British Labor Sees Hope Only In Socialism, Not in NRA
British Labor Sees Hope Only In Socialism, Not in NRA pHICAGO. — Unsolicited assur-^ ances have been received by Socialist Party national headquarters that the British Labor Party is not...
...A fine platform was adopted and widely distributed, and house-to-house canvassing added to the Socialist vote...
...As a matter of NRA policy, as laid down in some 150 codes thus far approved, the document before as Is an outrage and a ridiculous •ffalr...
...To return again to the wage, let us point out the astounding provision by which the restaurant owners would compel the public to pay one-half of the minimum wage of those who commonly receive gratuities...
...It is our contention that the code as submitted by the restaurant industry is unworthy of serious consideration by any agency representing the dignity of the United States Government and that no such agency ought to entertain for a moment proposals which so grossly affront the very purpose of the Government and praticularly the purpose of the Government exemplified in the National Recovery Administration...
...Meriden PolU Heavy Vote In Municipal Election MERIDEN, Conn...
...We have proved abundantly in this country that Liberalism is bankrupt, and all Europe is demonstrating the same thing, and we feel confident that the intense intelligence of the American people will soon realize the same fact...
...A lockout forced by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company when the drivers appeared at the garages with union buttons was quickly transformed into a strike, which demands pay increases from $12 to $26 a week and a reduction of hours from 64 to 40...
...GOOD CHEER...
...I Hotel and restaurant Workers fere preparing to strike in various cities against the evil and pauperisation of tipping that goes inevitably with low wages...
...They have not gone much further than an appreciation of the speed with which he set about his task, as contrasted with the contented mind of our own 'National' Government...
...in 1909, and ending with the Communist Industrial Union in 1933...
...It seems, therefore, beyond any doubt that no shoe workers' union which Is independent—that is, isolated and apart from the American Federation of Labor—can bring lasting improvements...
...New York Shoe Workers Ask for Autonomy By I. Laderman rE New York locals of the Boot and Shoe Workers' International have decided to demand from the international officers important reforms in the principles, methods and conduct of affairs in their organisations...
...Its attorney is David H. H. Felix, recent Socialist candidate against the notorious anti-labor judge, Harry McDevitt...
...Business agents shall be under the control of the Joint Council...
...This lm-portant industrial city of 40,000 people, seat of many large factories, promises to become tho second Bridgeport of the Nutmeg State...
...The history of the local shoe workers, and their numerous independent unions, has demonstrated that they can get nothing but turmoil and chaos, misery and suffering by long drawn-out and often needless strikes...
...In the meantime the Paint and Lead Workers' Union, under the leadership of J. R. Huss and with the assistance of Newman Jeffrey, Attorney M. Herbert Syme and other local Socialists, won its strike...
...for more than 85 years, has written an informing article on the history of that organization...
...TTELL them that I feel the workers, and the workers alone, can AND WILL free the world from its economic and social ills...
...Only Soli cialism can eliminate charity, ¦ for only Socialism can destroy ¦its progenitors...
...Vladeck called upon the workers present to rise in tribute to the memory of the comrades who have passed on...
...TELL them that I have absolute faith in the triumph of Socialism...
...Phil' anthropy is an enemy of liberty and justice...
...Its president, Harry Schussler, a member of the Yipsels, is 19...
...He insisted that the $9.72 minimum really means that restaurant employees and their families are doomed to starvation, adding: "Surely it is not going to be contended that this industry has a right to condemn its workers to celibacy through the imposition of • wage that makes anything else impossible...
...Unsolicited assur-^ ances have been received by Socialist Party national headquarters that the British Labor Party is not supporting Roosevelt policies for Great Britain, as has frequently been stated in the American press...
...Workers of various trades organised by the hundreds of thousands and won better conditions, particularly in the City of New York...
...CONTINUE this work towards the liberation of manSocialist-Led Strike Won in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA.—Socialist In* fluenee in the trade unions registered a new high mark when the strikes of three newly organised unions, all led by members of the Socialist Party, occupied the attention of the city...
