TIMELY TOPICS
THOMAS, NORMAN
By Norman Thomas TIMELY TOPICS Every week Norman Thomas write* k his pungent style his own cornmenti upon the salient events of the mosnent Ob May Day MAY DAY 1983 fires to Socialists leu...
...not because banking and financial interests have relentlessly pursued a deflationary policy for the greater enrichment of the owners of wealth, and because at their instigation the "National" Government has striven to check every development of public enterprise that lessened the opportunities of private capitalism to plunder and profiteer...
...It ia one of the great tragedies of history that '.ermany, which had risen to su a high cultural level, should now have committed »in its name s-jch acts ' aticity Civil rights have been suppressed...
...The pi perianal of England suggests that merely to go off the goh) standard, by prohibiting the export of gold t* support the dollar in foreign markets—whatever the importance of that act in international affairs-* will not bring about a significant degree of inflatka at home...
...Ours Is the task of bringing a re' ir»h of Freedom...
...What Ohio needs even more than some other states is vigorous, comprehensive, aggressive Socialist organization...
...Ohio feels to the full the burden of this crisis...
...of I* is right No policy, even of controlled snd directed inflation, will be tolerable to the workers without an immense campaign for raising wages...
...That will require not regulation of banks and industries, but social ownership and planned production for use and not profit...
...not because our country's economic resources are insufficient to maintain and improve the standards of life and employment...
...In most cities and towns which I have visited the audiences are interested and interesting...
...By their malieiou* propaganda and aetivitie* the Communist* have deliberately divided the force* of the worker* and thereby weakened their power* of re*i*tanee...
...For the failure to nationalize the banking system at shall pay a dear price in more ways th;m one...
...this rule of force against reason, of the Iron Hand against public will, must receive our unremitting oppo! sition...
...the book membership Is about 20,000, but dues paid indicate a membership of well under 10,000...
...It would also be highly appropriate in the realm of international relations to reiterate our demands for the recognition of Soviet Russia, a general embargo on coining money out of blood by the sale of arms to beligerent nations, and an end of American imperialsm...
...HAIL PEACE...
...The Government's failure to nationalize the banks or to work out any consistent plan for making the money in them mors generally and equitably available left to it no practical alternative than inflation of the currency...
...flP.BAREY DEFEATS DICTATORSHIP PLAN TPHE British Independent Labor * Party, at its Easter Conference at Derby, barely defeated a motion designed to repudiate democratic methods and to call for immediate seizure of power by workers' councils...
...Acts of this kind are unworthy of a civilized country which claims a place in the comity of nations...
...It Is likely the Utter hi kfc principal motive...
...I predicted inflation and defended the desirabim* of controlled inflation when Mesars...
...Out of our own mistakes no less than out of the mistakes of our enemies shall we learn the way to victory...
...The party, once the fighting head of the Labor Party which once had over 50,000 members and over 00 members- of Parliament, including every important Labor Party leader, now has about six M.P.'s, elected as Labor Party members Sefore the split off from the Labor Party...
...Richard C. Wallhead, who sat in Parliament for a number of years for Keir Hardie's old constituency of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, was defeated for election to the National Council...
...Trade Unionis' i and Social-Democrats held as hostages: all save those who are servile to the Government's policy subjected to the Nasi terrorism...
...One of its best guarantees for freedom and peace and Democracy is a free and unfettered Trade Union Movement...
...They who oppose and exploit you here are gloating over the triumnh of their class in other eountrie* where flocinl Democracy in almotl overwhelmed...
...That is when in* nation ceases to be inflation...
...Inflation will double the need for a steadily rising minimum wage...
...We assure them that they can always confidently rely upon the solidarity of the International Federation of Trade Unions...
...MAY DAY 1933 i From the...
...their members persecuted...
...TPHK International Federation of Trade Unions strenuously opposes Fa>cism and Dictatorship in any form...
...All lovers of Freedom must be roused into activity against Fascism and its attendant dangers by voice, by pen, by organization, by education and by any appropriate economic and political action...
