Milk Strike Waged By Dairy Farmers Againts Extortion
Goldstein, Alton Levy and harold
By Alton Levy and Harold Goldstein MilkStrikeWaged By Dairy Farmers Against Extortion 'FWENTY thousand farmers arc in revolt in New York Slate in the counties bordering the Mohawk River. A...
...The State Control Board The Milk Control Board has faith in its system...
...At the same time that bottled milk is selling at from 10 to 14 cents per quart in the city, the farmer is giving it to the dealer for IV^ to 3^ cents on the average...
...You will want this great *tory of the final chapter of this hideoua drama in the das* *tniggle...
...That was the middle of April...
...Cespedcs is a wealthy landowner, and that his main interest, as that of his associates, was merely to oust the tyrant...
...In jther words, his army did the dirty work of the American bankers and investors...
...Farmers have told us of being informed that 50 per cent and sometimes more of their milk was "surplus" at the same time that the dealer was widening his source of supply...
...As a step in cooperation the Dairymen's League grew quickly and on firm foundations...
...Send your order for bundles so that they will reach The New Leader not later than Thursday...
...That every single political party and group, every leader of any consequence regardless of his outlook, virtually every newspaper and every scholar and scientific man in the Island Kepublic was bitterly opposed to the ousted tyrant is true...
...While the "fluid" milk of average butter-fit content sells for $1.70 to $2.10 per hundred pounds, the "surplus" •ells for much less, and the lowest eUss sells for 74 cents...
...The special Conference of the Labor qnd Socialist International, siinmioned to face the i)roblfms rai.sed by the rise of Hitlerism in (iermany, the war danger and the threat to democracy cverywiiere, will probably be the most important international SiKialist gathermg since the organization of the movement, ^^^k...
...When the dealer tells a man that .'!0 per cent of his milk is "fluid" the farmer has no means of checking up...
...The war danger, the Socialist attitude toward the Communists and the possibilities if united action against Fascism, participation in and toleration of non-Socialist governments will be among the questions before the International...
...On the hi{(hw;iys one meets mobs of excited men searching every passing truck...
...A Gold-Mine for Americans Cuba's rich soil has long been a gold-mine for Americans...
...A smoulderinij resentment has been fanned into flame, and in thousands of farm homes there is a tenseness entirely foreifjn to these communities...
...Hut whin a change in government it accompliiihed by tha matted might of the worker* fighting againtt hideout exploitation, that it another matter, and the workert of Cuba from now on are an integral part of the picture...
...aK» wmamim mms, saaaaKsac.r'aar^'aaaMn >..anaaaB...
...77iijr sixth anniversary brittf/s final vindication for Sacco and Vanzetti...
...With surprising nipiilily the strike sprend ea.st ward surprising because there is very little organl-(Cnntinued on I'age Twelve) . World Socialism to Plan Battle Against Fascism 'WWHAT may turn out to 1)C one of the most important international gatherings in many decades will begin its sessions in I'aris Monday...
...Farmer Discontent Grows Last winter discontent with the League and general conditions in the milk industry grew to large proportions...
...and even more significant is the fact f----that today the workers are conscious of their power...
...The other classes consist of "surplus" milk used in making butter, cheese and similar products...
...Rush yoUr ])aymciit for pa|)crs to 7 Rast 15th .St., New York City...
...This will be the fifth international gathering of the L.S.I., and the first international congress that will make decisions that may affect the fate of nations...
...Ces-pedea succeeding the brutal General Machado in the National Palace...
...The rate for bundles of less than 25 is ? cents per copy...
...The Cuban people, together with all Latin-Americans, have a wholesome fear of American intervention...
...Willi siretis screaming, carloads of state troo[)ers patrol the roads...
...It is by means of this classi-fieation system that the farmers are cheated...
...It» iBt« ittmMkttv lit fTi 1 cunor...
...raaaaMon...
...On the average, according to the attorney for the Milk Control Board, 25 per cent of the milk is "surplus" throughout the whole year...