...Sir Stafford Cripps, deputy leader of the Labor Party, has written similarly: "My attention has been called to an article in Tims' of November 18th [Time' has sines repeated the statement], which purports to suggest that I am supporting Roossveltism...
...1"ELL them that the fight they are waging is a noble one, carried on for the creation of a brotherhood of man, which must eventually come about if civilization is to continue...
...Comrade Hillquit woe seriously ill when the request came, but he wrote the following reply, probably hit last message written for publication...
...Their principal demands are: 1. Complete local autonomy for tjie local unions of Greater New York...
...Mayor McLevy of Bridgeport took a hand In the campaign, and the local press paid a good deal of attention to the Socialist battle...
...The Dol 1 and Toy Workers' Union, Local 18999, also under the leadership of Socialists, has just won a notable victory, including a closed shop and substantial wage increases...
...4. Special meetings of shop chairmen and shop committees to be called once a month to discuss reports of conditions and transactions in the shops...
...This is, of coarse, entirely wrong...
...I believe . . . that no amount of controls or financial experimentation can make capitalism successful in achieving the distribution of commodities, which is the essential difficulty in all countries at the present time...
...The poor exist so that members of t the owning elass may exercise their charitable impluses...
...It must be clear to all shoe workers that they cannot expect lasting results from various independent unions...
...I This was the militant declaration (Made by Edward Flore, president #f the Hotel and Restaurant Employes and Beverage Dispensers' International Alliance in the hearings on the code for the restau-sant industry...
...The rich have given to the poor breadlines and relief bureaus...
...A fourth big strike, though not led by Socialists, is that of th« Budd Auto Body Company, In which a number of Socialists are active...
...3. A joint Council of representatives of all locals of Greater New York to be formed immediately, which shall have supervision over the entire work of the union and conduct all negotiations with employers...
...The strikers are voting whether to return to work pending arbltra-tion by the National Labor Board...
...J. S. Middleton, assistant secretary of the Labor Party, wrote National Secretary Clarence Senior: 'So far as the Labor Party is concerned, references to the Roosevelt administration have been very guarded...
...For beauty of style and for exalted elevation of sentiment, Comrade Hill-quit's last message, written while he was rapidly wasting away, deserves to be made part of the permanent literature of our movement...
...Only seventy unionised independent cabs and less than two dozen scab cars now appear The Taxlcab Drivers' Union was organised by Paul Porter, party organiser, and nearly all of its officers are now either members or avowed sympathizers of the party...
...2. Democratic management, the right of members to elect all their officers without Interference from the general office...
...He has led several other strikes in recent weeks, including the SKF and Nice ball bearing workers, all of which resulted In closed shop agreements...
...New York shoe workers must therefore learn from the workers of other trades that they must be part and parcel of the entire American labor movement That they can do only by joining the Boot and Shoe Workers' Internationa] Union, a onion recognised by the A. F. of L. United Hebrew Trades in 45 th Anniversary Celebration rPHE forty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the United Hebrew Trades, central labor body of a large number of unions whose membership is largely composed of Jewish workers, was celebrated Sunday night at a banquet at Webster Hall, New York, at which the leaders and spokesmen of the U.H.T...
...Waiters Consider Strike Against W Tipping ¦Washington.—The indecently Hr low minimum weekly wage of Ktl for a 64-hour week which K National Restaurant Association seek...
...Largest and most spectacular Is that of *00 members of Taxicsb Drivers' Union...
...Flore recommended the 44-hour week, the 8-hour day and a $15 weekly minimum wage...
...the basis of war and international unrest...
...We look to the Socailist Party in America as the great hope of the future internationally as the rallying point of American prosperity...
...By Peter Haakon I TTHK Christmas season seems • * to be the open season for charity...
...This will be the first serious strike against a code...
...In the last 25 years local shoe workers have experimented with all kinds of independent unions, beginning with the I.W.W...
...Jacob Panken, who has been associated with the work of the U.H.T...
...Philanthropy, like poverty, is a product of capitalism...
...Sated with meat and wine, and swelled with a feeling . of self-righteousness, the won-ing class allows a little of its surplus to dribble down from the avenues of wealth onto the alleys of the poor...
