LABOR ORGANIZES DRIVE ON SLUMS
Labor Organizes Drive on Slums Central Trades Calls Meeting for Thursday WITH the formation of the I^bor Conference for jPublic Housing and Slum Clearance which will meet next Thursday, June...
...snd that those banks have been making profits of 16 to 18 pr cent each year for many years, including the depression period...
...A Great City Starts a Bank ¦y William M. Felaenbaum FOLLOWING London the labor government of Glasgow, is planning to organize a municipal bank...
...We can go on the LaGuardiaMcGoldrick way, paying the bankers in fnll to the last dollar and making ends <ieet by squeesing city employes and butchering the sot' •! We can slash wages and 'lschsrge useful workers, white paying the bankers their annual $225,000,000 in debt'services—snd if we do the city sgain becomes a "good risk" for the bankers...
...A shoemaker by trade, Comrade Thiel helped to organise his coworkers in the industry...
...Interest was so keen that most of the members remained until the last speaker had finished long past midnight...
...In this for baiter housing hsi been ttwi ss an Important step forjflN for the organised labor move~gBBI,M#w York...
...Or we csn do it the Glasgow wsy, cutting interest retcs and establishing important municipal enterprises...
...at his own request he climbed stairs to visit party members behind in their dues...
...The bankers won't like It, AND FOR THE SAME REASON •THEIR GLASGOW BRETHREN DIDN'T LIKE IT...
...snd if they hsd a ballyhoo machine one-hundredth as efficient as that which has ballyhooed the doings of Soviet Russia for a decade and a half the whole world would be ringing with their praises...
...To date, however, practically nothing has been done toward the carrying out of this program...
...All comrades are Invited I to a Socislist to do vast tM Glasgow Socialists sre doing—« mandate and threw vetes ape* tfaBoard of Batinsto...
...New Yorkers should bear those fscts in mind...
...The time to fit ready for that victory is NOWI...
...They will include sports, dancing, movies, an all star show, as well as varied amusements...
...The outstanding address was that of Charles Solomon, because of his wit which set the audience in good humor...
...And as was to have been expected the capitalist press of that city "promptly launched a savage attack upon the idea of municipal banking, and especially the idea that Glasgow can undertake such an enterprise...
...His devotion was to Socialism...
...There are still approximately 67,000 old-law tenements in the city which are the breeding places of crime and disease and the pyres of exploited workers...
...Why can't we do the same thing in New vork...
...Among the organizations which have endorsed the conference are the National Conference for Public Housing, the New York City Committee of the Workmen's Circle and the Socialist Party of New York.* Many credentials have already been received from Workmen's Circle and party branches...
...Over 100 organizations, including many branches of the Workmen's Circle, trade unions, Socialist Party branches, and other friendly bodies have rushed the picnic arrangements^, committee with orders for blocKs%if tickets for their bodies...
...It wss money out'' their pocket , and troy were a' ihow the WHY of the opposition...
...Thus far the branch that has placed the largest order is the Finnish branch, with 1000 tickets...
...The German workers' singing societies, the Gymnastic and Sport Alliance, as well as tho Socialist Guard, the Red Falcons, tho Yipssls and many other workers' organisations will participate in this affair...
...He did his share, sde by side with his comrades, unrecognized: a comrade in the Cause** "Go put your creed into your deed...
...The council has requested each of its local unions to send Ave delegates to the conference...
...And so the bsnkers now consider the city...
...organization in the city, as well as the Polish Socialist Alliance, the Spanish Socialist group, and the Westchester County branches...
...It is necessary often to dig out of flies of government reports and convention proceedings the story of their very groat work...
...Comrade Solomon paraded the Socialist army 1n various states ready to "seize power" in the event of "chaos...
...Socialist branches who have not ss yet secured their blocks of tickets are urged to do so at once...
...The Glasgow labor government has been doing remarkable things in many directions, and it may be that space will be found in these columns for reference to f them upon some future occasion...
...Aid that is a pity, for there are more cogent and compelling srgnments for Socialist parUes in their achievements than in carloads of theoretical srgnments over One poiiUs of philosophy...
...The Jewish Socislist Verband, New York City Committee, has undertaken to see to it that sll their branches give their fullest co-operation to the tune of 1600 tickets...
...keep wages up to their old and not too generous level, and we can even Increase the soclsl services...
...And promptly the local Socialist paper showed' that the leading capitalist daily of that city is owned by a certain gentleman who is also director of two important banks...
...New York is In a tough pot financially...
...The speakers included Halm Kantorovitch, Louis Hendin, Jacob Panken, Norman Thomas, Louis Waldman, Chsrles Solomon, Simon Berlin, Frsnk Crosswaith, Anns Bercowitz, Julius Gerber, Harry W. Laidler, Algernon Lee, Matthew Levy, Carl Parsons, Monroe Sweetland and James Onesl...
...ss well as the Midwood and Brighton Beach Branches', the Sunny side, Flushing and Far Rockaway branches in Queens...
...We csi...
...No wonder f .) writhe 1 And that exposure ended the public opposition to the establishment of the municipal bank...
...The Glasgow Socialists have hsd control of their city only since last November, and they control only by sufferance of • small number *f ILP Councillors who vote with them but sre not of them...
...Tho question Is HOW WILL THEY USE THEIR VOTESf The question becomes pressing toaday, when we are faced with an election for controller...
...This affair is planned to be the biggest meeting of sll Socialist anti-Nazi forces In Greater New York and promises to become a most memorable demonstration of workers' solidarity...
