Tentative Draft of N. Y. State Platform
Tentative Draft of N. Y. State Platform (The State Executive Committee of the Socialist Party appointed a Committee to draft a State platform and submit it through the New Leader to the party...
...4.—The abolition of private detective systems and the use of armed guards In Industrial struggles...
...The Republican and Democratic Parties are the parties of capitalism...
...Increased public funds for schools, rather than a policy of retrenchment, with a view of preventing the increase In the size of classes or a decrease in the salaries of teachers...
...2.—A system of land values taxation...
...There is no substantial difference between them...
...Local governments shall be required to appropriate an amount equal to the state contribution...
...We favor the repeal of the socalled Baumes laws...
...Under the present system, labor Is forced to turn over a large part of the product of industry to the few who own the industries...
...They have refused to enact an adequate program of relief for the unemployed, to undertake a comprehensive program of public works, to reduce the work-day and workweek, to establish a Bystem of unemployment insurance or a decent system of old age pensions, to decrease the exhorbttant charges levied by our public utilities, to raise the age limit of children employed in the Industries of the state, to protect labor against the abuse of the injunction or to abolish industrial home work...
...We demand the complete abolition of the practice of issuing injunctions in labor disputes...
...insecurity, injustice and beP H of a free and abundant life for all...
...Unexampled centralisation of ownership and control Is rapIdly thinning the ranks of the middle class and swelling the ranks of propertyless workers...
...A section of City Government will be added later...
...part time attendance, and regimentation and militarization of our youth...
...Under Republican and Democratic rule these rights have been assailed wantonly and increasingly...
...7.—Compensation on discharge by public and private employers, dependent on length of service...
...This is social Insanity...
...During the last year 8,000 banks have failed...
...CONCLUSION The Socialist party appeals to the wage and salaried worker, to the working- farmers and to all champions of justice and equal opportunity to Join It In a mighty movement against economic col*P...
...the ratification of the federal child labor amendment...
...Some two million men and women — manual and skilled workers, "white collar" workers, members of professions are now jobless in this the richest state in the Union...
...Harry W. Laldler, secretary...
...The strict observance of the merit system in promotions and appointments...
...They have been betrayed time and again by both old parties...
...The Committee consisted of Louis Waldman, chairman...
...To the attainment of this great object the Socialist party Is committed...
...One telephone system and one telegraph corporation dominate communication in their respective fields...
...3— The creation of a State Housing Planning Commission to stimulate slum clearance, city, county and regional planning, municipal and cooperative house building and the setting up of state-wide minimum standards of ventilation, sanitation and safety...
...They have refused to give substantial relief to the farming population of the state...
...6.—Reforestation of marginal farm lands...
...1—The recapture from private companies of the state's water power resources...
...A aystem of wealth production which makes the acquisition of wealth and power its chief aim win, along with its lawful activites, develop unlawful activities having the same end In view...
...We demand the abolition of capital punishment...
...4.—Provision for the tearing down at owners' expense of condemned buildings...
...In their place healthful and beautiful homes for the workers should be constructed and rented at -prices that workers can afford to pay...
...A program of alum clearance and municipal home building would put tens of thousands of unemployed to work and, at the same time, make life livable for masses of our people...
...These rights cannot be attained by the large majority of our people under capitalism...
...PREAMBLE The Socialist Party again makes Its ap|>eal to the people of the State of New York as the party of the workers by hand and brain...
...2 A reduction of taxes on farm property and an increase of taxation on incomes, inheritances and excess profits...
...4.—Legislation to empower districts and municipalities to generate and distribute electricity...
...They are dependent to an even greater degree on the favors of the great corporations of the state...
...Crime Is on the increase, especially among the young...
...5.—State Insurance of crops against damage due to 'adverse weather conditions, such as drought, flood and hail...
...It has left the judges of the Supreme Court free to issue Injunctions without reasonable notice...
...4.—The enactment of suitable laws and the use, of state credit to promote and regulate farmers,' cooperative marketing organizations and consumers' cooperative purchasing societies, and also legislation empowering municipalities and other public agencies to buy and sell milk and milk products and other prime necessities of life...
...The Republican and Democratic parties are, on the other hand, the parties of capitalism and, a* such, are' committed to the perpetuation of the tragic evils of the capitalist order...
...3.—Legislation providing for the right to a jury trial in all criminal cases...
...This distrust is, in large measure, due to the fact that state and federal Judges have annulled the legal rights of the workera by the Issuance of sweeping and oppressive injunctions...
...The present capitalist - system means for the great masses of our people poverty^ Insecurity and an ever present threat eg war...
...4.—The shortening of the work day to six hours a day and a fiveday week, without reduction of wages...
