davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
BY CARL REEv

worded, 'The average employment
of all factory employees with a
number of exceptions-C.R.1 shall
not exceed IS hours per week from
the period of the effective date
august, 1889 to the expiration
date December 81, 1889 and the
hours OF each individual empIOye,
shall so FAR AS PRACTICABLE
conform with this average and shall
in no case exceed the same by more
than three per cent. In order to
give to such employees such average
of 35 hours per week, it will be nee
essary at times to operate for sub
stantially longer hours, but no en-
pioye shall be employed for more
than six days or AZ hours in any one
week and all such peaks shall be
absorbed in such average"
In plain language, the auto code
meant that for the short busy sea :
son the auto manufacturers can
work their employees as long as they
pleased, and this is exactly what
they have been doing since the auto
code was signed, BY establishing
the high maximum of 48 hours, and
by averaging up the time to IS
hours, the auto employers evolved
a code which, in practice, set no
limit on the number of hours
worked.
Regarding wages, the code set 43
cents an hour for workers in areas
OF over half a million population;
4f;2 cents for cities from quarter
to a half million; and 40 cents for
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
New Stamp Act in Ohio
Legislative Act Recalls Mass Protests of American
COlOnists 100 Years Ago

in advance from retail merchants
in Cuyahoga County, mostly in pre-
paid penny stamps in the several
days before the tax went into eff
feet.
The resistance to the sales tax
is so great, however, that E. j..
Quinn, district supervisor, estimates
that only about half of the esti-
mated $4,000 retailers in the county
have taken out their licenses and
only one-f1fth of them have bought
tax stamps.
The tax adds three cents to every
dollars worth of merchandise pur-
chased with the exceptions of bread,
liquid milk and newspapers. Canned
milk. vegetables, groceries, clothing,
medical supplies, etc, are all Sub
ject to the tax.
In line with its policy Of mo
taxes for the poor. all taxes on the
rich" the Communist Party has
called for a united front confer
ence to initiate broad, statewide
movement against the tax.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05

those in cities under quarter of
million.
Minimum Became Maximum
This wage tended at once to be-
come the maximum, as thousands
of auto workers have discovered.
A clause applying to apprentices,
learners and females" allowed the
chisseling employers to pay these
workers only 8712 per cent of the
code wage. There was no restric-
ton on speed-up, which has in
creased at terrific rate.
The delegations of auto workers
to the N. R. A. hearings. demanding
union wages, recognition and the
30-hour week with full pay and
abolition of speed-up. were given
brusque treatment and their de-
mands ignored when this code Eas
written up by General johnson and
the manufacturers.
This is the company union code
that President Roosevelt signed in
August, 1893. Since then he has
four times extended the code, in
defiance of the demands Of the auto
workers, with all its anti-labor pro-
visions intact.
William Green now attacks this
code, and urges the workers to ig-
more it. He is rather late. In the
August 20, 1888 issue of the Daily
Worker, front page editorial de-
clared of the auto code which had
just been signed, This is Just the
N. r. A. form of the yellow dog con-
tract, applying to all workers,
whether they sign it or not. The
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
Railroads Get Tax Back
More Than $4,000, 900 Returned to -Four Big
Railroad Corporations by U. S.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 4.-Four big
corporations received more than
one million dollars each in tax re-
funds from the Bureau of Internal
Revenue, and total refunds to vari-
GUS individuals and corporations
totalled more than S48,O00,0O0 in
1884, it was announced today.
The refunds were based on exam
nations which showed that the
government had taken too much"
from these corporations.
Railroad Bosses Gain
Railroads we're especially heavy
benef1cialies, with the Pennsylva-
MIA, Vanderbilt Morgan road, col
Letting back taxes to the tune Of
s3,191 900, and the Lackawanns col
Letting S1,526, 600
The New York Life Insurance
Company topped the list with q re-
fund Of S4.42700O.
Large Refunds
Especially notable we're the re-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05

