectady and st. Johns Ave.
in Brooklyn yesterday.
The arrests and beatings occurred
without provocation.
The woman is to be tried this
morning in the Gates Avenue Court.
The two others on Monday.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
FIGHT TO FREE
JAILED JOBLESS
THIS SATURDAY

NEW YORK.-Demands for the
freedom of Sam Gonshak, H. Snipe,
Negro worker, Leon Taback and all
unemployed arrested for taking part
in unemployed demonstrations will
be made this Saturday organized by
sections of International Labor De
Tense.
Removal OF the labor hating Judge
Aurelio who sentenced Gonshak from
6 months to two years on a disorder
" conduct" charge and who will try
Snipe will be demanded. Annulrnent
of the law used by Aurelio will also
be demanded.
The main meetings will be Down
town and Harlem.
Downtown workers will gather at
Union Square Saturday at $3.50 and
will parade from there to 10th Street
and Second Avenue. All workers clubs,
unemployed councils, block commit
tees are urged to come with their
banners and placards.
Harlem Meet
In Harlem the demonstration will
begin p. m. at 18th Street and
7th Avenue where the indignation
at the brutal clubbing and arrest Of
H. Snipe will be made the chief
protest.
I. L. D. attorneys are erdeaYoring
to release Gonshak on bail through
writ of habeas corpus as part Of
the legal fight for him.
Give sincerest support to program
of International Labor Defense, -
writes Gonshak from jail. Build a
powerful organization of struggle and
legal defense TO protect all militant
workers"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26

around the two amendments pres
ented by minority of the Resolu-
tions Committee. The report called
for the election of committees by
\ each organization TO help the strike,
\ by means Of open air meetings and
leaflets and to protest police brut-
ality to Superintendent of Police
Bolan. This was unanimously ad-
opted.
The amendment to elect central
guiding committee from the floor to
work with Local sos was opposed by
Tubin, of the S. P. and Schasfer, of
the Forward. After considerable dis
cuasion the amendment was fo-mu-
lated that one representative from
each organization be elected to work
under the supervision of Local 505.
This was unanimously passed.
The End amendment calling for
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
Defy Boss Terror
In Shoe Workers
United Front

NEW YORK.-Shoe workers in New
York City and Brooklyn are facing
a new attack upon them at the hands
of the bosses who under the mosi
flimsy pretext resort to the discharge
of workers in order to provoke trouble
and to intimidate the workers in
the shops by which method they hope
to step the organization drive now
in progress under the banner of the
United Front against starvation wages
and long hours of work.
The strikers OF the Drell Shoe Co
on East Goth Street are picketing
not only the Drell shop, but also
the Benedict Shoe Co. on oath Street
and 7th Avenue where the Drell Boss
has his work done. AS a matter OF
fact the only work done by the Be-
nedict Shoe Company is the scab work
from the Drell shop.
The strikers of the Drell shop who
have been on the picket line against
wage-outs for the past eight weeks
charge that the workers of the Be-
nedict Shoe Company are doing strike
breakers work and call upon all Or
ganized shoe workers to come to the
picket line and take good look at
those who insist upon doing scab
work.
In the strike at the Weissman- Sass
shop at 80 Main Street, Brooklyn
the boss fired two workers because
they refused to have money taken
from their meager pay envelope fol
damaged shoes, for which damages
they were not responsible. A COM
nlittee demanded the reinstatement
of the discharged workers-which the
boss refused to do.
A meeting of the workers last week
decided for a strike not only for
reinstatement but also for wage in
crease. The Goodyear operators. the
stock filter and five of the cutters
none of whom belong to any union
refused to heed the strike call and
are doing strike breakers work. All
other wc.kers, so strong are carrying
en- a militant struggle under the
banner of the United Front Shop
Committee. The strikers are mem
oers of the Federation and Shoe and
Leather Workers Industrial Union
The Artistic Shoe Company on
Eighth Avenue, discharged two work
ers Wednesday also on the charge of
damaged shoe. The rest of the work
ers Immediately stopped work and
called a United Front Meeting and
elected a committee of six to demand
their immediate reinstatement.
The boss who refused to receive a
small committee in the early morn
ing changed his mind when he not
iced the united action of cutters.
filters, lasters, heelers, etc. and re-
ceived the committee of lasters tell
ing them to send everybody back
TO work including the two workers
discharged. A strike was thus avoided
by the United Front action of the
workers in the shop.
At the Headquarters of the Shoe
and Leather Workers Industrial I'm
ion it was stated that many workers
had made application for member
ship in the Union.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
BUILDING WORKERS MEET SAT.
DISCUSS CARPENTERS STRIKE

A general membership meeting of
the Building Workers League will
take place on Saturday, May ~, at
l pm. at the Building Workers Cen
ter, 81 E. 18th st. The meeting will
hear report of the Chicago Free
Tom Mooney Congress.
Action in support of the Carpenters
strike at the Forest Box and Lumber
Co., 1886 Vernon Ave, Long Island
City, will be planned. This strike
is being conducted by the rank and
file members of the Brotherhood of
Carpenters AFFILIATED with the A. F.
of L.
The Building Workers League will
celebrate the official opening OF the
Building workers Center with an en-
tertainment and house warming
party on Saturday evening, June 3.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-26
By LABOR RESEARCH ASSN.

BY LABOR RESEARCH ASSN.
Amoskeag Mfg. Co., largest textile
concern in the United States and
owning the largest cotton mill in the
world, has always been ruthless in its
treatment of workers.
Although about half the workers OF
Amoskeag were organized between
1919 and 1922 in some ten craft locals
of the United TEXTILE Workers Of
America "a F. of L. tn ebig New
England strike of 1922 led to the
breaking of the hold of the U. T. w.
and the introduction Of company
union. The trusted lieutenants of the
mill agents were elected to the "joint
committees" under this employee
representation" scheme, one Of the
most vicious of its kind ever intro
, duced in American textile mills
A Company Union for Wage Cuts
I This company was used from 1924
to this year, as means of putting
over wage cuts, and increasing the
speed-up. The number of looms
worked by a worsted weaver went UP
from two to six while income from
the increased work dropped about Sc
a week. In the cotton section the
weavers who formerly handled six
looms on certain kind of work were
forced, under the company union
regime, to run from 10 to IL with
less pay for 81 hours than they he
previously reesived for a.
II 1924 the company put over a cut
of ten per cent. Other cuts have
followed in the same manner, the
tools of the company on the Joint
committee" always helping the man
agement to effect the cut.
In 1927 the company handed the
workers a cut Of ten per cent as a
Christmas present. In April 1881,
came another cut, and in October
1881, a cut of ten per cent. In 1892
the company tried still another cut
this one ranging from 10 to 40 per
cent This was SO raw that 1t had to
be put over by "suspending" the rules
Of the company Union so that fewer
votes we're necessary to accept" the
cut.
Since then the workers have be-
come more and more awakened to the
tremendous hoax of the company
union and on January 20, this year,
by vote of 4 to l balloted to put the
company union out Of business. They
had previously been trying to use it
to secure the restoration Of some of
the wage cuts. But the company
fatty refused, SO the workers ended
the plan. Another wage adjustment"