...the 2nd, Lower 6th A.D., 7th A.D...
...His philosophy was simple: to achieve Socialism, we must work for Socialism...
...Our city can neet the Issues that face it In one of two ways...
...Second, to provide employment for the workers in the build, tog trades who have been among Us most hard hit during the deJEffco partlcipstlen of the Central J*"Ss and Labor Council...
...They wilt 1 have a chance to give • mandate Party Meeting Discusses Declaration Beethoven Hall was packed to the doors Thursday of last week with Socialist Party members to listen to reports of delegstes to the Detroit convention...
...Labor Units Get Tickets for the Picnic All indications point tp a record turnout of New York's Socialist and Labor movement on Saturday, July ,28th, at Ulmer Park, Brooklyn...
...Special buses will bring all comers from the end station of the East Side subway at Mist Street to the resort beginning at 9 a. m. Children admitted free...
...Untl his death last Friday, Comrade Thiel remained a true Jimmie Higgins to the 7th A. D., Bronx, He would distribute circulars from door to door every chance he had...
...It is impossible to summarise the speeches here, but references to suggestions of a split ascribed to Com radon Panken and Waldman brought them to their feet In the course of the meeting, vigorously denying that they had even hinted at a split...
...The majority of Socialist Party I branches in New York City have •already secured their tickets...
...The bankers c" Glssgow don't like it either, but tho G'ssgow Socialists had th goods on ther...
...The purpose of the conference, as set forth in a call to organized labor issued by Joseph P. Rgan, president, and James C. Qulfan, secretary of the Central Trades* and Labor Council, is "to devise Ways and means of trying to bring about more activity along the line of decent housing at a rental that can be paid by the average wage earner...
...And yet they hsve worked wonders in that short time...
...The simple snnouncement that the Glasgow municipality is planning a city-owned snd run bank was the signal for a terrific attack by the local press...
...We can smash the bankers' agreement, snd we can establish municlpsl banks and printing plsnts...
...the Brooklyn branches include the 16th, 18th Brsnch 2, the 21st, 22nd, 28rd A.D...
...This call for action is the result |ef an address made before the delegates to the Central Trades and Labor Council a few weeks ago by B. Charney Vladeck who is a member of the New York City Housing Authority...
...I Labor's interest in this problem, as it will be reflected through this conference, la twofold...
...in the Bronx...
...Four months ago 186,000,000 was set aside throngh the PWA for the beginning of a housing program In New York City...
...I Anthony Thiol, Bronx Comrade, Dies at 71 Bronx party members are deeply grieved to learn of the death of Comrade Anthony Thiel, 71, a member and active participant in the Socialist movement for the major portion of his life...
...A collection of over s hundred dollars was taken, and what had been tense feeling at the opening of the meeting became a more near normal Socialist attitude when the meeting adjourned...
...Nor speak with double tongue...
...First, to wipe oat ivory square inch of slums •ad to build modern homes In which Working class families can afford » live...
...Other branches that have taken substantial blocks of tickets include the Amalgamated Co-operative House Branch, and their neighboring branch in the Bronx, the 8th A.D., as well as the Upper West Side Branch in Manhattan...
...Summer Picnic and Ball of the "Neue Volknzeitung" Energetic preparations are being made by our comrades j>f ths "Neue Volkszeitung" for their Sylvan Picnic to take place in Zedler's Grove, the Bronx, the whole day of July 4th...
...An elaborate program is now being arranged to provide a most interesting variety of attractive features for the occasion...
...But .'ust r i the workers, in Glasgow (sno London and Leeds, Manchester and Norwich) had votes, so have tho workers of New York votes...
...Other Socialist divisions include the entire Y.P.S.L...
...The conference ia being sponsored by the Central Trades and Labor Council which represents all labor unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor in Greater New York and vicinity, involving a total membership of more than 700,000 organized working mert and women...
...The misses will hsve ¦ magnllcent opportunity to undo the blandor of lot Fall...
...BUT THE BANKERS WON'T LIKE IT...
...Labor Organizes Drive on Slums Central Trades Calls Meeting for Thursday WITH the formation of the I^bor Conference for jPublic Housing and Slum Clearance which will meet next Thursday, June 28, in Washington Irving High School, the entire organized labor movement of New Yorkwill put its weight behind the attempt to provide decent homes for the working people of their city...
...He began his active career as an ardent trade unionist in this country forty years ago, after his arrival from Austria, where he had an active career in the Social Democratic movement...
...In sddition to the above-mentioned branches, the following branches are already on the job pushing the sale of tickets: 8th A.D., 11th A.D., and the Washington Heights in Manhattan...
...All sections of the labor movement have indicated their intention of cooperating and the conference is expected to represent the largest mass of working people ever to interest itself directly in .the housing problem...
...Indeed, the msny Socialist cities and towns throughout Great Britain have done many remarkable things ia the line of mnnicipal Socialism, but British Socialists have an unconquerable streak •f modesty—possibly British shyness and they do not ballyhoo their achievements...
...An eshllarting midnight ball with special German music will bring tho day to a most satisfying close...
...Wilksbarr Lecture "Up From Socialism" will be the subject of a lecture to be dellrered by P. M. Wilkabarr, Sunday at 8, under Ibe auspices of the Ingrrsoll Forum In Pythlnn Temple, 70th Street Bast of Broadway...
Vol. 17 • June 1934 • No. 73