The strikebreaking, union smash
ing role of the N, r. A. is seen:
Cd In the provisions put into the
code by Roosevelt in August, 1898,
and, % In the pact engineered by
Roosevelt on March 25, 1884, which
created the Auto Labor Board and
sidetracked the threatened strike.
The Yellow Dog Merit Clause
The code, as signed by Roosevelt
in August, 1888, denied every demand
OF the auto workers. 1t contained
the merit clause" which legalized
the open shop. This clause states:
Employers in this industry may
exercise their right to select, re-
tain, or advance employees on the
basis of individual merit without
regard to their membership or
non-membership in any organiza-
ton"
This yellow dog principle is lifted
from the programs of the company
unions and gave presidential and N.
r. A. backing to the employers
company union and open shop drive.
This was the answer of the en-
ployers and of Roosevelt to the de-
mand of the auto unions for recog-
milton.
Was Employers Code
AS far as conditions, hours and
wages went, the auto code gave the
employers exactly what they want
ed. The auto workers demand the
30-hour week with full pay. The
auto code gave maximum 4S-hour
week.
This clause on hours was cleverly
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
KeLLer'S Career Shows
Evolution Of Renegade

such sentiment. AS we know, Cor
mans betrayal of that great strike
was signal for a renewed drive to
cut wages in the entire industry.
But Paterson could have stalled the
drive in the silk mills. The workers
could have returned to work in an
organized manner, and only after
they were guaranteed that union
conditions will remain. That, how
ever, was not Keller's concern. His
main concern was to Jump when
German cracks the whip A wire
from German calling off the strike
was all he needed. The workers
simply found the strike hall closed
to them, and were ordered back to
work by Keller.
Such termination Of the strike
opened a period of wage cuts in
Paterson. The bosses declared the
contract void. They seemed to be
certain that Keller will keep to Cor
mans promise to the President
that there will be no resistance dur
ing the truce"
Rank and File Rises
The wage cutting served to arouse
the rank and file to the danger fac
ing the union and the gains won
through hard struggle. The des-
perate efforts of Keller and his
clique to save themselves from being
ousted marks one of the most dis
graceful pages in the history of the
union He had number of his
henchmen deputized by police. sup
posedly for keeping order in the
union. but really to terrorize the ris-
ing left wing. No orderly meetings
could take place, as in all cases KEEL
ler's agents would provoke fist fights
and other forms of disorder so the
membership could make no deci-
sions.
Keller became discredited even
among his own followers. In cleo
ton of delegates to the national silk
workers convention he came out
Ooyl4y QClEdJCQ. Ab GilS COtlN C1lblOll
he crawled on his knees before the
U. T. w. officials, hoping they would
use him. But these slick reaction
aries know better than to place their
hopes on such discredited people.
SO Keller, back in Paterson, aware
that he was doomed, proceeded to
accomplish his greatest "achiev-
ment" before letting go of the
wheel. The silk workers had to find
out through the capitalist papers
that Keller is negotiating for con-
tract. But now guided by an active
rank and file movement, the work
ers forced the contract before a
membership meeting, and scotched
KeIler's plan. Keller's arrangement
provided that an arbitration board
is to decide if the manufacturers
keep the wage cut The proposed
contract was defeated unanimously,
and a. rank and file committee was
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05

funds on the processing tax, where
refunds were made to professors
after they had passed the tax along
to consumers in higher prices. Thus
the processing companies received
both the increased price and the
tax at the same time, a double
profit
The Roosevelt tax program is
working out to levy increasing bur
dens on the poorest sections of the
population.
The so-called excise taxes and
general taxes on consumption on
such articles as tobacco, medicine,
gasoline, and so on, took more than
$500, 100000 out of the pocketbooks
Of the consuming masses in 1884.
In addition. the processing taxes on
cotton and wheat, which are passed
along to the consumer in higher
prices, took approximately half 2
billion dollars out of the pay
envelopes Of the working class.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
By Sander VOrOs
ohio Daily worker Rureaul

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Feb. 4.-The
Stamp Act, by which King George
III taxed American colonists 100
years ago without their consent
reused their fighting ire more than
any other one thing. The Stamp
Act is a symbol of oppression in
text books on American history. The
Boston Tea Party was a mass pro-
test against the Stamp Act.
New Stamp Act
But today, in 1885, the sovereign
State of Ohio has its own Stamp
Act. It is, actually, a three per cent
tax on retail sales and to every pur-
chase there is now affixed a stamp
bearing the legend. Prepaid Sales
Tax. Consumers Receipt" and the
amount Of the tax.
Arrests Made
Arrests of five small store-keep-
ers followed the introduction of the
tax.
A total of 100000 was collected
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05

