CAPITALISM, WRECKER OF HOMES
CAPITALISM, WRECKER OF HOMES CHILDREN working at 5, 6, and 7 years of age and upward; children of those ages working late at night; working at occupations which strain the eyes and blister and...
...At the unity conference was just such a crossing and commingling of these currents...
...Second: The whole transit system to be owned by the City of New York—that is, title to the lines, equipments, franchises, etc.—should be vented in the City of New York...
...The Farmer-Labor representatives in the Statt Senate and lower Hopse, themselves (nainly farmers and trade uniepists, were there almost in solid strength...
...the' foundation for an . "paper, wrote »pd adoMfcd a^ declaration ol principles an<ffllurt)£fcs...
...fc—A unified tervie...
...Communist delegates and members of the Workers' party were then and there expelled from the organization and barred from the conference...
...ciaHsm as it is inevitable under capitalism...
...Four or five night* a wrok, September until Chrutmu, • 7-year-old strung tag* fro® 6:80 till D—but "sometimes she fell asleep in her chair before 9," the report says...
...There should also be a fund that should contribute partialof the system...
...He is unquestionably the most popular man with the farmers and industria workers in the State...
...More than a year ago the FarmerLabor Federation, an attempt at a rank and file party organization, was formed for the purpose of bringing the farmers and industrial workers and the liberals and radicals into a unified working force...
...The proposed Socialist plan sets up an operating corporation controlled by the city...
...the specific lien being against the property acquired 'for payment/of which these bonds are issued »and a general lien against the whole system...
...In a family where the father and mother and two children worked at stringing tags and carding snaps the father and one of the children were recorded as positive cases of tuberculosis and the other'child as a suspect...
...The rfmlt is a dues-paying political orifnization composed of associated libor and Farmer/econoqpife groups aid a territorial organization coveflng the State and subdivided into cAinty, ward anfl township branches, aftd locals...
...Big kolas in the card and little inapt male* hands sore and are hard to do," on* mother (aid...
...Loot* Waldman, author of st*» eral book* on the transit question, former member of the Legislator* and candidate for Attorney General on the Socialist ticket lait year, is chairman of tha Socialist Tranilt Committee...
...J. 2, 3 and 4, operated both by the Interborough and B. R. T. companies, have been built at the city's expense and title tothem is now vested in the city, The equipment on these subways, together with the properties of the elected lines, street car lines, etc., appraised bp...
...Thus the city would require approximately $500,000,000 to buy out the present private owners in order to come into possession of the entire necessary transit system in New York...
...The pressing down of the tops, hour after hour, is not easy for the tender thumbs of children...
...The Socialist am} Labor giigup fourteen aldermen in the Mbtfteapolis-City Council wa» in the conference in almost full forfe...
...maiding the necessity for double fart...
...Its alleged provision* for public control are outrageously insincere and constitute a step backward and not forward...
...These bonds^.ip be issued by .the city, in payment for the various lines and equipments, shall be first mortgage bonds and shall bear provisions for a specific and general lien...
...all of the B. M. T. and half of the I. R. T. subways are subject to the recapture clause...
...Government, it declares, is controlled by great special interests...
...Fifthi In order to insure independence from political domination, and the efficient administration of the system, it is necessary to divorce the political arm of the Government as expressed by the municipal government and the economic body actually in charge of the transportation facilities...
...Its large army of organizers-and speakers taught a militant class spirit and an understanding of the economic basis of the struggle...
...Members of Ward or township branches will pay three dollarB per year...
...The circumstances were such that the opposite result—the shift ilif of the Farmer-Labor movement entirely off from its foundation in the economic interests of the primary producers and the establishment in iU place of 4 "progressive" party like the one recently established in Chicago—was widely feared...
...organization is not unlike that of the British Labor party...
...We have tried a partnership between the city as owner and private companie* a* operators with State regulations...
...It sent every week to every member a national and a State paper filled to the brim with good fighting educational stuff...
...These American- and Scandinavian-born, farmers and workers, the majority of whom had not yet developed a conscious social philosophy, voted without hesitation and with great enthusiasm for what Is essentially a working-class party with a large part of the program of Socialism...