...Finally every May Day meeting should boom the Continental Congress at Washington, May 6 and 71 ris difficult U he certain whether the Press** waats SWSSttes powers to inflate in every eta...
...Legislation may help, but there will be no guarantee of effective legislation or its enforcement without organization of the workers, both politically and industrially...
...withdrew from the Labor Party last year being repudiated again and again...
...A. Fenner Brockway was reelected chairman, and Fred W. Jowett treasurer...
...The Nails bay* proclaimed that in Germany the old Red International May Day mast give way to a Green Nationalist Hay Day...
...cetvabt* way la order Is inflate er to keep Css, gross from inflating...
...It is a key state to any Socialist campaign in America...
...Workers of the World Unite...
...following the bank holiday...
...Drew was defeated for city treasurer in the April city elections by John W. Mudroch, the present Socialist incumbent...
...the organs of the free press prohibited...
...Indicted Former Milwaukee Treasurer Nerer a Socialist MILWAUKEE.— Capitalist newspaper stories abaut the indictment of a former city treasurer in the 'S'ociajist city of Milwaukee" fail to mention that the former treasurer is a Democrat, not a Socialist...
...Ilitlerism stan' for m 'hods of force and for a perv.rtcd nationalism which are a grave danger to pes...
...still active, and it was his impassioned plea to the delegates to avoid committing the party to civil war that won over enough wavering delegates to dete*> the proposal by a narrow vote...
...Jowett warned the delegates they were playing with "toy tricks," and that the discussion was being conducted "in an air af unreality far removed from daily life...
...Relatively our Socialist vote in Ohio was good in the last election...
...We are not in retreat but reforming our ranks...
...The indicted former official is John I. Drew, who is jointly charged with a banker, I. J. Rosenberg, of causing a loss to the city of Milwaukee of over $500,000 in commissions paid to brokers for the purchase of United States bonds, in which the city invests its surplus funds...
...They must take steps to prevent its emergence wherever I'emocracy is still in being...
...If inflation is not to become the final disaster to wage and salary workers and the holders of savings bank accounts and insurance policies it must be clearly stated st the beginning that it will hs stopped when the commodity price level rises above the level of, let us say, 1926-27...
...The Administration's program both of relief and of public works is wholly inadequate...
...The President should have recommended specific measures of inflation which should have been acted upon by Codgress...
...Declaration by the General Council of tin International Federation of Trade* Union* meeting at Zurich, April Ufa f« 111...
...The economic depression of world capitalism, bringing in its trail the millions of unemployed and under-em ployed, hopelessness, misery and despair mounting in volume, has been unscrupulously exploited by the enemies of the people...
...Not silver mine owners or security holders hot the unemployed should be its principal beneficiaries...
...May Day ManifetU ietued jointly by the Trade* Union Congre»§ and the Labor Party oj Great Britain.' WAY DAY comes this year ae an imperative call to the great working-class movementSocialist', Trade Union, and Cooperative—to resist the forces ol reaction that are seeking in one country after another to destroj the foundations of all democratic institutions...
...Wallhead had been a member of the Council for many years, and was National Chairman for three successive years...
...By their action they won the respect of the w in other countries...
...HAIL INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY...
...HAIL LIBERTY...
...It is the more necessary, therefore, in May Day meetings, and at other times, to emphasize our demand for the release of Mooney and Billings...
...Moreover, inflation should be not only controlled in amount but directed in distribution...
...Worker* I Your enemie* grow ever holder and more rapadou...
...Nevertheless, both the inters*, tional trade situation and the extraordinary lengths t« which deflation has gone st home make abasst inevitable some degree of inflation...
...Despite the feverish activity at Washington, some part of which, and only some part of which, Socialists can honestly applaud, the one thing that now seems most likely and most significant to the workers is that a campaign of inflation will be begun at the precise moment when wages have been reduced to new Bweat-shop levels...
