Timely Topics
THOMAS, NORMAN
Timely Topics By Norman Thomas THE SENATE TAX BILL SINCE the Senate haa finally paaeid a new tax bell, it Is probable that before long the Senate and House bills will be compromised and...
...We will put out the slogan 'Work or Starve.' Instead of destroying homes we will begin building beautiful working class apartments as the Socialist administration did In Vienna...
...It is the workers whom they fool or persuade to taake up their battle...
...700 Socialists In Cleveland Peace Parade If...
...Local Poughkeepsle advises the affiliation ss new members of 14 Vaster college students...
...What then de we propose instead of confiscation ? Probably a comblnation of two methods neither of which would exclude confiscation under a grim situation which may make It necessary...
...Instead of manufacturing bandages, we will manufacture cloth for clothing for the workers...
...It allows time for adjustment, and minimises the danger of throwing millions cf workers over to the owning class in a kind of panic...
...Today, however, in spite of the high degree of concentration of wealth and tthe higher degree of concentration of control in America, millions of workers of aUlto rta own or think they own something...
...The Issue of wage cuts waa submitted to a Board of Arbitration, as provided by agreement, which board consisted of Professor Joseph P. Chamberlain, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and Milton Mayer...
...Hy Pish, national organiser for the Y. P. 8. L, alee spoke...
...It is quite likely, for Instance, that In many districts a public power plant would drive out the private system of pow or distribution...
...The Socialists want a chance to prove their efficiency in war—In wan of construction...
...May Harris Mainland, Socialist speaker from New York, held numerous Buffalo mMtlnga recently with good results...
...The Board recommended a cut far less than the em- , ployers wanted, so they rejected the recommendation...
...This local la striving to catch up with Local Rockland County in membership and activity...
...If a Socialist movement were already go strong...
...It could be employed In taking men out of the tragic army of tie unemployed...
...I confess a good deal of sympathy with these questions which were ravliei at the Socialist Convention...
...These are the people • who are articulate...
...The committee will meet at People's House, New York, Saturday afternoon, June 4, at 4 p. m. The business will Include the appointment of a special committee on state convention agenda and platform...
...Elizabeth C Roth, alternate, and Rev...
...The second method is purchase...
...Such panic Ran say MacDonald shamefully but successfully used in the last British campaign to scare the workers in regard to the safety of their savings...
...That merely means log-rolling sand a general rush for the pork barrel...
...STATE CONVENTIONS special rate of fare and one-tenth for the round-trip will be available for delegates and visitors to the Utlca state convention July S, 3, and 4. The New York Central Railway Is making this rate general for all week-end excursionists, NASI AIL—The Hempstead branch Of Local Naesau County announces that delegates and alternates to the State convention will be choaen at a meeting to be held at the Tivoll Gardens, Lekevlew, newt Wednesday evening, June 8. Members of the Cedarhurst and Vicinity branch will be Invited to be present and participate, Nassau County was allocated two delegates by the state executive committee...
...If the situation should drift to violent resistance to peaceful revolution, of course the answer would be confiscation...
...rying on so well formulated and so ready to bo nut into effect, that the worker would be sure that he would at once get bettor protection than his Insurance policy or his savings bank account gives him, the situation would be different That day has not arrived In America...
...Hence in the beginning public works probably mutt be pushed through road building, etc...
...Our main Job Is to fight Capitalism and not Communism...
...A genuine federal system for socialised hanking might rapidly win the field from private banks without actually confiscating them...
...It may be a farm on which they live, av home, an insurance policy or a savings bank account...
...That would bo little enough in the case of some coal mines...
...MY SPACE Is almost filled and I have no room to aay some things' about the Communist immediate program and the false Communist attacks upon us...
...Its plans for oar...
...of tthe money put into providing housing through public housing authorities would be repaid, (c) Electrification of rural areas...
...Mew Jersey The state ootnmlttee will meet Sunday, Jure IS, at 2:30 p. m„ at 101 Springfield a -venue, Newark...
...Connecticut BRIDGEPORT.—Morris Hillqult recently addresed one of the largest meetings ever head In this city to hear a Socialist speaker...
...These points were well summed up by our friend and Comrade Karl Whitehead of Denver when he wrote: "The Industries and natural resources shall be acquired by voluntary purchase, by condemnation, by initiating business In competition with private business, or by any other available means, Including the means by which the slaves were freed and the breweries and distilleries were abolished, namely by confiscation and whenever necessary...