already presents a complete por-
trait of a renegade.
In Paterson, with reactionaries in
the silk and dyers locals depoSed, a
new life is entering the Unions. New
members are joining. The workers
are inspired with new hope and a
fighting spirit
For the position held by the out
cast Keller, the rank and file has
put forward Sarkis Phillian, a mill
worker, who was active in the union
for years. Every member knows
him as a sincere worker, always
fighting in the interest of the weav-
ers. 1t was he who took leading
part in uniting the small indepen-
dent groups of workers and the Ma
tional into the present strong local.
He will be able to unite the best
active members into a fighting lead
ership. The vote on Feb, is should
express q united front behind him.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
Mayor McLevy
Balks on Negro
Rights Dennand
Refuses To Admit That
Negroes Are Discrim-
mated Against

HARTFORD, Conn, Feb. 4.
Negroes are not Disseminated
against any more than other groups
of workers" declared Jasper Nc
Levy, Socialist mayor of Bridge
port, in refusing to endorse two
proposed amendments to the Con-
necticut Bill of Rights, The amend
ments, presented to the Socialist
mayor by delegation Of Negro and
white workers and professionals,
are aimed against current relief
discrimination and police terror
against the Negro population of
Bridgeport and other Connecticut
cities.
During the delegations interview
with McLevy, the case of the police
murder of Lorenzo Brown, unem-
ployed Negro worker, was brought
to his attention. Brown was ar
rested by McLevy's Bridgeport po-
lice and brutally beaten. He died
shortly after the beating. A coro-
ner's inquiry completely white
washed his police murderers. De-
spite the well-known facts in the
case, McLevy denied to the delegs-
ton that his police had murdered
the Negro worker.
Bridgeport Negro ministers, to-
gether with the international Labor
Defense, the League of Struggle for
Negro Rights and other groups OPP
posing McLevy's police terri or
against Negroes, are conducting an
open hearing on Browns murder
this Friday evening at the St.
Georges Hall. Invitations to sp-
pear before the hearing have been
sent to Mayor McLevy and other
city officials.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
Denny Defes
Court as He
IsGivenTern1
Portland Unemployed
Leader Imprisoned
For Aid in Strike
BY Dawn LOvelace

PORTLAND, Ore, Feb. Al am
not guilty of any crime. am here
before this court because I organ
lied the workers to struggle for bet
ter conditions" Edward Denny, or
ganizer Of the jobless single workers
told Circuit Judge James Staple
ton when he appeared before him
for sentence under Orgeon's anti
labor criminal syndicslist law.
Denny was sentenced to two
years in the penitentiary. The
sentence is being appealed. He is
the fourth worker to be convicted
in the past few months for sup
porting the strike struggles of
Portland longShoremen last sum-
mer. Dirk DeJonge, leader of the
unemployed, is now out on bail
pending appeal from a seven-year
sentence.
II am Of the working class, this
court is of the ruling class-we have
nothing in common" Denny quietly
told the Judge.
That's true!" Stspleton muttered
savagely.
Denny ignored the interruption
Il am not here begging for mercy,
1 don't expect leniency from this
court. Throughout the trial you
have shown your bias. But remem-
Der you may send me to prison but
that's not going to stop the Com
munist Partyl That's not going to
stop the working class! The Com
munist Party will continue to grow,
You may send me to prison but
that is not going to solve the
economic problems facing U.s."
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
5000 JObless
Fight Colorado
Sales Taxation
Denver Workers Block
Wage-RObbing Imposi;
Levy Later Passed

