Timely Topics

...i t is only "under pressure," he says, that they take part in the "nefarious practice of the labor leaders...

...Indeed, I should hesitate even if tbe judge were to be a Brandels or a Cardoso...

...Tne reason I say "on the whole" the House did a wise thing is that I suspect the reason for this fulfillment of our pledge of independence to t h e Philippines was largely a selfish desire of certain commercial Interests in America to be able to put up tariffs against Philippine products—sugar, for instance...

...I do s a y that this situation threatens the American labor movement with untold evils...

...And now tbe PoUyannas are telling us that the worklngmen who have jobs have really not been hurt by the reduction, since the cost of living has also gone down...

...Two years ago President Hoover assured u s that the capitalists would not take advantage of fhe glutted labor market to reduce wage rates...

...Wage rates have fallen much more than this...

...But revolt would be p u t down ruthlessly in America...

...e * • No one denies that cases of corruption or of I n j u s t i c e sometimes occur In unions...

...From now on they may deal directly with the bosses, Ig Ignoring the union rules, and woe to the union official that dares to discipline them...

...FRANK CROSSWAITH'S WORK ONCE more I should like to say a word in praise of tbe very fine forum work by Frank Croaswalth a t the headquarters of the Harlem Socialists...

...Eight yearn may be a very short time to readjust an economic situation...

...To be sure, thirty-one governors (or was it thirty-nine) solemnly declared that there starvation in the United Unfortunately, governors, as capable of telling until well,as some other...

...I do not see how any Socialist can have any sympathy at all with the imperialist, even the "benevolent" Imperialist argument that It is America's duty to s t a y in the F a r Rest so as to strengthen the position of the white races and drive out "little brown and yellow brothers" further on the road to tbe kind of civilization which is being bankrupt among us now...

...Why not cut all military and naval expenditures for the space of one year to an absolute mlnhnum of maintenance ? That would invite no a t t a c k on us...

...And so eager ie the judge to give the bosses the right to "hire and fire" that, when four union members claimed that a business agent had discriminated against them, and when It waa pointed out to him that they had not appealed to higher authorities In the union, as the by-laws provide, he brusquely sweeps that argument aside...

...On Taking Trade Union [Problems to Court "Neither Song Nor Sermon" IiHBRE are plenty of things for us to "view with alarm" these days, and not the least ominous Is the frequency with Which opposition groups In trade Unions rush into court to get union rules and decisions nullified...

...Why not do a bold aad adventuresome thing in tbe service both of peace and prosperity...

...And what is this nefarious practice...

...IN tbe last few days no leas t h a a four unions have been dragged into court by their own members who charged the administration of the unions with all sorts of tyranny and incompetence, sometimes even with financial corruption...

...Therefore, once more let every socialist insist by peaceful organization, by education, by demonstration, by pressure on Congress, s t a t e authorities and municipal authorities that the first business of government is to provide for the immediate needs of unemployed masses...

...But the worst of the situation Is t h a t with all this taxation there ia no real balancing of the budget Part of the budget—and one, of tbe moat important parts—has to do with meeting the tragic needs of the unemployed...

...The gross revenues of the railway companies of the United States were $8,000,000 less in Febtuary than in January, but their net in Their gain la due moatly to reduction Of payroll...

...Yes, I know, they are dead—mores the pity...

...The United States by the action, o r inaction, of the Federal Government, most s t a t e governments, and moat city governments, is openly Inviting starving men t o r i o t I t ia absurd and outrageous to expect men to see their children starve quietly ao as not to disturb the peace of mind of taxpayers and comfortable folk...

...Going Into courts strikes me as a remedy which Is worse than the disease...

...In language which sounds strangely familiar, he declares that "the oppression and exploitation of labor by so-called labor leaders" Is "a thousand fold worse than capitalism...

...Primarily owing to the nature of the district this la a Negro Forum, but white folks are made welcome, . and more than welcome...

...If I believed t h a t revolt would be abort, sharp aha successful for constructive purposes, I might say: "Let this blindness of a mad ruling class go on...

...This is not altogether a new thing, but It seems to be growing...