...Adell Kochman acted as chairman, The sales of New Leaders and lit•rature wore beyond expectation...
...New York State STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE...
...Our methods must be intelligent and sane—our methods must be winning methods...
...There are millions of acres In America that ought never to be far-need shut aught to be put back in woodland...
...Unfortunately to prepare plans for these three types of public works would take time...
...It is dear from the Senate and House bills that . the beat anyone can aay for them is that they could be worse, A general sales tax was not adopted...
...During the last war every sun was told to either fight or work...
...In speaking of wars," Comrade Fish said, "we mustn't forget the class war...
...He said, "While the bosses are thinking only of former wars, the workers must be* considering the future wars...
...TIIK BRICKLAYERS' FIGHT MEANWHILE I must take space to say a good word for the Bricklayers, Masons, and Plasterers Union, for their struggle against the Mason Builders Association who bave provoked a struggle for what is in effect the "open shop...
...Yet I think the Convention did a very wise thing when by an overwhelming vote It refused to be tied to the method of confiscation...
...The men submitted interesting statistics to show that Uje principal cost of building was not labor cost and certainly not the cost of bricklaying...
...PRINCIPLES OF JOBLESS RELIEF NOW that Congress has fooled Itself and the people Into thinking it has balanced the budget, sheer necessity win compel it to vote some direct relief to tho unemployed...
...They also proved that wage reduction means reduction in purchasing power and hence prosperity...
...Herman j. Hahn, visitor...
...It may then vote a bond issue for public works...
...The first of these methods is competition...
...Dea.no* music Will be provided by that Paragon Radio Aoea Judge Jsveob rPanken will be the guest speaker...
...I think some of the building trades workers are now paying a price for taking so little interest In the general business of organizing labor as It is hard to maintain organized islands of labor in great unorganized seas...
...William H. Bustok, Socialist organiser in Los Angeles, as the main speaker said, "The capitalists have always shown tliemselves to be efficient in wars of destruction...
...TAKING OVER INDUSTRY WHY talk about "transferring" natural resources, public utilities, etc., towcsial ownership7 Why not expropriate the expropriators by confiscation...
...A number joined the party...
...Other sneakers were Morry Tanenbaum, Leo Perry, Harold stars, Bob Oarvin and Max Wohl...
...The delegates sue sPannie Schneid, Morris Franklin and Ben Larks...
...1, It should be adequate la amount...
...All members won pleased with the actions of the convention...
...The types of public wosrki which are most valuable are these: (a) large scale reforestation...
...Charles Solomon Is scheduled to speak at a similar meeting at Spring Valley June 10...
...This would be the basis of a soclsaily owned power system...
...Jean J. Coronel will be the speaker at the get-together meeting of the Rockland County local at New City on Sunday...
...Timely Topics By Norman Thomas THE SENATE TAX BILL SINCE the Senate haa finally paaeid a new tax bell, it Is probable that before long the Senate and House bills will be compromised and taxation will begin in earnest...
...The committee on party headquarters will report...
...Finally they showed that although bricklayers' wages are high on an hourly basis so Irregular is work that the average annual wage by the 1931 standard was only about 11800 a year...
...Aside from this basic condition which Congress Is likely to ignore the following principles ought to guide the terms of easy so-called prosperity loan...
...It la hoped that the proceeds will give our national and state fight a good start...
...The state executive mrarxmlttce will meet Thursday, Juxie tm t p, m, at the same address...
...Some of these acres are already in the htadi of the states on account cf delinquent taxes...
...Usually the purchase price should'not be in government bonds but in bonds of the new socialized Industry which should be amortized within thirty years, which would bear low interest instead of the present high rate and the income which should be subject to the same heavy taxation which we would use not only to support government activities, but to hasten the transfer of wealth...
...All membert are urged to attend and bring their friends...
...Ail comrades must attend and bring their friends...
...It wss a big educational and financial suocssa...
...The workers will never stoop that low...
...Nor is It any answer to this argument to amy that Capitalism confiscates...
...For a week after people were discussing his lecture on "The Socialist Program...
...2. As far as possible, public works should be ultimately productive of aoeme direct revenue to tho government in behalf of society...
...Other methods can be found...
...S. Public work contracts should be so awarded as to give different sections . of the country equality of treatment in proportion to their need as determined by the number of unemployed...
...Announce to tthe world that this transfer of ownership which Socialists want means outright confiscation and the immediate effect will be to frighten this great mass of workers ow/er to the side of the big owners...
...The owning classes have stopped at nothing in their war with the workers...