DENVER, Colo, Feb. 4 (By MaiD
Three Thousand workers demon
strsted before the State Capitol
here last Thursday for immediate
appropriation of funds for relief
and against the sales tax. The 2
per cent sales tax was rushed
through the legislature yesterday
and Immediately signed by Gov
ernor johnson. F. E. r. A. money
was withheld from the State in
order to buldgeon through the
e-robbing tax.
Although every effort was made
to prevent the workers from ap-
pearing before the Senate and the
legislature by barring the doors
leading to the galleries, the Gov
ernor was forced to send a note
to the Speaker of the House to
permit delegation of workers to
present their demands.
A committee of representatives
from the Socialist Party, the Ma
tional Workers Alliance, jefferson
County Unemployed Union, Boulder
Unemployment Councils and other
groups, stopped the vote on the
sales tax and forced the house to
adopt resolution to Harry Hop
kins demanding thirty days within
which to find other means of rails
ing the relief revenues. Richard
Allander, Of the executive commit
tee of the National Unemployment
Councils, headed the delegation.
Father Winters of the Catholic
Workers Alliance described the con-
ditions of the unemployed and
warned the administration that
they must appropriate funds i'm
mediately. He was followed by
William Dietrich, Communist leader,
and one of the eighteen defendants
in the recent riot trial growing out
of the police attack upon the F. E.
R. A. strikers last Sept. 6. Dietrich
made an exposition of the Workers
Unemployment and Social Insur-
ance Bill, H. r. 1927.
The relief administration, in fear
of the anger of the workers against
the forthcoming relief cut, forced
the project workers to remain on
the job all day, to prevent them
from joining with the other unem-
ployed in the demonstration.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
Promises End
of Sales Tax,
But FOrgets 1t
Michigan Governor Gets
Good Start Breaking
His Promises

DETROIT, Mich, Feb. 4.-Fitz-
gerald has gotten good start in
breaking his campaign promises
Less than month after his induc-
ton into office, the Republican
governors promise to remove the
State 3 per cent sales tax from
food and other necessities has gone
glimmering.
Fitzgerald not only promised this
during the election campaign, but
he even included such a proposal
in his opening speech to the legis-
lature. This would have removed
$10,000,000 In taxes borne over
whelmingly by the working masses
Of the state.
Matter Ditched
The mater is being ditched in a
way that permits Fitzgerald to do
some saving. The State SEN
ate has done the job of refusing to
lift the sales tax from Tood. The
State Senate, however, is controlled
by the Republicans, so it is clear
that the whole business was ar
ranged in advance: the Republican
governor proposes the removal of
the sales tax on foods and other
necessities; the Republican Senate
turns him down; the Republican
governor lets the matter gently
drop.
United in Maneuver
That the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis are united in this nnaneuver
is evident from the fact that the
action of the State Senate has been
warmly commended by the Detroit
News, paper which usually sup
ports the Democrats.
Meanwhile bills have been intro
duced in the legislature to put
through other proposals made by
Fitzgerald which won't be dropped
SO readily: reactioila-T proposals
that are steps toward fascism, such
as the cutting in half of the mem
bership of the legislature, and the
appointment, instead of election, of
all state officers with the exception
of goveror, Acknowledgements and
possibly" auditor-general. Also,
Fitzgerald's proposal for the elm
nation of the property tax-which
will mean saving of millions of
dollars to the big corporations
will undoubtedly not suffer the
same fate as his sales tax promises.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05

elected to negotiate.
He still tried hard in the election
for the executive board. The right
wing Socialist Party organ, the
Jewish Daily Forward, put its full
support behind him. Charles Zim-
norman, manager of Local %, In
ternational Ladies Garment Work
ers, also a Lovestoneite, who sees in
Keller's fate the handwriting on the
wall for himself, was brought to
Paterson to campaign for the Kel-
ler-Forward combination.
After such an unenviable record,
Keller in his post mortem in the
last issue of the Lovestoneite weekly
seems unable to understand why he
was sent back to his grocery store
in Pa.ssaic. Keller will undoubtedly
continue to serve the mill owners,
but his record from the time he was
expelled from the Communist Party
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
Chicago, IN.

Save February is for Theatre Col
lective Chauve Souris. A three-hour
program of Theatre, Music and
Dance followed by dancing to am.
Remember Saturday, Feb. is, $50 D.
m. at Peoples Auditorium, PAST W.
Chicago Ave. Adm. 35c., 100 tickets
at 1hs-
West Side Section of LID. will have
TIVE showings Of a Soviet film based
on Gorki's story Cain and Artem. -
All proceeds to go for Scottsboro-
HGndon Fund Film will be shown
Feb. 6, Wednesday, at the Culture
Center, 1929 Roosevelt Road, 7:30 D.
m. and pm. Adm. at door Csc.
Organizations Attention. The Inter
national Workers Order of Chicago
is celebrating its 5th Anniversary at
the Ashland Auditorium, Feb. %,
$50 pm. to am. An excellent pro-
gram has been arranged. Kindly keep
this date open.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
BY George Morris