...We have tried private ownership and management and found them wildly corrupt and inefficient.' We are still saddled with financial burden* plied upon us during the era of loot by private transit companies...
...Paul Trades and Labor Assembly, and a Farmer-Labor member of the Legislature, who is making a great record...
...On the whole ,ihe confarenas wai a good cross-section representat ion of that large section of the population of Minnesota which has broken with the past and which in all: probability is leading the way toward a real American Labor petty...
...The above suggestions constitute a bare statement of a feasible ana' workable plan to Be adopted by the city, .for the institution of a permanent policy of public ownership and democratic control and management of the largest single industry in this city, and the most important .one...
...All of this money shall be utilized for the purpose of the immediate building of proper extension of routes to relieve congestion...
...This article reads as follows: "Membership in this organization may comprise all persons and organizations of men and women accepting the program and principles of the Farmer-Labor Asociation...
...Fifty™« cow counties" and the State's r)* CTeat industrial counties were Resented...
...The door was left wide open for individual Communists and Communist greups to enter...
...Cofhmunists were at the senith of their power in Minnesota...
...Victor Lawson, pioneer agrarian reformer, old-time Populist candidate against Floyd Olson for Governor ii> the FarmerLabor primal y election...
...Fingers are cut on the threads which must be drawn from lace...
...PoAion Seemed Hopeless These took full advantage of this opportunity to put into operation their fcvorite "boring within" tactkik As a result, suspicion, mistrust diarupUon followed, Conservative and moderate trade unions abandoned the Federation...
...The gaslight flickers overhead or a kerosene lamp suplies illumination...
...The Farmer-Labor movement of Minnesota stands ready to cooperate with a national Farmer-Labor movement...
...q) The remaining lines,.if made to live up to the franchise provisions and contractual obligations, would soon find themselves in the hands of receivers and, by foreclosure, the city could acquire a good portion of them...
...Representation in the conference was based upon the broadest kind of county representation of all elements that suported the FarmerLabor party candidate for Governor list fall and the rural elements were distinctly favored in this representation.' The conference was planned to represent as far as pos»iWe the 360,000 votes that were M»t last November for Floyd Olson...
...Money, credit, exchange, communication, the natural resources and the basic industries are controlled by private monopoly...
...Half of this wijl be used to send each one of them the party paper every week...
...The industrial ^nties, which contain more than « wird of the population of the sent delegates who were representatives of trade 'y' «nd Central Labor bodies...
...c) The principles of civil servce shall apply to the operation of She subways...
...This organisation intends to make itself a factor In the national field...
...Tb» Communists lost out because th& are committed in theory and pre* tics to rule by "intelligent minori...
...and, assuming further, that the amounts of appraisal of the Transit Commission are not too high...
...The new president of the Association 1s Magnus Johnson, recently the picturesque "dirt" farmer United States Senator...
...The call for the conference was in attempt to extricate the movement from what seemed to many *n almost hopeless position of disunity between the real Farmer-Laboritea and the "progressives...
...By the adoption of the...
...Perhaps they card glove or dress fasteners of shoe buttons or jewelry, or they work at stringing tags or separating bands of lace held together by some threads...
...Rapid transit, like the water aupply, concern* all tha people and *hould he managed by them through the city for use and not for profit...
...to unite all agricultural and industrial workers for the purpose of insuring for them the opportunity to esrn a living and enjoy the fruits of their toil...
...sSWR th'8 clean-cut delegat jgst, unfgjfA of noisy obstructioni st^nisJSaJjMfei^K^.chftPtened andpastfte Wist by Jtj.past txperienci-WHVjB...
...Commission...
...Many children said they had to begin wearing glasses after starting" work on tags or beads or snaps or setting stones in small pieces of jewelry...
...Easy enough work, it seems...
...Progressive groups of professional men and women and even groups of small business men and women subscribing to the principle), purpose and program of the organisation may affiliate...
...On the contrary, the emMtUed' farmers and workers and Workers were therfc in overwhelm®f f»rce on the job...
...Rosary beads are linked and wired with the aid of pliers, and the hands arc lefUsore or calloused...