...We favor attacking crime at its source by assuring decent living standards- through higher wages and shorter hours, better housing, educational and recreational facilities and a just distribution of the products of indust* As immediate measures to cope with increasing crime, we demand the reorganization of our prison system to provide for the humane and scientific treatment of delinquent...
...Farmers have been ruthlessly exploited by the great corporations, by middle men, bankers and others who have fixed the prices od everything the farmers bought and sold...
...The harder the mass of our people work and the more they produce, the sooner are they idle and the longer are they in want...
...Our jails and hospitals are filled to overflowing...
...To the end of supplying the people of the state with cheap a«u abundant electrical power, we demand: 1.—The conservation and public development of all available water power resources of the state, perticularty those on the St...
...We are pledged to the establishment of a social order in which the basic mean* of life will be publicly owned and democratically managed in the interests of all...
...0.—We pledge ourselves to combat the evils of overcrowding in class rooms...
...These unemployed and their dependents are In desperate need...
...Pending the realisation of this object, we demand prompt revision of the existing law so that no injunctionshall be issued to labor controversies until after a full and complete trial of the Issues...
...Such homes have been built by the thousands by European municipalities...
...As a means of safeguarding the savings of the people', abolishing financial extortion and aiding In the socialization of' industry, the Socialist party favors the public ownership and administration of the banking system of the country...
...As never before, we face wide and bitter need in the face of unparalleled abundance...
...To restore and conserve labor's vanishing freedom, we favor: 1.—The enactment of legislation for the adequate protection of working women and children and for the strengthening of the labor code...
...Pending the attainment of these ends, we demand the extinction of banking affiliates of chain hanks of holding company control of banks and security departments in trust companies...
...William Karlin, Algernon Lee and Charles Solomon...
...3.—Increased state subsidies to rural communities for road building, educational and social services to farm communities and the improvement and extension of the rural school system...
...SOCIAL INSURANCE In addition to unemployment insurance, we urge: 1.—An old age pension system for men and women .sixty years of age and over...
...and legislation compelling banks to furnish security to depositors, assuring the return of their deposits...
...They have permitted the continuance of Ineffective factory inspection and have refused substantially to improve the workmen's compensation act or to abolish the evil of the "yellow dog" contract...
...Prom 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the electricity In the state is produced by two closely Interconnected corporations under Morgan control...
...They can be attained only by the Institution of a social order under which the people collectively own and democratically manage the material .foundations of their life...
...All of these are brothers under the skin...
...2.—Comprehensive and effective factory inspection laws...
...These grade down frontvthe desperate and reckless manipulations of the banker or stockbroker through the grafting office holders to the burglar, robber or kidnapper...
...3.—Unemployment insurance, with adequate benefits based on contributions by employers and the government, the government's share to be raised by graduated income and inheritance taxes...
...The Insanity and suicide rates mount...
...These utilities charge the householder three times as much for lighting and heating as does the publicly owned Ontario system...
...The Committee herewith presents its" tentative draft...
...Lawrence River and at Niagara Palls...
...8.—The generation and distribution by public agencies of all electrical^ energy and the integration of the electrical industry on a s ate-wide scale...
...2.— The immediate launching of an extensive program of public works, slum clearance, construction of workers' houses, road building and reforestation by state, city and county governments, and, the prompt Introduction of long- ranged planning of future public works...
...the present unsound financial structure...
...LABOR* The right of labor freely to organize, bargain collectively, to strike and to picket, cannot and must not be questioned in a democracy...
...In this crisis the Socialist party proposes the following measures: 1.-A state appropriation of $100,000,000 for immediate relief such funds to be administered by appropriate state agencies in cooperation with existing municipal, county, trade union and other social agencies with adequate safeguards to prevent partisan distribution...
...As a means to improved conditions on the farm, we favor: 1.—The public electrification of rural areas...
...CRIME Crime is in large measure rooted in our economic and social system...
...The abandonment of extravagant and corrapt practices m the acquisitioz of school lands and in the COB, t ruction and maintenance ol school buildings...
...In the present crisis, they have lamentably failed to provide jobs or bread to the workers...
...TAXATION In order to furnish funds for needed social services and at the same time assist In securing a more equitable distribution of wealth and In increasing the purchasing power of the masses of the people, we favor: 1.—Steeply Increased Income and inheritance taxes...
...HOUSING The slums of the great cities of New York State are among the worst in the world...
...5.—Legislation declaring Illegal •yeUow doT' ©oatracta which prevent the workers from Joining labor unions...
...2.—The repeal of the Criminal Anarchy Law...
...We further demand that any proceeding to punish for contempt for alleged violation of injunction order in labor disputes shall be tried by jury, to be presided over by a judge other than the one who issued the injunction...