Eli Keller, Loyestoneite manager
of the American Federation of Silk
Workers of Paterson, has resigned. y
But there isn't worker in Pater-
son who doesn't know that Keller
was kicked out. His resignation
came less than two weeks after the
rank and file defeated his reaction
airy slate by 3 to l majority, and
on the eve of election of officers
with not a chance for Eli Keller.
Keller's case is an excellent ex-
ample of how a renegade from
Communism finds himself directly
into the ranks Of the enemies Of the
workers, and becomes regarded as
a renegade by all workers.
Keller started by resisting the line
of the Communist international.
Following his leader, Lovestone, ne
was expelled from the Communist
Party in 1929 for taking part in I'M
principled maneuvers to split the
Party Later he was expelled from
the National Textile Workers Union
of which he was secretary.
Soon, Keller was acceptable to the
reactionaries as an official in the
Associated Silk Workers of Pater-
son. BY his vicious attacks against
the Communist Party and militants
in the union he proved to these
leaders that they need not be con-
cerned about his past membership
in the Party.
Splitter In 1893
During the silk strike in 1893.
Keller did all he could to convince
the German MacMahon off1cialdom
of the United Textile Workers, that
in him they have one of their own.
He fought against Joint action with
the dyers who were called out by
the then existing National Textile
Workers Union, insisted on sepa-
rate picket lines.
Keller held Office for some time.
But this was no means due to brill
3AoA4V 11C GuNCCCOCu al
posing as a progressive because the
rank and file was still unorganized
and too weak to expose him. This,
however, was corrected in time. The
militants in the union were re-
inforced by members of the Nation
al which merged into the locals of
the u T. w.
That. however, did not end his
efforts to deprive former members of
the National from their rights, once
they were in. Those elected to of
flee were removed. Others were not
permitted to run.
The climax of Kel1er's treacherous
career came during the general
strike and the events which followed
Immediately. The Paterson silk
workers, of course, came out-con-
tract or no contract Keller, by that
time, knew better than to resist
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
W H ATS ON
PhiladeLphia. Pa.

Answer the vicious lies Of Hearst
and his press Answer the lies of al
enemies of the Soviet Union. Con-
to the Mass Meeting on Friday. Fc,.
9 at 8 pm. at Broad st. Mansion.
S.W. cor. Broad and Girard AYES.
Prominent speakers. Adm. 20c. Aus
pices, Friends of the Soviet Union.
Labor Defender Concert and Dance
Friday, Feb. % at Ambassador Hall,
1904 N. Broad ST.; Nadia Chilkovsky
in a series of revolutionary dances;
well known violinist; entire Freiheit
Gesang Ferein chorus: excellent
dance orchestra. Adm. at door. SOC;
in advance through organizations s5c,
Tickets at 40 N. 9th St., Room 2o7.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05

Always have few Daily Worker
sub blanks in your pockets.
The Nome daily nugget., 1935-09-27
Ethiopian Frontiers Are To Be Watched

UNDATED, Sept. 27, - Fears that the close of the rainy which is practically at an end will bring inn mediate commencement of hostties between Italy and Ethiopia aayed by the Italian government spokes today who said that Italy would wait ten days two weeks before taking action.
 The League of Nations decided to accept Selasses plea for commission of neutral observers to watch the borders and frontiers of Ethiopia
 Vatican preates interpreted the Popes address to the Cleveland Eucharstc Congress- plea for peace spec fcally to Italy and Ethiopia
The Nome daily nugget., 1935-09-27
Fairbanks Mayor, Who Spent Day And Night on HersChel Island
 Gives Information

"Herschel Island is very pros porous place, Mayor E. B. Collins said upon his return to Fairbanks from an airplane trip to the Cana dian outpost, which is at the mouth of the Firth River in Mackenzie Bay. Mayor Collins flew to Hersch- el Island recently with Gen. A D McRae and Pilot Al Monsen of the Pacific Alaska Airways and flew back to Fairbanks the next day.
 Eskimo families there travel ar ound in schooners costing from $2,5O0 to $5,OO0', Mayor Collins con- tinued. Gasoline sells at $1 a gall on They make their living by trap ping in the winter, and last winter the catch was good and the prices for fox skins were high Eskimos there are healthy, intelligent and thrifty.
 They spend the summer travel ing around in their schooners to