...The Mayor of New York admits the facts...

...e e e Here's another bit of light on the alleged collapse of capitalism...

...Workers c a n ' t It ia this unemployment situation which Is the primary problem for America Both by taxation and by tbe Intelligent use of credit power it must be met...

...In the first place, t h e decline In cost of living is much less than la often stated...

...More imoortaat Is the difference between working-class ethics and bourgeois conceptions of justice s e e Vice Chancellor Berry's decision in the New Jersey iron workers' case is especially Interesting...

...off men from the better paid jobs and rehiring them to do the same work in a lower classification...

...They should read these resolutions...

...Those were days when both Socialism and Organized Labor were making good progress...

...Timely Topics By Norman Thomas Congress an fthe Philippines-Hoever Passing the Buck-The Tax Mess-Union Demorcy-The Harlem Forum ON tbe whole tbe House of Representatives did a wise, even a fine thing', in voting definitely to give tbe Philippines their independence In eight years...

...HOOVER • v « t i • a SO Hoover wants a committee of Ckmgress to help him save money...

...There is nothing particularly noble about that and the independent country of the Philippines may suffer economic disaster if its products are barred from the American market after years of developing Philippine products with primary relation to American demand rather than to world demand...

...That statement Is doubly false...

...I know nothing In the records of a Roaalsky or a Berry Which warrants any looking to Maw for reform of existing evils...

...Now let every Socialist use all the Influence he can to bring about those reforms inside the unions which are essential to the further progress of that unionism in which is America's hope...

...Perhaps that's a food thing but it looks like passing the buck...

...How to right them without weakening the unions is a serious problem...

...But the Mayor and the administration do nothing to improve confidence and better the financial position of the city by cutting down outrageously high salaries or by getting rid of superfious jobs...

...No bonus to soldiers or ex-soldiers can take the place of constructive help to unemployed workers and farmers pressed almost t o serfdom by burden of debt...

...But we ought to bring pressure upon'ItnT'Senate not to defeat it...

...Millions of workers are being virtually coerced Into contributing to charity funds administered by the employing class...

...it would stimulate other nations .to do the same thing or the people of other nations t o demand the seme thing...

...Incidentally on t h a t same day the Forum adopted rousing resolutions on the Scottsboro case...

...Of course I am no better pleased when it la the union administration that goes to the courts and the police for help in breaking an insurgent movement within the union...

...They were quite right In coming to his Injunction shop, and he gives them what they aak ask for...

...Hundreds of thousands of union men are now paying from five to ten per cent of their earnings to provide out-of-work benefits for their leas fortunate brothers...

...Tilt: TAX BILL IS A MESS rn-iHE t a x bill the House finally passed is a n awful mess...

...Here is one suggestion to both tbe President and Congress...

...Tbe uprightness and learning of the judge Is not the only thing to be considered...

...In well organized trades, indeed, the ostensible cuts have seldom exceeded 10 per cent, but the numbers of men employed and getting the union scale has fallen disproportionately...

...Nevertheless if the natives of the Philippines in spite of this disadvantage want independence on these terms it's up to us to give It to them...

...The next business is to set up such a program of public works t h a t we can give men willing to work jobs to be done which will add to' public wealth...

...The plain t r u t h la that one reason why our unions do not make more progress ia because they have lost the confidence of the unorganised work* era who see, rightly or wrongly, or partly rightly and p a r t l y wrongly, only new means of exploitation in the kind of leadership some of the unions now afford...

...In many largo unorganised Industries there have been two 10 per cent cuts, besides extensive use of Ford's trick of laying...

...The days a r e definitely over when the white races are to bear the white man's burden in Asia...

...According t o the Bureau of Labor Statistics, i t haa fallen 15 per cent in the last two years—from Index 171.4 a t the beginning of 1980 to index 145.8 at the beginning of 1932...

...Taking this into account, it is doubtful whether, on the average, those workers who still have employment find their actual cost of living a bit less than it was two years ago...

...Every one of these principles is being violated, notably in New York, the richest city of the world, where it now appears that after June 1st there will be not one cent available for the 700,000 men, women and children already dependent in large measure upon public or private aid...

