The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-02
Joins With Capitalist
Press In Raising
"Red Scare Cry
By HARRY RAYMOND

OF the New York taxi drivers,
the Socialist newspaper, the New
Leader" in its latest issue does its
level best in raising the splitting
cry Of the red scare"
It is revealed clearly in this issue
Of the paper who is the PRIME
mover Of all the attempts to split
the ranks Of the taxi strikers and
disrupt the Taxi Drivers Union Of
Greater New York.
In its so-caIed Labor Section"
On Saturday, March 81, the New
Leader" proves itself to be even a
worse enemy Of the hacknen than
the openly and avowed anti-labor
sheet, the New York News" While
the News" is openly against the
union, the New Leader" is trying
to split the unity while stating that
it supports it.
Pretending to support the strug-
giles Of the hackmen, the leading
articles on the first page Of the
Labor Section" which quotes at
great length from a radio speech of
Matthew NJ. Levy, a lawyer and
chairman Of the Bronx County Or
ganization of the Socialist Party.
who with Judge Panken aided in
the shameless betrayal of the first
strike. Levy, in his speech refers to
the Communist policy as one Of
splitting the labor movement"
Who Are the SpIittersq
Now, let us see who the splitters
are. The first and most obvious
splitter within the ranks of the taxi
drivers is one Samuel Smith, preSi-
dent Of the Bronx local Of the Taxi
Drivers Union Of Greater New York.
During the early days Of the strike,
Mr.. Smith was forced to go along
with the militant wave of struggle
of the taxi drivers. Despite his
underhanded attacks on the mill
tant leadership of the Manhattan
local, the rank and file forced Smith
into a position where he could not
openly oppose the correct strike
policy proposed by Samuel Orner
and Joseph Gilbert, the undisputed,
outstanding and most beloved lead
ers Of the strike.
But Mr.. Smith did not rest long
on his oars. He soon was working
untiringly for a split. Backed BY
such leaders Of the Socialist Party
as Mr.. Levy and Mr.. Anxious Most
Smith began to raise the red
scare" He raised this cry last Fri
day night in speech to the wives
of the drivers. eve are not only
fighting the General Motors" said
Smith, "but we are fighting the
! Communist Party" Clever Mr..
Smith, you who were against the
strike in the beginning, how do YOU
expect to bulldoze the hackmen
with such trash?
This was said in face Of the
fact that the Communist Party
was the only Party that supported
the strike in every possible way
from the very beginning of the
struggle.
Taxi drivers know from expert
ence that the Communists within
the union were the best fighters
and the ones who united the ranks
of the strikers regardless of poIit-
ical opinion.
Smith Against Strike
The strikebreaking, splitting policy
Of the Socialist leaders was brought
out more clearly in a speech made
by Smith in the Bronx on Satur-
day, Smith, the mouthpiece of the
Socialist Party, admitted that he
was against the second general
strike. He said that this strike was
the idea of Manhattan local and
that he wanted no part of it,"
Following the policy of the So
cialist leaders, Smith ATTEMPTED to
get the rank and file hackmen to
have faith in the capitalist politi-
clans. He said that Mayor La
Guardia would see to it that Gus
tice is done to the men" In order
to halt any militant fight of the
drivers which is necessary to force
the city government to return the
hack licenses that were taken away
from strikers who were arrested
while on picket duty, Smith ''prim-
ised" the men that the licenses
would be returned with the help of
the city administration. Also, on
the question Of the blacklist, Smith
told the drivers mot to bother" for
he would personally see the bosses"
Open Call for Split
The real nature of Mr.. Smiths
move, which is in reality a man
euver of the Socialist Party leaders,
was revealed in all its nakedness
Saturday. While the Socialist paper
was shouting Communist splitters,'
the Socialist spokesman in the ranks
Of the taxi drivers was openly call
ing for a split in the union. Mr..
Smith called on all Bronx men to
stand behind him in laying the
basis for the Bronx local to affiliate
with the American Federation of
Labor, thus breaking up the militant
independent union.
Supporting Mr.. Smiths man
euvers to split the union, the So
cialist New Leader" publishes Mr..
! SmlChS reSolutlon, SOCIALIST IN
spired document, stating that the
Bronx local repudiates all faint,
action or statements Of the Com
munists."
Mr.. Smiths activities, however,
have SO far been unable to bring
about the split so devoutly wished
for by the Socialists. The majority
Of the drivers know that it is the
Communist Party and the Com
munist paper, the Daily Worker,
that has helped them build their
union, that has given them good
/ leadership in the strike, and is
helping them now to consolidate
their union in every garage in the
city.