ContinentalCongress to Aid Unions
ContinentalCongress to Aid Unions; Time Not Ripe for New Party PHILADELPHIA.—The National Executive Committee of the Continental Congress of Workers and Farmers at a meeting here after...
...To defray the expenses of the congress a fee of $1 must be paid by each group sending delegates...
...j Socialists Join Anti-War Meet •Till: Socialist Party and the 1 Communist Party are among the thirty radical, peace and progressive groups that have joined forces to hold a huge anti-war congress in New York City on September 2nd, 3rd and 4th The conference, to 1* known as the United States Congress Against War, will seek to mwbilize sentiment to fight the dangersof international warfare The decision of the Socialist Party to take part in the Congress —the first event which finds the Socialist and Communist parties of the nation working together—was taken by the national executive committee of the party at its recent meeting in Reading...
...Finnish Socialists Gain, Fascists Lose in Election SOCIAL Democracy scored a striking success and Fascism received a stunning blOW in Finland last Sunday In the first general election held in any important country since the Nazi terror in Germany began...
...voted to participate on condition that the Congress will not be dominated by any single group, and, on the further condition, that -.the Congress will not be permitted to indulge in internecine quarrels and attacks on constituent groups...
...The call for such a convention should come not from i the State Congress but from the affiliated organizations...
...For instance, | they are in position to restrain the conservatives from cutting appropriations for educational purposes,1 specially for public schools, as the ' Progressive party's stand on the question is the same as the Socialists...
...The bloc called National Fusion Parties, which comes closest to fascism, fell from 42 to 32 seats...
...In spite of its position as the largest party in the j)iet there is little possibility of a Socialist ministry because the differences between the Socialist workers and the bourgeoisie are greater in Finland than in countries like Denmark and Sweden, where Socialist minority governments have been I formed in cooperation with radical peasant parties...
...It was decided that local organizations wishing to affiliate with the Congress should be asked to take only one vote on affiliation which would cover Local Committees of Action and State Congresses as well as the national organization...
...Ths Congress was set up in Washington last May at a convention attended by mors than 4,000 representatives of labor, Socialist, unemployed and liberal groups...
...Women . in this State are not permitted to I be employed in textile plants after 6 o'clock but they are permitted to work in other occupations even , after midnight If we are to be consistent with ourselves and if the textile industry in Massachusetts h to compete on a fair basis with the neighboring States, we have got to suspend the law...
...The arrangements committee is endeavoring to arrange for as cheap transportation rates as possible to accommodate the more than 1,000 delegates expected to attend...
...Social-Demokraatti of Helsing- : i fors, leading Socialist daily of Fin1 land, declares that the meaning of . the election is that the nation de , mands the restoration of peace and order...
...The first part of the Congress committee's manifesto is a pledge of assistance and support to every section of the labor movement...
...The full statement of Inde i pendent Political Action is as - foUows: t "Some organisations in the Coni gress are eager to launch farmer I labor parties within ths states as I early as possible, and have indii cated their belief that the time is i already ripe...
...In accordance with the decision of the Washington congress, we hereby call upon the workers, farmers and progressives of New York State to meet in Congress on Sunday, August 13th, in Albany...
...I Until broad support is assured, i not simply from individuals but i from a substantial base of mass ; organizations, an attempt to form i a farmer-labor party is sure to prove unsuccessful, and its failure will make future action far more difficult The National Executive Committee of the Congress is continuously exploring the possibilities of independent political action, but it feels thst the time is not yet ripe and the mass sentiment not sufficient for such action...
...The work : of the State Congress is to pave the way for united working-class i political as well as economic action, but the State Congresses are not < empowered themselves to launch a I farmer-labor party...
...A committee of three—Julius Gerber, Harry W. Laidler and Edward Levinson—were appointed to represent the N.E.C...
...1 Henderson is secretary of the committee, Matthews is chairmnn, 1 and Mrs...
...In making public the call for the New York congress, the twelfth state congress held since ths Washington gathering, Louis Waldman, state convenor, declared that unemployment relief would be in the forefront of the problems to be considered...
...in "How to understand money...
...Abolition of night work for women and minors was accomplished in this state after many- years of hard struggle and the cooperation of some labor leaders in suspending ths law la certain to bring many protests...
...in negotia tions with the arrangements committee...
...The next day in Boston it was reported that Governor Ely will ask the Legislature to suspend the state law prohibiting employment of women in mills after 6 p.m...