...FIret: All the neccssary and useful lines—subway, elevated, street car and bus—should be brought under one comprehensive, unified, city-wide system with proper exchange of transfers to insure a city-wide ride for one fare...
...With a whole family working together, the older members doing the harder parts of the work and the little children doing the easier parts, the average earnings of each person were abojjt three cents an hour...
...There were "¦"••d...
...The suggestion for payment herein made has been approved of as sound financially by the Transit Commission in its proposed plan adopted in 1921, and stili recommended for adoption on this date...
...Charle* Solomon, former Assembly* man, and Evan* Clark...
...But in addition to the evils from which the children suffered, a danger to the public health was found in the fact that many families worked at home on these products during times when some of their members were ill with communicable disease...
...When the FarmerLabor Federation was at its height th...
...of a corporation, to be called the "Public Transit Board," which corporation shall lease from the city ail of its transit lines for some ..definite period by proper lease...
...The vice-president is Louis Enstrom, a farmer legislator of outstanding ability, energy and probity...
...The remaining few lines, finding themselves alone in competition with the allpowerful City of New York, would soon rather sell their properties than go down to ruin...
...The other nfembers of the executive committee are William Mahoney, who more thsm any other man in Minresota has earned the right to be called the father of the Farmer-Labor movement j Floyd Olson, clean and brilliant county attorney in Minneapolis, Hennepin county* Who was the Farmer-Labor candidate for Governor in the recent election...
...i ES()TA By MURRAY E. KING U pEOGRBSSIVISM" on the t one hand and Communism on the other were ousted from the Farrtier-Labor political movement of Minnesota and an organization of industrial workers and working farmers and their progressive allies, having much the same kind of structure as the British Labor party and a platform that embodies some of the basic demands of Socialism, was launched as a result of the unity conference at St...
...In the families studied at leaat nineteen cases of tuberculoid were reported...
...The effects of this work remain today active^>r latent among many farmers of the Northwest...
...Starkey New Secretary The secretary is a representative of orgnaized Labor—Frank Starkey, president of the St...
...appointments to techlical and managerial posts shall be >nly on the basis of approved eficiency...
...It is gWJSther ' likely that this conWence was the most genuine and ™Woughly representative Fariper«a Labor gathering in the history' " "ie State...
...New Name Chosen f, 'iSjp general structure .of the Karfter-Labor Federation was retained,'but the name,'which had become so clearly associated with Communist activities and intrigues, MM to, cf Labor Association adopted...
...b) Three representatives of the , imployees of hand and brain, to be lelected by them under rules and •egulations that would safeguard he free and untrammefed collective ixpression of those employees, retiring that such election be held inder definite organized form...
...A REAl...
...Past crimes and blunders create a situation which make a proper plan for municipal ownership and operation more difficult of attainment than it should be...
...All the income should be devoted to making the industry selfsustaining, and to making the workers of hand and brain employed in the industry economically contented and fareB as low as possible...
...Another is a center for the making of cotton small wares and knit goods and lace...
...Respectfully submitted, THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSIT...
...e» « » ? • So till 10 or 11 or 12 o'clock the children work...
...These bonds shall be given in place and instead of the present bonds ly to extensions and improvements and stocks owned by the owners of the lines in question, and shall be in the amount of the appraised physical value of those lines...
...To earn one-half of a cent at carding fasteners it was necessary to place a gross of them in cards and very few small children even working at top speed could make more than a few cents an hour...
...Thirdi A single operatinf com* (Continued oa Pag* SJ A SOCIALIST TRANSIT PROGRAM (Continued from Page 1.) pany should operate, manage and administerHhis irtty-wide System...
...Johnson Is President In the article in its constitution permanently Wring Communists the Farmer-Labor Association commits itself Indefinitely to « program of fundamental political and economic change by the ballot and by democratic processes...
...No profits shall be made either for the taxpayers or for the city...
...The Board of Directors of the city shall consist of the following representatives: (a) Persons selected by the various political groups represented in the Board of Aldermen, who shall be entitled to a representation on the Board of Directors four, every 100,000 votes or major fraction thereof cast for that political paHy at the last mayoralty election...
...provided however, that no person or any organisation advocating political or economic change by means of force or by means of revolution, nor advocating any other than a representative form of government, shall be admitted to membership...