...sst er: m ¦ vmm...
...With taxes, a.sse.ss-ments, mortgages and maintenance expenses to pay in cash, they have very little actual money comiriK in...
...Whether or not this is true, the fact remains that it is practically impossible for the Board to make a satisfactory auditing of the books of all the dealers in the state-some 800 of them—every month, and check up on the truthfulness of the reports of the dealers upon which the auditing must be based...
...Cespedes and his associates know that what got Machado out was the united might of labor standing with folded arms...
...Now will come the organization of the Cuban workers for the first time since Machado smashed tho labor and Socialist movement to please American big business that has a billion and a quarter dollars invested in Cuba...
...The cards were stacked and the dice loaded against them...
...At that time milk was selling lower than at any time since 1890...
...It was quickly ended by the passage in the legislature of the Pitcher Act, setting up a Milk Coiltrol Board whose purpose was to stabilize prices...
...Siegfried Lip-schlU Cuban Workers Were Backbone Of the Revolution IT took a geiieral strike of all the workers of Cuba to get the tyrant Macliad(j out of office, and there is hojic today that under the new administration the'workers will reorganize and reestablish their lalxir labor movement, .smashed by the despot who was the Cuban lackey of American interests...
...AflV «l;>r^J»*?- -it*^ <«l>i tVt ?^H^ n*,, ?••ana.- IWW* '¦¦'<t«v...
...The Conference, to which will gather the world's leading Socialists, will undertake the Usk of re-examining Socialist methods and deciding what new lines may be required in the battle as It has shaped up since the growth of Fascism...
...aMK!<' •¦••t aa*V H»r««Vr...
...But Dr...
...I The international congresses of the First and the Second Inler-nntioniils, from IKti4 to 1!M2...
...As one old farmer put it: "The Dairymen's I^eague owns the Control Board, and Borden's owns the Dairymen's league...
...aaaanaadar- ear- T»" rtaauij...
...In the first class is "fluid" milk, i.e., milk that, could be sold as milk or cream to the consumer...
...Everything went along beautifully, at least while the price of sugar was high...
...I ¦ I iia» 1 t- -rTwnsv...
...Ho was a "friend" of America, he came here often, he spokf* at bankers' banquets, he gave Americans the cream of Cuban opportunities, but by keeping the workers enslaved he sought to keep the stream of gold flowing to New York without the aid cf American marines...
...Some sixteen years ago the Dairymen's League was organized as a cooperative distributing agency for the producers...
...They now claim I a membership of 4H,000, but the farmers are leaving it because Borden's milk company has gained control of it, and the League sells a large part of its milk to that company, paying the farmer no better than the other dealers...
...tents on 100 pounds, on July 20...
...Slnco the war, however, and especially cince the division of the organized working class into the Socialist and the Communist tnternationals, the parties that make up the Labor and Socialist International have participated in the governments vf most of the important nations In the world...
...jKf lar- ¦ IK.i « ,aBr4 a; ammr'-tsaK jaaxj...
...mrt^t...
...The outward form of the Cuban' revolution is a mere change of Presidents, the amiable Dr...
...Albert A. Woodhend, bend of n furmer.s' league near that city, attempted to arbitrate, and nt Inst WHS forced to call the strike...
...Jacob I'anken and Paul Klanshard, the other members of the American delegation, are already in Europe...
...That the dealers can get such low prices is mainly due to the inability of the farmers to organize effectively to boost the selling price...
...And it costs the farmer 4 cents or more to produce a quart, figurinir all expenses entailed in the keeping, feeding, and milking cattle for a year, and often excluding the labor cost...
...That was in the nature of a promise to the farmers there, ior they will not get thoir checks from the dealers for milk sold in July 'or some days yet...
...dealt miiinly with propngiinda questions and only ocrnsinnally were- que»-lliins involving Socialist pnrtlri-pntion in government more than mere academic discussions...