...The Socialists will undoubtedly also be able to cut military expenditures and better the social services for the benefit of working 1 people...
...We therefore summon the workers, farmers snd sincere progressives of the Stste of New York to convene under the bsnner of the Continental Congress, on the basis of the new economic Declaration of Independence adopted in Washington.'' Each organisation invited is entitled to two delegates...
...New York Will Hold Congress August 13 "TRADE onion, Socialist and * progressive leaders have joined In issuing a call for a state con1 gress of the Continental Congress of Workers and Farmers in Albany on August 18th...
...Explaining I the National Recovery Act he is reported as saying: j "When the Industrial Recovery law becomes effective MassachuI setts will be in a different position ! ftom the other 47 States...
...The economic crisis continues despite widespread propaganda of the return of normal conditions...
...New Jersey, Michigan, Missouri and Massachusetts have already held their conventions...
...A apecfal convention would have to be called for the express purpose of forming a labor party...
...Life for a major part of our population has become an endless circle of poverty and insecurity...
...It the i State Congresses have suggestions i as to the best methods of working 1 out this problem of independent i political action, the committee will be glad to receive them...
...In a Diet of 200 members, elected by proportional representation, the Socialists now have 79 members, a gain of 18 over the elections of October, 1930...
...Mary Schomberg, Council of Jewish Women...
...Most of the former Com- 1 munist voters cast their ballots for , the Social Democrats...
...Emil Rieve, chairman, and also president of the Full-Fashloned Hosiery Workers' Federation, was forced to leave the committee's first session by emergency work in connection with the eastern drive of the needle trades unions which has drawn out nearly a hundred thousand operatives on strike...
...Addie Waite Hutton, Carl Geiser, Abe Kaufman, Lola Maverick Lloyd, Richard Lovelace, Robert Morss Lovett, Albert G. Sellers, Upton Sinclair, Louise Thompson and William R. Truex...
...For the sake of swifter action, the Executive set up an emergency committee of five Chicago men to act on problems requiring immediate action...
...The two proposals of the Socialist sub-committee, as well as the proposed new members of the arrangements committee, were accepted at a meeting of that committee...
...the meager funds of relief agencies are seriously depleted...
...Agrarians, 62 (69...
...1 "The National Executive Com- i mittee desires to carry out the i wishes of the Washington meeting ] and to keep in constant contact l with the thoughts of the delegates l to the State Congresses...
...Nevertheless the ' strong Socialist representation in Diet will be able to assert itself in ' many directions...
...National Fusion Parties 82 (42...
...Ths National Execu, tive Committee of the Congress . urges upon the states very careful . consideration of the timeliness of > such a move before it is attempted...
...Head- 1 quarters of the committee are at 104 Fifth Ave., New York City...
...No Party Yet A statement was adopted by the National Executive for the guidance of state Congresses, declaring that the time was not yet ripe for immediate formation of FarmerLabor parties, but set up a subcommittee to study the question of independent political action...
...indicated in parentheses, is as follows: Socialists 79 (66...
...and the following representatives of other organizations: Leroy Bowman, League for Industrial Democracy...
...that these provisions be met by enlarging the arrangements committee by the addition of the following Socialists: Norman Thomas, Julius Gerber, Edward Levinson, Harry W. Laidler, Charles Solomon, Aaron Levenstein and August Tyler...
...More than 1,500,000 wage earners in our state still hunt vainly for work...
...It It known that Governor Ely has conferred with manufacturers and labor leaders on this matter and that Watt has participated...
...Swedes 21 (21...
...The line-up of parties, with seats previously hclo...
...Tucker Smith, Committee on Militarism in Education, and Howard Williams, League for Independent Political Action...
...There is no Communist representation because that party has been completely outlawed since 1926...
...Waldman said that should a special session of the legislature be called, the date of the Albany conference would be advanced to coincide with the date of the opening of the special session...
...The N.E.C...
...A TIP TO MORGAN Joseph Stagg, Lawrence, profes- j nor of economics at Princeton'University...
...In the misery of the fourth year of the industrial breakdown the working people of the state find themselves trapped by political leadership which has neither sincerity nor program to meet the needs of the times...
...If the delegates at a State Congress do vote in favor of immediate efforts to launch a labor party in the state, it does not lie within the powers of the State Congress itself to establish that party...
...the burden of debt and exploitation continue to weigh heavily upon our farming population...
