WHILE WAR RAGED
WHILE WAR RAGED Profit, of Uruon-Hate-ing Steel Trust During the War Reves*led-~ 13 Per Cent Increase Over Peace Profit. WAK profits of the union-hating steel industry were* 20.2 per cent, the...
...Yours as ever, THEODORE DEBS...
...For addresses of Branch Secretirlii, write to our main office...
...i Italian Socialittt Busy With Propaganda Work May has marked encouraging activity for the Italian Socialists of this city...
...At last the Fsscist corporations also were urged by the workers to make a more favorable cgreement, since the one they had made old not even fix minimum wages...
...I do not exaggerate its seriousness...
...York...
...to imitate the Junktr autocracies abroad...
...The Workers Foolod Flditor, The New Leader: Your article on Unemployment is grand, and timely as well...
...The advertising is worth millions to them and they get it free...
...As see kee* eeiatssi eel •« fa* New Laeeer...
...Nearing's value ss sn educator, which our correspondent stresses, is not Involved...
...As the Faeeei workers were themselves ea suta they could net well pour as* Q usual reproaches, aul no an seeks tttat the stroke waa "anti-sauoaei.' Urged by the employees, la* Qjg erassent intervened and invited u Rotes for negotiation the leaden *) the employees' association* aad tat Fascst corporations, but net ta* leaders of the "free** trad* BeJja» While these negotiation fcgj, 'going on, the Faaciet eorporashea anxious to retain the sympathies...
...The Fascists, who always defend the ideal of coop*ration between the classes, 'ere therefore obliged to strain every nerve to svbld an open trade union conflict, an J they car-tahsly had their work cut out both j lo maintain good relatione with the j employers snd at the earn time to keep in close touch with the work, ere whose interests they claimed to be defending At laat the stone was set rolling by one of the Fascist members of Parliament...
...Phone Lenos 3558...
...To our second correspondent, we will say that we lesrn that Nearing is a member but was not a delegate, and that according to the rules ha was denied the floor when he was not entitled to it and was later granted it when he was .entitled to it—Editor...
...A committee of the American Iron and Steel Institute, the chief trade association in the steel industry, ia the report made in May, 1923, eetimated that the introduction of the eight hour day 'would increase the cost of production on the average about It per cent.' The eight-hour day has been put into general operation in the steel industry (though not on the precise basis for which the above estimste was made), snd the actual effects of this important reform on the costs, prices, and profita of steel products sre now capable of accurate determination from the accounts of the companies...
...fas fttkwt...
...of tht World War hat bttn tht marked ttndtncy of the United Statet Government and 100 per cent organization...
...To the large number of people who are done with war because it is such abysmal foo'.ithness should be added the great body of Christians who have come to see that collective homicide can by no possibility be reconciled with the exploit teaching, not to say the spirit, of Jesus, and who have resolved that if through the folly of their Government they are compelled to choose between Christ snd Caesar they will foil ,w Christ by refusing to engage in the killing Of fellow men That postmark is a piece of impudence, a serious affront to a very large and a fast increasing portion of the people of this count-y Therefore it should cease to appear...
...Benjamin Franklin waa right when he said: "There never was a good war or a bad peace...
...Pressed thus by both sides, the Lombardy Employers' Association consented to raise the bonus at once by 1.20 lire per day...
...Nearing is the most outstanding figure in the realm of working-class instruction...
...Editor, The New Leader: In connection with your comment in The New Leader on the letter concerning Nearing's experience at the W. E. B. Convention, I should like to call to your attention that the program of the convention provided for "General Discussion" st vsrious sessions, which discussion was specified as "open to all delegates snd members...
...Post Card from., Debs Terre Haute, May 18, 1925...
...His untiring efforts toward bringing the workers to a realization of the problems facing them as a class ought to merit the whole-hearted cooperation of all who are seriously striving for the emancipation of that class from the thralldom of capitalism...
...The report covers the four war years, 1915 to 1918 'he aveia^e earnings of steel...
...obstinately refused to negotiate whs the "free" unions...
...For war is itself the supreme evil...
...lie res—t ssetal eerswre' nr,k, eerfSera ftety area ee/iest ay la* reuses* ao-oeMae (reete »««¦«• shitty Irs to ehete (as taet (he aVauejestni „i tfu».-uii<"' esmtd du Hattinf (e tetter raeir oenalitMHi...
...Calling it self-defense, or "a war to make the world safe for democracy," or any other euphemism, does not change the grim reality...