...Fourth: The city !%to acquire all these lines as follows: (a) All the subway lines built .under contracts...
...The other members include Norman Thomas, former Socialist candidate for Gov mor...
...HlSbtc' representatives of the operating force will slse si| on the hoard of directors...
...The Socialists were there in large number, respected, welcome and influential in shaping tfee conference along the linee h fgt...
...The*p major achievements transcended the most sanguine expectation...
...b) Recapture of such recaptursbfe lines of the subway as is permi|sible under the contracts...
...When you've got the bottoms all in and than try to put the topi on they all spill out...
...This great mass of voters was •upposed to be in the main liberal rather than radical...
...The affiliated economic, political and progressive organization* will pay from their treasuries two cents per month per member...
...No plan to this end has b«en proposed by any of the existing official faction...
...The basic groups, howe er, will he trade anions, farmers' economic organizations and cooperatives' and farmers' political groups like the Non-Partisan League...
...This agreement was indorsed by the confer#nce» •• - ( Statement of Principles 1 Th,e declaration of principles ftfttes that the aim of this political organization is to protect and promote the economic welfare of the Wealth producers...
...Child labor would be as impossible under So...
...It require* no argument to show that these condition* hr.ve not been met...
...Stopping at the factory for more work on their way to school the children are likely .to be tardy, and it is little wonder that teachers say they come to school worn out and listless...
...Sonutimes the whole family rise again at 5 o'clock to go on with the work...
...Corruption of Tammany Hall Mayor Hylan has exploited popular suspicion of the transit companies for his own political interests...
...Why did a broadly representative body of typical American elements, constituting a large proportion of the population of a great State, thus accept so readily and with such unanimity the idea atid form of a Labor party...
...In some homes machines had been installed and fingers were crushed or cut in using them...
...Directors of this corporation are to he chosen from the different political parties in proportion to their veting •trength...
...Two outstanding men or women from each of the ten congressional districts in the State constitute the State committee which is entrusted with final governing power...
...3—Tha cheapest fare consist, •at with proper servlc* and dcc«at remuneration of the workcm...
...Wde of theus real workers, the delegates were outstandJfmon and women in the old Non"Tusan League movement, the f»rmer-Labor party movathe Socialist movement, and 2*r Vtmn* in th« cause of relargely intellectuals of the Sessional class...
...Should the-re be npy political party or parties without representsttonin the Board of Aldermen...
...A SOCIALIST TRANSIT PROGRAM THE Socialist Party, in the New York City election* this year, will stand for absolute municipal ownership and "democratic management" of transit lines...
...The present intolerable transit situation in New York City i* a matter of common and painful knowledge to all our citizens and the strangers within our gate...
...This was the condition which the U. S. Children's Bureau found in three neighboring New England cities...
...above plan, the $275,000,000 now invested in thp subways, which is a charge against the city's debt limit, would be released for immediate construction of additional lines...
...Nevertheless we believe that the following outline presents a practicable plan for the great end we have in view...
...Our immediats and obviou* need* are: 1--A* utraiiM of service, particularly by the building of Mrw (Wbwatf...
...but^hsvlng cast over 50,000 votes at the last mayoralty election, then and in that event such political party or'parties shall be entitled to a representation for every 100,000 votes east or, major fraction thereof, siich r^presenation to be chosen by the legally J onstitute' body of such political • mrty represented by the counties vithin Greater New York...
...Under these circumstances, the call for the unity conference was prepared for the special purpose of bringing back these disgusted trade unionists and frightened farmers...
...With such available funds, there would be no need of any delay in building proper and adequate additional transportation facilities...
...lowed...
...Harry W. Laldler, director of the League for Induitrial Democracy and authority on public ownership...
...Seventht The manner in which the private companies are to be induced to part with their property and sell it to the city in accordance with the above plan should be: (a) Negotiation and agreement, if possible...
...ties," meaning themselves, and lt>t_ depend for influence rather um intrigue and physical control ttu« upon loyal service and the puwer »f ideas...
...4—A plan which takes account of future need* before the •Hue• ion become* crlticel...
...There is jus1, one answer—PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL WORK IN THE BTATE...