...In small industry, and in the enormous field of store and office work, tbe reductions have been much heavier still...

...Holmes and Wise demanded of him...

...He blames the unionshop employers, too, but more mildly...

...Holmes and Wise and to the City Affairs Committee for smoking out Governor Roosevelt and revealing him as the kind of man who has practically no indignation at all against civic waste, corruption and wrong doing, but la capable of immense anger against men who prod him toward action...

...Nor do I find It any leas reprehensible for either party In such a controversy to carry it into the capitalist press, which is in general just as subservient to profittaking interests as is the judiciary...

...They couldn't get justice in the union, he says, and so they were under no obligation to try...

...We have recently had four such cases in or near New York, affecting the Moving Picture Operators, the Electrical Workers, the Sheet Metal Workers, and the Structural Iron Workers...

...Simply because they have to help support the unemployed...

...Let tbe operation of our body politic be s h a r p a n d soon over...

...These resolutions ought to be widely circulated because tbe Communists have circulated the slander that Socialists are not Interested i n this case...

...for example, many stenographers and bookkeepers who were getting from f 18 up to $25 a week are now glad to hold similar positons that, for the employed portion of the working class as a whole, average wage rates have fallen at least 25 per cent...

...Why, it is the rule which requires that the employer shall apply to the union office when he wants men and shall take those whom the union assigns to the job, instead of having the men come to him and making his own selection...

...As it is we have lots of sales taxes, some of them somewhat justifiable, others not justifiable at a l l The three-cent postage rate will bear very heavily upon those who ought not thus to be taxed...

...Perhaps mine Is an out-of-date way of thinking...

...The best you can s a y for it J is t h a t it might have been even worse if tbe general sales t a x h a d been adopted...

...We can make a better Job of unionism...

...I want a strong labor movement...

...Let's go to it...

...That anger, Incidentally, led tbe Governor to misinterpret and misrepresent what Drs...

...There ia nothing more tragically absurd than the way in which nations support Immeirvve armaments when they cannot relieve starvation at home...

...SMOKING OUT ROOSEVELT rmay be t h a t not only New Yorkers but decent folks all over tbe country will have reason to be grateful to Drs...

...I do not assume t h a t all these chargea a r e true...

...Let the A. F. of h. become no longer a rope of sand tying: together after some sort mere craft unions, some of which are run on pure business principles with all t h a t t h a t word "business implies...

...The necessary expenses of those who still have jobs have not been reduced anything like 15 per c e n t Why not...

...On the contrary, we shall serve the world by definitely getting out of a cock-pit in which future wars are all too likely to be bred...

...I t Is not even certain that the blood of martyrs would bring better conditions for survivors...

...TIP FOR MR...

...Never forget that one way Socialists can help is by doing those things in the political field like providing social legislation, unemployment Insurance, etc., which will clear the way for effective organization and strengthen tbe hand of true union of workers...

...Even the bankers admit the facts...

...The time is not far past when such action was strongly disapproved In labor circles, and when Socialists admired the sense of class solidarity which deterred working-men from carrying their quarrels into the capitalist courts...

...Tin box politicians can afford unemployment...

...and even where this is not so, there are near relatives who are unemployed and must be cared for...

...What counts for still more, tt very commonly happens that, where two or three members of a family were at work before, only one or two now have jobs...

...We've had examples of that, too, not very long ago, and the results have not been beneficial to the rank and file...

...If tbe Senate oen Improve this bill, all right...

...I just can't Imagine 'Gene Debs or Ben Hanford or Will Mallly or Morris Brown asking for an injunction against a union or against fellow union men or trying to enlist bourgeois editors in a struggle within any labor organisation...

...As usual, facts have belied his comfortable prediction...

...Tbe discussion on the day I was there was of very high grade...

...It la t o the credit of the Socialist P a r t y that some time ago in New York It adopted informally, a t a conference on labor, resolutions looking to the strengthening of what one might call civil liberties in the unions...

...I want no dual unions...

...But t h a t la not all...