...From their grave* Sacco and Vanzetti point accusing finger* at their peraecutor* and executioner...
...In bundles of more than 25 the rate k 2Yi cents per copy...
...Kenneth Fee, its chairman, speaking at a farmers' meeting in Snratogn County, said that the Board hud wised the price of fluid milk 3...
...The rise of Hitlerism and the consequent threat to Socialism and to democratic methods Is a challenge to the Socialist and labor movement of the world...
...t ir ¦ saBK-*.- jb* sna.-' . c. «ttar .aMaaf <; .lai .r.a^ f> awsi...
...M*te attm- ?s aiM 111 ¦ mti^ -aami'iT ua 'tuiaiiaiiiiai 1 tmoT I 'II - iltiai...
...Many Latin-American "revolutions" have been mere changes of rulers, in effect nothing more than rather annoying and troublesome elections...
...The ridiculously low prices^ farmers receive from the middlemen because of their own lack of organization, and because of the Burplus of aKricullural produce, are the principal causes of the growing discontent...
...Next Week I Sacco and Vanzetti Not Guilty...
...The newspapers played up the Act and the Control Board as .steps toward raising the farmer's selling: price, and many farmers believed it...
...The main regular source of cash in the New York milk shed district is the sale of milk and the usual difficulties of the farmer in marketing hi.s crop at present...
...When the price collapsed, due largely to competiaua- anne v iauaia- liK jmrnf...
...Morelli Gang the Real Killers I J^lvXT Tuesday is the sixth anniversary of the execution of tlie Italian martyrs that stirred the workers, educators, scientists, artists, novelists and civilized human beings all over the world...
...I'he New Leader will carry this iniiK)rtant story next week...
...All this •nay be the same milk from the ••me cow, for the classification is based on the use to which the milk is put...
...The Control Board set up a system of classification of milk in nine grades or classes, depending upon the use to which it was to be put...
...aav > Wffijw > -jujifc si anr Laawiirg camr— o-'i-Taw r- « MBt-, IKt- IT* Tjaaa...
...Besides going to the Control Board and getting an audit made of the dealer's books the farmer has no way of knowing how honeat they are...
...But it is also true that Dr...
...Three weeks ago the movement for a farm "holidjiy" began near Rochester...
...There is « great of ikeptlcism among tho farmers as to the reliability of the Hoard, and they net upun this basis...
...am- k- • vk: . ac • *!h -asanr- Cwnaaasw- • .Lsa...
...And following that will come increasing participation of the workers in the management of their own affairs...
...maf...
...tlk« IV' axxBt.: a avatani .Wi.- i ndlwfu...
...Americans have a stake of $370,000,000 in Cuba's sugar, $200,000,000 in bonds and $115,000,000 in Cuban railways...
...The farmers who belonged were returned a good part of the retail sale price after the milk was transported, processed, and sold...
...The major portion of the Amer-i c a n delegation sailed Saturday, when National Secretary C I a r-ence Senior, Edward I^evin.son, Maynard Krueger and David Felix were given a warm send-off by ¦ large number ' of New York So-ciallsts...
...This antiii'crsary brings publication of n'idcnce of the innocence of itvo workers framed and sent to their death in Charles-town prison for a murder they did not commit...
...T^he Conference will be reported In The New Leader by Abraham Cahan and Dr...
...ic..» w*rt r' ¦isKsm-' If ' mm'-' ¦ » aai « ' aai...
...In March a strike was called...
...With Socialism powerful in the governments of two Important countries —Sweden and Denmark—and a partner in the government of Czechoslovakia, with Socialism th« largest single party In France, Finland, Austria and other countries, and the powerful Opposition in Great BriUin, Holland and Bel< gium and Norway, the Socialist movement wields a vast power even now...
...Machado, from the time he took office in 1025, worked out a method of serving American exploiters while not arousing that fear, lie played ball with American bankers and industrialists, but he maintained a policy that, he thought, would prevent intervention...
Vol. 16 • August 1933 • No. 8