...7 Wellington Terrace, Brookline, Mtft., April 29, 1925...
...It is this very thing that will eventually open the eyes of the darn fool farmer to his awful state of economic existence and sooner or later the poor, decrepit old brute will go to the polls on election morning and vote for a party whose candidate is known to be heartily for the old farmer and for the laboring class in general...
...These earnings were directly compared in the Commission's report with the sversge earnings of the United States Steel Corporation, which were reported to be 18.2 per cent for the four-year period...
...for the payment of a cost of living bonus, wh'ch most of the workers considered too low...
...Je.lel...
...Main oftlcc for New York and vicinity at 241 Kast 84th¦St...
...While the Iron and steel industry In this country is highly developed, the report says, nearly half of the total production is under the control of the United .States Steel Corporation, which is also the principal factor in each of the more important branches of the steel industry...
...the workers, managed U> shoe i feirly bolu front...
...To resort to it to avert some threatened' wrong is like committing suicide to ward off small-pox...
...New York City...
...A letter awaits him in The New Leader Office...
...Office Hours, 9 a. m.-6 p. m. Sat., V a. We 1 p. in Closed on Sundays snd llolidiyi Brooklyn Office open only Mondsyi and.Thursdays, from 6:30 lo 8:30 p.m...
...These unions have been very slow in getting together, but may be able to combat the employers' campaign...
...Workmen's Furniture Fin Insurance Society INCORPORATED New York and Vicinity snd 49 Brenciil In the United State...
...Ban F. Davit...
...The Cloak Makers' Union, the Dress Makers, the Pants' Makers, the Shirt Makers, the Children's Clothing Workers, the Shoe Workers' Union have heard him...
...dels and only 5 per cent resumed work...
...promise was reached...
...The most encouraging sign of the times is the spreading revolt of youth against war...
...I pray you to put an end to this impudent and mischievous prostitution of the public service to the support of that ugly anachronism, that extreme of human folly, that sum of all villainies called war...
...J. Nya...
...Most everything that wt uttd to associate with these reactionary class statin has been offered here as a blessing...
...The New Leader Mail Bag Notice Will Oscar Robinson, whose letter appeared in this department in the issue,of May 9, please send his address...
...949-9S7 Willoughby A...
...United Action In England Five great unions—the Minen, Rallwaymen, Machinists...
...Ltbor Lyceum...
...i • before payment of bond i .....r< -' or Federal taxes on income • » profits, during the .•»¦- 1915 lo l»ix were shown in the Commis-^u^t^>• report to be 7.5 per cent of the investment in 1915, 21.7 per cent in 1916, 28.9 per cent in 1917 and 20.1 per cent in 1918, bringing the fout year average to 20.2 per cent...
...Shortly after Mussolini made his drive into Rome and established a dictatorship of the morons he had the emblem of the Fascist party stamped upon all Italian mail...
...Nothing is said in the Commission's report about the effect on profits of the steel industry's antiunion, low-wage policy...
...Citizen's Military Training Camp...
...May I ask you to inform your readers whether or not Nearing is a member of the W. E. B...
...Railroads have begun to cut their staffs of employes, and factories ire stocking up with coal atsintt the possibility of n strike...
...On March II, therefore, the workers returned to the factories...
...Dear Comrade Oneal: 'Congratulations upon the special excellence of Tht New Leader of the ]<Sth just received...
...WAK profits of the union-hating steel industry were* 20.2 per cent, the Federal Trade (ommisaion reports in a survey of war-time profits and costs in the steel trade sent | to Congress...
...After six hours of stormy delete, g com...
...Glory to God in the highest, and I do hop* the fool farmers will get enough of Brother Cal's false economy this time to last them the rest of their poor, wretched lives...
...Membership 44.000...
...Kstonsh, N. Y. Our first correspondent ignores tbe question of the rules of the conference, which provided that in the discussion of business none but delegates should participate...
...May Day found them busy celebrating at Bryant Hall, where a concert and big mass meeting was held...
...Xht "Fiom," not satisiied with the retell of the negotiations, which it had nol been invited to attend, derided to continue the strike, and had thi satisfaction of finding that 95 prr cent of the workers obeyed its or...
...This netted a good profit for propaganda work and it has decided to donate $26 to the Italian weekly, La Parola, official organ of the Italian Socialist Federation, and $25 to Local New York...
...effect upon foreign people the Japanese, for example, of seeing such an appeal on every letter that enters their country from ours...