...Its geography, the ease of getting about It, the representative nature of its population, its union of active agriculture with diversified industry—Ohio has more cities of over a hundred thousand than any other state—make it an exceedingly significant and hopeful field...
...The war and the world economic crisis brought about conditions in Germany which our comrades in tht country ' ave ceaselessly striven to mitigate...
...ret never was it more certain than that the hope of the world against catastrophe or new dark ages la Socialism...
...The best outlet for additional currency or spending power is through the hands of unemployed workers, first by means of a maintenance allowance, snd then by s program of public works...
...Trade Unions attacked...
...In America we have added a Scottsboro case to a Mooney and Billings case and all the rest of our long line of oppressions...
...It is a bad situatios when Senators disagree whether six or twenty billion dollars of additional currency can be had under the proposed measure...
...Fascism is the negation of democrac) and inevitably brings in its trail the suppression of the lilierties of the |>eople...
...Ohio OHIO is a beautiful state in spring...
...We must also emphasize our demand for justice to prevail over racial bigotry in the Scottsboro case...
...For Freedom for Mooney and Billings •yilE failure of all negotiation* in Chicago to assure * genuine control of the Mooney conference by a committee honestly representing all groups concerned has compelled our National Executive Committee to rule against Socialist cooperation there...
...By methods of terrorism and militarist dictatorship governmenl of the people by the people ie being overthrown...
...Thou believe they are *afe now in attacking your moet powerful organization*, in aitailing your mott cheriehed principle*, in itrikivn at the very heart of democracy...
...The real moral of the whole story is that whs* we need more than more money is proper distribution of wealth...
...To give one man snch power and to subject him to the enormous forces which will struggle for its use is not the way of safety or of wisdom...
...i union, ard the courage of our S'>cial'«t faith, we who belong U> the movements that give us '*t ' H ks s"d InHtiirntion to the workers of all lands, must gaurd our heritage...
...HAIL DEMOCRACY...
...To the working masaeH of Germany we express our heartfelt sympathy in their hoar of trial...
...The motion »«s t* repudiate "capitalist democracy," snd it wss defeated by a vote of 90 to 86...
...Finally it must be emphasized that to resort to) inflation after wages have been pushed down to sweat-shop levels may well be the final goad to) make workers revolt...
...The rise of Fascism, that has now fastened itself upon the German people, ia a warning to all workers...
...The ruling ought, of course, to apply to all states and locals...
...Roosevelt sal Hoover were both talking about "sound money,* The need for some inflation was greatly increase...
...freedom of opinion abolished...
...We should not forget to endores the stand of young men, in and out of colleges, who are now pledging themselves not to be pawns for the stupidity and greed of rulers who would hurl them into war.' In this stand by youth lies a great hope of peace...
...There are more probable | causes of war in the world than seemed to exist on.May Day 1914...
...not because of any sudden impoveristment or threat if scarcity or famine...
...According to information just received, the Conference was badly divided, the old and tried leaders who did not resign when the I.L.P...
...2. While the President emphasizes controlled inflation there are no evidences of adequate control, except his own good judgment, written into the bill...
...By Norman Thomas TIMELY TOPICS Every week Norman Thomas write* k his pungent style his own cornmenti upon the salient events of the mosnent Ob May Day MAY DAY 1983 fires to Socialists leu uaa* foi elation or even MtUfmction thaa aay Ha] Day since the Great War...
...Unemployment has been permitted to grow in our own country wages have been cut, social expenditure has been ruthlessly restricted—not because the means cannot be found to finance an adequate program of useful public works...
...President Green of the A.F...
...by the terrible deflation consequent upon the closing of banks with from four to six billion deposit...
...By oiganizatlon...
...The Roosevelt Plan /CONCERNING the President's plan two genera.' ^ comments are in order: 1. On principle it is a dangerous precedent to give the President blanket power to inflate by almost any method and at will...
...Jowett Is the sole survivor of the old Kelr Hardle I.L.P...
...They believed in o' t. ining redress by reason and persuasion...
Vol. 15 • April 1933 • No. 17