...Fundamental problems, the declaration states, cannot be solved except by national action...
...It al*o ha* failed...
...Socialism would substitute the ideal of service for profit, of ha'ppinew for all instead of richnei* for the few...
...It is little wonder that many of them are below their normal grades...
...For the new subways to be built, if he can get the money, he proposes political control with no representation of the workers end no defense against the corruption of Tammany Hall...
...liOlli Jfut.a tuuv era of orgitaMliWi and oWtfrneut by the *JjTOin£\i'j»l'kelrs of Minnesota, Wlt§£$i ffisgrfflft sfotfenoih «f pur^iiii *ijd Jt tinaitlihlty ofia^iop whit|,h'>J (»iCoi*e rare in AttoneROt^fnrWjm^i Utf organ Iswtion, party constii utgjtn...
...They had won because th» had maintained an attitude of viceship in the Farmer-Labor mo...
...During eight years he has done practically nothing to solve the problem...
...It was not the nondef^Pt political gathering that was "•red...
...rugged old Populist lead(Continued on Page S.) A REAL LABOR PARTY FOR MINNESOTA Farmer-Labor Federation, at Unity Convention, Steers Clear of Communism and Progressivism By MURRAY E. KING (Continued from Page 1.) erg and former leaders in the Democrat and Republican parties, some of .whom had served in Congress...
...fuIljpj^tfKed' this mechanical UmebonjK before the conference set...
...In consideration at this lease, the Public Transit Board is to pay to- the city out of its income the interest ; on the bonds it shall have issued for the purpose of purchasing all the lines, and create a proper fund for amortization of those bonds...
...Socialism a Factor Another great educational factor was the Socialist movement which gained an influence in the great cities in Minnesota unusual in American states...
...This wa* indicated in the report of the Socialist Committee on Transit made public this week, after 11 had been approved by the Executive Committee of the York Socialist organization...
...Paul on ¦»rch 20...
...Its existence is not brought about to make profit for any selfish purposes, but to accomplish the highest afm for public ownership and democratic administration...
...His presertt plan will not give us unified service and contains no guarantee for the nickel fare which is his chief talking point...
...Children who were kept out of school because they had whooping cough, did tag stringing and thread drawing on lace...
...working at occupations which strain the eyes and blister and callous the hands...
...Test of The Report The report follow...
...Thif double form <<PttfM nSmic group and» political territorial...
...Mary often works on carding jewelry until vary late at night but Agnes goes to sleep on them and we put her to bed," a mother commented...
...Sixth: The new subways and 3ther transit facilities to be built . ind established, shall be so built and established as to relate to this genM-al system of transportation...
...Among other diseases which the home-working families reported were pneumonia, typhoid fever, * tonsilitis, influenza, mumps and diphtheria...
...This op/ eratinf corporation will not bs pari of the city* administration and must All all position* under it en the principle of merit and net of ps* litical affiliation...
...Through committees within committees representing different degrees^ of Communist "saturation" they virtually controlled the Federation in the Twin Cities...
...The knobs of the fasteners or "Snaps" are put through holes in the cards, and the tops are then snapped on to these knobs...
...In this connection it is interesting to note what two short years have done to reverse the respective positions in the Farmer-Laljpr movement of the Socialists and Communists...
...The door was left open for the State-wide reorganization of the farmers' Non-Partisan League to serve ju the principal organisation of the farmers in the Farmer-Labor Association...
...Subway lines new availsble for recsptufe would amoSnt to, approximately, $200,000,000, according to the estimates of the Transit...
...m*nt • tot majority rale...
...In the FarmerLabor movement these two streams constantly cross each other...
...Communists Are Absent One thing was absent which has liewi an unvarying-part of FarsaerLabor conventions in Minnesota durtog—Uui- past two yearn—the hand-picked, well-placed block of Communist delegates, ^sitting togethefcpSwP vrtbinr ' tojfeiW— Words' party whegl within the Karat r-Labor The worfirs of Minnesota bad very care...
...c) For the purpose of acquiring these transit lines and for the purpose of raising the approximate sum of $500,000,000, the city shall issue bonds bearing interest not to exceed six per cent, which shall be used in payment to the various companies and owners of the lines and equipments to be purchased by the city...