...There was as yet nc question of a strike, aa any action would have been at once suppressed by the Government, and the Fascists could not be relied on to cooperate...
...FASCIST UNIONISM The Rial Story of the S'rike of the Fascisti Metal Workers' Union Told by the Trade Union International...
...The "Fiom" metsl workers, who are affiliated with the General Confed-erstion of Labor, did not approve this agreement, but called energetically for i higher bonus...
...As long as I can remember he has steadfastly advocated a program of education that, if once given support by Labor and the radical movement, would most certainly tend toward a greater strengthening of their forces and ultimately lead to a more effective utilization of their weapons...
...President Herbert Smith of the Miners' Union is seriously ill with pneumonia, which badly complicates the possibilities of united action, GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA FOR WAR One of tht interesting develop-mentt tince tht end...
...In analyzing the cost figures in the industry the Commission explained that low costs of production do not always correspond with high profit rates, because low costs, the I Kport said, "may be the ronse-i quence of comprehensive inveet-| nient rather than of superior management...
...Consider the...
...Archie, Mo., R.-R...
...Will you give to this matter your personal attention...
...As a matter of feet, Nearing was heard at a later period when to hear him was in order...
...The mi,: companies coveied in the Commission's survey, except the United States Steel Corpoiation, were placed in four groups, according to the extent to which their operations embraced the successive stages of steel production...
...In this article on the farmer you haven't even reached the climax as to the suffering now among the farming element and I hope you will continue to show these lovely conditions of Brother Cat and his ilk...
...A large part of these profit*, it added, were taken by Federal taxes m 1917 and 1918...
...But even this did not bring,wages up to tht cost of living index, so that the "F'iom" workers declared their disapproval of the agreement...
...opinion that the proper business of the Post Office is to handle mailed matter, not to make itself a propagandists agency in behalf of a policy on which the people of this country sre not agreed...
...He also spoke at Socialist anti-Fa-scisti meetings in the People's House which were packed to the doors, although admission wss charged...
...Arthur W. Calhoun...
...The annual reports of aome of-the companies, including the Steel Corporation, state that there has been considerable increase in cost, but details are not given...
...Censorship, espionage, militarism and raising tht worship of the State to an equality with the worship of God art only a ftw examplet...
...summary •/ (as eea-fin i issmtd fcy IA« Amsterdam B« in, ui (as /»(<¦(»«/i»«o( Fees re-lie* of Trades (SeWns emphatixe* (hie petal a i.J tktwt what a /Usee tht movement uas from a rat eist ttandpoimt LAST Autumn the Fascist trsde union "corporations" made an agreement with the metal industrialist...
...He has spoken at many meetings in Greater New York for Labor unions, Cooperatives and other organizations...
...I hope and pray they (the farmers) will get enough of this to last them the remainder of their days...
...The wholesale killing of fellow-men is the defiance of common sense and the denial of common humanity...
...The] even **st so far as to send an ultimatum to the employers on March 15...
...Vacirca is touring the United States for the Italian Socialist Federation...
...Dodd Darnum, it is just whst they voted for and stood for and apparently wanted, for they had the power and the greet opportunity to have changed this whole situation on November 4, 1924...
...The great army and navy interests have succeeded in using the Postal Department for their private ends in advertising their desires...
...But the militarists have accomplished this...
...Multitudes of them are announcing their determination never to engsge in> the wholesale killing of fellow-men, no matter what may be the commands of their Government...
...The "Fiom," none the less, issued a manifesto, declaring, that tbe workers were noi aatianed with the agreement made by thi Fascist corporations and that I ho agitation must therefore continue...
...2. *__ "Gagging" Scott Naaring Editor, The New Leader: As a regular reader of The New Leader I am deeply surprised at the attitude taken by the Editor in connection with the brazen attempt .by .lames Maurer to apply gag rule to Doctor Scott Nesting.' Those who are interested in the radical movement know that Scott Nearing has st sll times performed a very noble service in the field of workers' education and even if hi was not delegated by sa organisation to represent them at the conference recently held in Philadelphia, still his willingness to attend and his desire to set forth his views on the subject should hsve been gladly welcomed by those assembled...
...These figures show how grett ar' the "masses" who range themselves behim' the Fascist cornon-tions...
...the third class of companies, beginning operations with manufacture of steel, reported average profits of 1)6.2 per cent, and Class 4, companies beginning operations with rolling of steel products, showed average profits of 36.8 per cent...