...The Executive also called upon the local committees of action, formed to promote local cooperation between trades and unemployed unions of workers and farmers, "to contact and seek to aid unions in their communities, to carry on among workers of all kinds of education as to the possibilities and need of genuine union organization, to show up 'company union' plans, and to spur workers on to forming genuine unions even where no union organizers are active," The provisional Executive Secretary reported that since May 7th, when the Congress was established, seventeen states have set dates for holding conventions to set up machinery for state organizations...
...Besides the group singing and dancing and sports in which the children engage, they have organized a children's republic which fosters cooperation through speeches and discussions...
...Watt made this an, nouncement at the Central Labor I Union of Fitchburg...
...Every other large party lost Ijeavily, and the Socialist lead over the Agrarians, the second largest party, is increased from 7 to 27...
...This sub-committee wrote to the arrangements committee of the Anti-War Congress laying down tho following conditions for Socialist participation: "First—that the Congress shall be primarily directod to a fight against international warfare and not to an attack on the tactics or policies of the constituent organisations composing the Congress...
...speaking of taxes he says, 8 "A wealthy mam owes no abstract " obligations to a demagogic govern- ' tpenf and should be free to employ n emery device to reduce the com- " mulsory contribution to the ttate...
...Plan Southern Organization Seven southeastern states, including Virginia, Kentucky, Ten¦ nessee, Alabama, Georgia, North . and South Carolina, were author\ ized to hold a Southern District Congress on Labor Day at High Point, N. C. Larry Hogan, head 1 of Hosiery Workers' and United ' Textile Workers' joint organization ' efforts in North Carolina and a I member of the Congress Executive, i was asked to take charge of ar. rangements for this gathering...
...Time Not Ripe for New Party PHILADELPHIA.—The National Executive Committee of the Continental Congress of Workers and Farmers at a meeting here after July 4th, issued a statement expressing the serious intention to throw the whole weight of the movement behind efforts of the trades unions to organize the masses of unorganized workers under the Industrial Control Act...
...Next Sundsy there will be campfire and concert Registration for children is now going on...
...H. H. Freedheim, State Secretary of the Socialist Party of Idaho, sends in a sub and writes: "This old comrade listened to my statement that all Socialists should subscribe to The New Leader if it is their last act...
...LABOR LEADER ASKS END OF 6 O'CLOCK LAW FOR WOMEN I DOSTON, Mass.—Many workers \ in Massachusetts'are astounded at the report that Robert J. Watt, secretary of the State Federation jot Labor, declared at Fitchburg . that the executive council has recommended suspension of the 6 I o'clock law for women in the tex, tile industry...
...The call for the Albany conference is signed by representatives of forty groups who attended the Washington convention, and reads: "The Washington Congress of the Continental Congress of Workers and Farmers set a new high-water mark in labor enthusiasm...
...Workmen's Circle Camp Since the children have invaded the Workmen'* Circle Camp at Pawling, N. Y., that popular resort has taken on new life...
...Gray treasurer...
...Second—that neither the arrangements committee nor any of the sub-conmitteea nor the Congress should be controlled by any one particular group...
...Choice of a permanent Executive Secretary is to be made between Dan Donovan, former president of the Springfield, Mass., Central Labor Union and organizer for the Machinists, and Clinton Golden, formerly also an organizer for the Machinists but at present active in farmers' organizations in Pennsylvania and business manager of Brookwood Labor College...
...The election has proven- that Finland is not drifting to Fascism any longer, but will return to its status of a true democratic re-' public...
...Progressive Party 11 (11...
...The Finnish Fascists ("Lapuan movement"), still smarting from the ludicrous defeat of their attempted putsch last year, organized a party called Isanmaallinen Kansanpuolus ("Patriotic public party"( and sought to play the Hitler-Goebbela game, but they did not win a single seat...
...The arrangements committee, In addition to those listed above, now includes: Donald Henderson, Mrs...
...Annie E. Gray, J. B. Matthews, James W. Ford, Robert Minor, A. J. Muste, Roger Baldwin, Anna Davis, Herbert Benjamin, F. E. Bearco, J. B. S. Hardman, Dr...
...Israel .Goldstein, Lent Harris, Harold Hickerson, Roy Hudson, Mrs...
...Official recognition was given the United Workers' Federation of Pennsylvania as the Pennsylvania section of the Congress headed by James H. Maurer, veteran labor leader in that state, whose Federation of Labor he headed for seventeen years...
Vol. 16 • July 1933 • No. 3