...P. S. L. Organises Demonstration on Memorial Day — Busick, Fish Speak ( lit) a New header CmTtlpondrnl) CLEVELAND.—With numerous banners and posters, slogans and speeches, over 700 Cleveland workers joined In with the Young People's Socialist League In demonstrating against war Decoration Day on the Public Square In midafternoon...
...Aa . we have frequently argued, this la the chief need, and probably at least 85...
...As a group they control the press and they are the contributors to the campaign funds of both old parties...
...This it will do as badly and aa inadequate!* as possible...
...Soma of the proposals do smack of the pork barrel more than of real help to the unemployed...
...It does it by impersonal processes like inflation and deflation and the fact that it does It Is one reason why the worker has begun to be so auspicious of capitalism...
...Most of the proposals give so protection at all In the form of guarantees that this bond issue la to bo repaid out of surtaxes on Incomes and Inheritances...
...Given the America of today, the Immense desirability of bringing about Socialism In our complex society with a minimum of violence and disorder, the psychology of the workers themselves, and the strength of the working class movement, I emphatically believe that there are today better means of transferring ownership than confiscation, and that armed with the power to condemn and the power to tax, a society bent on socialization creates, far more antagonism than it wins support by Insisting on confiscation as the sole means of asserting social ownership...
...We can only stop them by organising a strong Socialist movement to fight against their approach...
...Ho la looking for more, not loss security, if he thtaks soberly about history bo may wish as X do that the freedom of chattel slaves In America had been purchased with money rather than at the immense cost of civil war...
...The government employed this principle in drafting an army...
...The special order of business will be the election of four delegates and four alternates to the New York State convention...
...Tho- picnic win start at 1 p. m. a-nd oontlnue until midnight The plcnlo wjrill be the beginning of the camapelir...
...The returnfrwom this would be slow but sure not only In the value of the lumber but In flood p-xcotectlon...
...ROCRXAND COUNTY...
...But there is something about Communism that later I hope to say...
...No better slogan than confiscation could be devised to tun tthe battle against us...
...At Its last meeting the local received reports of the national convention as submitted by Robert A. Hoffman, delegate...
...Many of the audience handed in their names aaa interested in Joining the Socialist r>stty and the Y. P. S. l. Illinois chicago-—The next regular meeting of the «*h Congressional District branch of tee Socialist party will be held Wednesadey, June 8, 1:16 p. m. Three o-f the Illinois delegates to the national convention will give their views on then proceedings...
...Not at tho owner/a price, but at something near s reasonable valuation under present standards...
...If tho owners would not sell, the principle of condemnation could be invoked...
...Insurance companies and savings banks have Invested their money, very largely in public utilities...
...It is not our economic and political over-lorde who will do their own fighting...
...Here aare my reasons: If and when the owners are only the comparatively small group of men who now control our economic life, It would be as reasonable and probably morcprsacticable to recover for society what the great mass of workers with hand ancbraain has created by one act of confiscation than by a process of condemnation with compensation and then heavy taxation...
...Here is a field for very constructive . state and federal action for the establishment of public forests, (b) Housing...
...Caplt-aJlam does plenty of confiscating, why should not Socialists declare for It...
...BUFFALO.-Local Buffalo will meet June », 8 p. m., at Carpenters' Hall, 475 Franklin street...
...Fred Oedarhokn presided and Jasper McLcvy introduced Hillqult as the man who had helped to place the compensation act on the state statute books twenty years ago...
...union county.—The second annual Union Oounty picnic will be held at the Follaha National Home, Roselle street, near Elegler avenue, In Linden, June 5. A vanned program has been arranged...
...But in this struggle I think justice and the interest of the workers la on the aide of the bricklayers in fighting- against a twenty-five or more per cent cut in wages...
...That and no economic argument whatsoever explains the failure to tax incomes and inheritances more sharply and the Inclusion of sales taxes on so many articles...
...poughreepsie...
...If—as la probable—it should not prove wise or possible to socialize everything at once, this system would be fair to those who own the property socialized first aa compared with those whose property (to which they have no better moral right) la socialized later on...
...Future wars must be stopped...
...Otherwise the bill has been written to pro' tect as far as possible the income tax paying group...
...This cannot be done by having Congress list a long line of road buildings, etc., to which it votes appropriations...
...The leaders of the working class have been not only jailed and deported, but they have been murdered In cold blood...
...A lot of little dribbles won't aelp> In starting work on a large scale...
Vol. 13 • June 1932 • No. 23