...the Wansit Gfcmmtlsioit under authority given to it by the Transit Act of 1920, amounts to, approximately, $500,000,000, which is in private hands and would have to be purchased by the city (assuming the experts of the city agree with the experts of the commission upon the ssme lines as being necessary to an adequate citywide system of trsnsportstion...
...Where bonds are issued under provisions such as are made here, making the bonds self-sustaining, they do not come within the debt limit of the city, and, therefore, the question of the debt limits under such circumstances does not arise...
...Of course the smallest ones fall asleep at work before this time...
...Coming home from sohool, with little playtime or none at all, the children go to work...
...The great mass of organized and unorganized farmers throughout the State came tc fear and shun it...
...At" the unity conference the Communists were banned >and in utter disrepute...
...Any plan which considers the vital problem of transit a* primarily an opportunity for private profit i* bound to fail...
...It is Spring—the substantial busineia men of the land are poliching their golf clubs—while a million and more children slave to earn a mean living...
...Tliere were between two hundred three hundred delegates...
...The remainder of the income shall be devoted to the necessary operating expenses, including, of course, such funds as are necessary to provide for replacement, obsolescence, repair, etc...
...Not in factories—but on factory work in homes...
...sW PARTY FOR Mi...
...One of the cities is the most important jewelry manufacturing centers in the United States...
...Child labor cannot completely be wiped out as long as capitalism—the profit system— continues...
...But "you have to stay right with it all the time or yon won't make anything," one worker said...
...It was feared ty many Farmor-Laborites that its representatives would be largely "progressives" who would unceremoniously proceed to junk the firmer-Labor movement and set Up ••"progressive" movement in its <WLm« <Wly Drawn Never has the Farmer-Labor move"Wtt 0f Minnesota met with such • surprise as it experienced when charter of the Farmer-Labor WUty conference stood revealed in »e Labor Temple in St...
...According to estimates, he average- annual margin of the :ity's borrowing cspacity is, approximately, $35,000,000 to $45,D00,000...
...The rural counties "W* almost wholly represented by farmers...
...b) An operating corporation shall be formed with all the attribute...
...passed the usual Jfrist of ftsolutioiifi, elected officers and a Slate committee of twenty artda State 'executive committee—all in one.'flay...
...Labor circles in which the Communists functioned reeked with propaganda aimed against the Socialists...
...To a large extent he has been the man behind the Non-Partisan League, the Equity ooperative movement, and the more recent Producers' Alliance, whose 10,000 farmer members in Minnesota are organizing to hold non-perishable produce on the farms until equitable prices are realized...
...The sresent available funds within the :ity borrowing capacl.y are, approximately, $50,000,000 to $60,300,000...
...The farmers' Non-Partisan League in spite of the later backsliding and defection of many of its founders and original leaders, begfcn and persisted th sough |ts period of growth and greatest activity as a great adncational movement It taught in fhose days a large degree of class Xsciousness and an understanding public ownership as a weapon in the hands of the producers...
...There were no dissenting votes on the plan of organization and the declaration of principles...
...Paul, March 20...
...The Tran*lt Commiwion would give us unified service and more subway* at the price of fastening the control of the present transit companies more firmly upon us...
...The purpose of the Farmer-Labor Association, it declares, is to restore government to the people and abolish monopoly by meant of the public ownership and operation of ail monopolies...
...During the conference the directors of the Minnesota Leader, organ of the Non-Partisan League, and directors of the Farmer-Labor Advocate, organ of the former Farmer-Labor Federation, met and agreed on a merger of the two papers, the combined paper to fee the official organ of the FarmerLsbpr, Association...
...For this reason, tho lessee, the "Public Transit Board," is to be created and vested with corporate powers...
...They had trotted to the cetL tact of loyal servieashie to spread their more fundamental ideas...
...Socialist influence was then at its lowest ebb...
...American capitalists with the morality ,of ghouls have caused to be defeated the national child labor amendment, merely an ameliorative measure...
...One mother said her children carded and packed jewelry all the time they were ill with measles...
...This necessitates a national organization of wealth producers...
Vol. 2 • April 1925 • No. 14