...In spite of all favorable circumstances, the strike of the shoe, workers, led by the Communists, lasted practically all season and was a complete failure, bringing misery to the shoe workers...
...For the monstrously long 64-hour week and the monstrously low |V.72 minimum wage, reduced in many instances to nearly nothing by deduction for tips, urged by the restaurant owners, Mr...
...British Labor Sees Hope Only In Socialism, Not in NRA pHICAGO...
...Though illness prevents me from making a more extended statement, I wish you to convey a message in my name to the large membership of your organization...
...The last strike which was conducted by the Communist Industrial Union took place at a time when there was a general - resurgence in the entire American tabor movement...
...Hard-hitting" Jeffrey, 28-year-old ex-truck driver and University of Kansas graduate, who led the strike, has been termed by an official of tlin regional labor board "the toughest union leader in the city...
...It was a remarkable gathering, hundreds of workers, including representatives of the non-Jewish unions, attending, enjoying a gala ' occasion, and pledging themselves to the principles that gave birth to that organization...
...to fasten upon restau-Hpt workers by means of the pro-E|eed fair practice code is a "pal-fable fraud" and "unworthy of asrious consideration by any Ssncy representing the dignity $4 the United States Government...
...Philanthropy has grown out of the misery and suffering of the toiling masses, and the opulence and pelf of the exploiting class...
...Great wealth t and great want are the progenII itors of philanthropy...
...Charles Sehl, former Socialist candidate for governor and business agent for the machinists, has ordered 1,100 machine and tool workers to support the walkout of 2,800 members of the girls between 14 and 20...
...The poor have given to the rich yachts and penthouses...
...The speakers included representatives of every section of the labor movement, including John Ryan of the Central Trades and Labor Council and William Green, president of the A. F. of L. A beautiful souvenir book was distributed to the diners, as well as a history of the United Hebrew Trades written by B. Weinstein, a former secretary, now of the Jewish Daily Forward...
...of that order based upon the virtual equality of men...
...It will appear next week.] Hillquit's Last Message to the United Hebrew Trades The late revered Morris Hillquit was one of the founders of the United Hebrew Tradee, and when plan* were being made for the celebration of the 46th anniversary of that organization, he wai called upon to contribute an article to the anniversary souvenir...
...The local comrades are jubilant and expect the 198$ vote to be the beginning of a march to victory in both local and legislative elections...
...A full ticket was In the field, and the vote waa remarkably straight, varying by less than 60 votes from the hlgest to the lowest...
...It is expected that the above demands will be granted shortly by the national officers so that the New York locals will be able to conduct their work on a large scale and in a more progressive and more democratic spirit The New York locals, whose headquarters are at 157 Waverley Ave., Brooklyn, therefore appeal to all shoo workers to join their ranks...
...I am sure the people of America will come to realise more and more, as they see the failure of even the most extreme jaethods of controlling industrial capitalism, that the essential economic basis of Socialism, adapted of course to the particular circumstances of their country, is the right one, not only from the point of view of domestic prosperity but equally from the point of view of international trade and the removal of the economic rivalries which ar...
...All these unions conducted long general strikes, all failures...
...pledged anew their devotion to the ideals to which the organization was dedicated in its earlier years by its leaders In that period, men like Meyer London, Morris Hillquit, Max Pine, B. Feigenbaum, B. Weinstein, Ben Schlcsinger, Abraham Cahan and other great Socialist pioneers...
...Comrade Hillquit wrote: VOUR letter reminding me of tlie forty-fifth anniversary of the United Hebrew Trades brings l»ck to mc very old and very cherished memories...
...Rubin Guskin, president of the United Hebrew Trades, opened the proceedings with a brief address, after which he introduced B. C. Vladeck as toastmaster...
...The union was organized by Paul Porter, Frieda Cohen and other Socialists...
...At the December municipal elections here the Socialist Party doubled its best previous record, the vote being nearly 2,000 for Louis O. Krahl, candidate for Mayor, out of a total for all parties of less than 14,000...
Vol. 16 • December 1933 • No. 26