...That was an inspiration that had never occurred to any p-evious ruling class...
...Such a chance all that labor and are heavy-laden had in the campaign last fall, but the poor, miserable, deluded farmer was content to be humbugged to go to the polls snd vote for the worst ensmy the fsrmer and Labor in general ever had, and now they are reaping the reward they so richly deserve...
...In my opinion and in the estimation of all class-conscious workers, Dr...
...The World War was so effective an object-lesson of the asininity of mass-killing as a method of realizing noble ideals that r. rapidly growing number of the people in every country have decided that they are done with war forever...
...It is a crackerjack of the first water...
...There is always a preferable alternative...
...Although the ruling capitalist parties of this country have raised themselves to the position of privileged political castes in the election laws of the states they have not yet gone to far as to stamp their names upon mail matter...
...The Commission's only comment on the factors entering into the industry's big profits was as follows: "Capable management, or good fortune, in investment and operation, were apparently the major factors of determining the rate of profit, and they, rather than mere size, were the characteristic elements of business success...
...on March 13 it issued an appeal in the name of all th > non-Fascist organizations to the metal workers of nil Lombardy rali'i.g upon them to strike...
...Shipbuilders and Transport ^Workers—will meet the first week in June in s joint conference to consider possible plans for common action against the campaign of industrial interests to enforce a general lengthening of working hours and lower wages in Great Britain...
...were suppressed, and the employer...
...After several discussions with the employers, he started | s raetsl-workere' strike st Breeds on March 3, the only strikers being, ' at first, a few Fascist workers...
...True to the call ol their old unions, from 120,000 to 130,000 metal workers Were ready for the fiay as* March II...
...When the Fascist strike, con Juried in the I old style, with many thi jats of violence and amid much blowing of j trumpets, had lasted for about a week, the "Fiom" called out its mem-bets, and soon 8,000 workers were out...
...the training of men in the art of collective homicide, that is to say, militsry training, is intellectually stultifying and morally degrading...
...After two more days, during which the strike was unbroken, the "Fiom" ordered the resumption el work for tactical reasons...
...I suppose that every letter I send takes to its recipent the same exhortation...
...Thus, against my will, I help to advertise something in which I do not believe...
...It did*) because the holding of meetings wn prohibited, non-Fascist newspaper...
...The Commission lists ss next in size among the steel companies the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, which recently absorbed two other large companies, the Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company and the Lackawanna Steel Company...
...They made complete asses of themselves by going to the polls and endorsing ths whole Wall Street oligarchy...
...But soon the genuine organizi tions saw that the time was ripe for taking j advantage of the situation...
...the second class, including companies beginning operations with the making of pig iron, showed average profits of 24.5 per cent...
...Please let me have some extra copies for us here...
...War is, always was, always will be, in its very nature, the extreme of human foolishness...
...t Ex-Socialist Deputy Helping Comrado V. Vacirca, who was a member of the Italian Parliament from 1919 to last April, and who was exiled by the Fastiuti and compelled to flee to Switzerland, is assisting in the propaganda drive of the Italian Comrades...
...It is great...
...There ui'i n the employers Invite* them t« anotht meeting, from *hich agaii the "free" leaders were exclude*, The negotiations were conducted fee Fariuacci, the super-reactionary tee, rotary of the Fascist party...
...Again, .t was the "Fiom" which decided to 'Xtend the strike over the whole f Lombardy...
...The first class, made up of ateel ' companies using chiefly then own output of iron ore and coke, reported average earnings for the 1916-1918 period of 21.9 per cent...
...Estebllshed 1871...
...The Commission's report was based on figures gathered during the war period for use of the War Industries Board and upon statistics for the 1920 operations of the steel industry gathered under special authority of Congress...
...Sincerely yours, HENRY W. PINKHAM...
...Commenting on the eight-hour work day in the steel industry and nreaent costs, the report says: "Since lfM there have been it* portent reductions ia wages, fallowed in the latter part of 1923 by a change from the twelve hour day to the eight-hour day...
...President Calvin Coolidge: Dear Sir: • Every letter that comes to me is postmarked with the words: "Let's go...
...Am I mistaken in my...
...The following letter to President Coolidgc by Henry W. Pinkham, who protests against this usurpation, tells this story...
...the industrial, ists promise I to raise the bonqt bj another lira a day The Kaseist corporations now called upon their members to resume work...
Vol. 2 • May 1925 • No. 22