...We hail the national Platform of the Socialist party as the one platform providing an answer to the tragic present situs ties...
...Tentative Draft of N. Y. State Platform (The State Executive Committee of the Socialist Party appointed a Committee to draft a State platform and submit it through the New Leader to the party membership tor discussion on or before June 26...
...a.—The labor legislative program of the State Federation of INJUNCTIONS For many years the people of the state and nation have distrusted the courts as tools of the ruling class...
...We propose: 1.—A State Enabling Act giving the cities of the state the power to set up and, finance public housing boards which shall construct workers' dwellings...
...The passage of the recent banking act, sponsored by both parties, which turned over the supervision of our banks to the very set of men who were In part responsible for their collapse, is but another Indication of the bankruptcy of the old parties...
...the segregation of thrift funds in commercial banks under regulations which apply to savings banks...
...8. -Public financial aid to farmers and small home owners to protect them against foreclosures and against sale for non-payment of taxes...
...a. The Introduction in school gnUemt of modern and progressive methods of education with a view to develop the natural capacities and interests of children and to prepare the youth for efficient *ad satisfactory adult existence...
...We favor the state Insurance fund as the only carrier of workmen's compensation...
...These should be abolished...
...In New York City alone over 1,500,000 live in unsanitary old law tenements...
...We favor the revision of the criminal law in line With scientific pesology...
...The recent modification of the law relating to injunction has proved to be a mere sham...
...AGRICULTURE For more than a decade, the industry of agriculture, of the utmost importance to the life of the nation, has been a sick industry...
...The two dominant parties of the state have done practically nothing to remedy the situation...
...It has meant extortionate profits and autocratic power for the few, and has greatly added to the evils of the present depression...
...As first steps toward expanding and democratizing the system in the interest of society, we propose: 1.—Elimination of political, business and religious control from public school systems and from other educational instutions...
...3.—The abolition of industrial home work in the Interests of public health and as a means of preserving the gains of trade unionism...
...6.—We favor the right of teachers to organize In labor unions and demand adequate representation on the part of the teaching force in the administrative machinery of the system...
...We pledge ourselves without reservation to tbt task of waging the moat vigorous campaign of which we are capable...
...Since then the reactionary forces of the community have endeavored to dominate this educational system...
...PUBLIC UTILITIES A few great interests dominate the utUlties of the State of New York...
...4. The development of broad courses of study under competent teachers in high schools and colleges on vital political, social and cultural movements and developments...
...We especially urge: 1.—The enactment of laws restoring to the people the right to be secure against unlawful search and seizure...
...BANKING The private ownership of the banking system of the country during the last few yearn has resulted In the loss of billions of dollars to the small depositor and investor...
...2.—The extension of public credit to cities, home builders and to genuine cooperative enterprises...
...The home is disintegrating under the pressure of economic insecurity...
...Both have as their prime purpose the preservation of trie capitalist system, based upon private ownership of the socially necessary reeans of life--land, natural resources, public utilities and other industries...
...The Socialist party favors the public ownership and democratic control of public utilities Including transportation facilities, telephone, telegraph, gas and electrical systems...
...7.—The orgaaization of state land utilization boards to aid In determining the best uses of land for agricultural, forestry, industrial, recreational and other purposes...
...EDUCATION About a century ago, labor and progressive forces fought a bitter struggle against the reactionaries of their day in behalf of a system of free public school education...
...6.—The prohibition of child labor up to 18, with adequate provision for the education of those under 18...
...Ail efforts to cope with the problem of crime thorugh punitive and repressive measures necessarily fafi...
...Public regulation has utterly failed to protect the producer and consumer against exploitation...
...The collapse of the Bank of the United States with over 400,000 depositors, half of whom held thrift accounts, throws a vivid light on this system and on the alliance between crooked bankers and politicians...
...In the Declaration of Independence it is written that governments are instituted among men to secure life, liberty and happiness...
...We pledge our candidates in this state to work for such a public system, properly coordinated, In city, state and nation...
...5.—The establishment of an adequate system of free public employment exchanges in cooperation with federal exchanges...
...The use of bank affiliates and the development of chain banking and of holding company control have added to the evils of...
...They have refused to provide for a program for slum clearance or for the building of decent homes for the workers In the cities of the state...
...CIVIL LIBERTIES We pledge our elected officials to restore, preserve and extend the liberties of the people...
...It is thus able to buy only a portion of the goods that can be turned out with such lightning rapidity by our mass industries...
...2.—A comprehensive system of social insurance against sickness, accident, maternity and death...
...THE 1833 CAMPAIGN We enter this campaign proud of our national standard bearers, Norman Thomas and James H. MSUrer...
Vol. 13 • June 1932 • No. 26
