THE CALL OF SISTERHOOD
Phillips, Dr. Marion
The Call of Sisterhood The Striking Miners? Wives Call for Aid By Dr. Marion Phillips LONDON THE lockout of the miner* haa now . lasted two months. It haa cast a search-light upon the...
...This necessitated, of course, delay in that hills could only be examined with convenience at rather kmc Intervals...
...No wonder the Conference .dared not discus* these measures...
...If you and your oom - mittee could ease our minds by ' sending us a few things I should be very glad...
...The Unemployment Insurance Fund of the Disss Industry of New Tork City waa...
...Communists and Syndicalists, formed a united front and served notice that they would declare a general strike against any attempt to introduce Fascism -into Portugal...
...Fox the.miners it stands where It was a. solid defence against inefficient wastefulness, profiteering greed, lower wages and longer hours...
...thing to cover their bed, and the mother ia lying in bod Just Ilk*, com* one dead...
...As to the government, it haa capitulated lock, stock and barrel to the coal owners...
...a conference h%ld to" Vienna, ^gst...
...At the same time the payment of large sums at one time by the Jobber waa' fait to be a hardship...
...Newstsad Colliery Notts, when he it at work end makes five deys' money [ that ia only £2 Be, and we heve rent te pay out of that and eight of us to fsed and cloths out of the rest" Mansfield...
...Hoping and trusting to hear from you, as it worries me to aee the distress of my children and no prospects of getting any more...
...What constituted labor cost...
...and be wbtepa* to see I don't share It with the children...
...At the best only fifty per cent of the trade IS unionised,' making it difficult for the union to enforce such ah arrangement aa the Unemployment insurance Fund...
...a. class struggle it cannot ignore...
...We wish all other* to enjoy th* same, In simple womanhood's and manhood's amm%\^" Preedowr within one- law ef eaered ..^'mights "Trench not...
...Junes Keir Hardie was the chief promoter of the Independent Labor Party movement founding the Socialist Independent Labor party to It St...
...There are more cheerful stories: there'are the records of heto'wtsen from our fund* bringing cbeer "toffee mothers—"your parcel wa«Tliissli*.** me when I got up...
...Every man and woman, every intelligent child, even must be with us or against us...
...established tn February, 192*, The workers wans to contribute on* per cent of their weekly wages, th* Jobbers, two Per cent of their labor cost- The Fund really did not get started until April...
...I am a miner's wife, and never received a penny only our weekly relief ticket fer 32s...
...and the dear woman Who named the little girl baby after ape of the officers of the cOrrirfrkte* aai'«*aark of her gratitude...
...Of .the two hundred delegate* present Paly .a dosen represented organised labor...
...and acting as its chairman from' ISIS to 191...
...Ths Be marl tan Workers* organisations In Switzerland and Franc* wag* represented by proxy, and M. BrlaSafi of Brussels spoke both for the SponB International and the Samaritan Works ers of Belgium...
...B Representatives of - "Samaeted Werfcerv" in Austria, Germany, LasnjS ties of their organisations and vessel their desire for international 'men, bwttott...
...oar common sisterhood...
...I thought perhaps you would let me know whether they can take - fat or not " "Can you send me a few shot-tin* doth., 'for my baby boyf He la Ave week* old and I cannot got any clothes for him, aa we are having no money comma in, only a. relief ticket from the guardian, which we are very thankful for...
...CdL, 20*., at*, or to...
...From the beginning difficulties arose...
...It wants fs> double It but It knows well tbe difficulties of the workers...
...For thte purpose' a -S>ur»*tury bouse has already been purchased— with money left a few year* ago by a Scottish Socialist toward a Keir Hardie memorial...
...It waa decided tharf* the first task eg tbe new organisation would be to Sap to unit* the various labor Reg Ores* groups in the different countries lata national units, which then snaps be linked together to a section ef fix* Lucerne Sports toternatkmal...
...Her proposals were burfed id committee and were only read to the conference in the closing session under protest The Workers' Health Bureau proposed (1) Federal regulation of industrial hazards, (2) the forty-hour week with'less hours In extr* hazardous industries, (S) a Federal uniform'workmen's compensation law, assuring victims ot Industrial aocjdosU er disease the payment of fun wage* and' adequate medical care, and (4> the appointment ot * committee with equal representation for labor to draft necessary legislation...
...the agreement Thd rest fallowed In the natural courafc .e*^aewntav~ lbs- Board of Trustees voted to dissolve the Fund and return to the workers and Jobbers what had been contributed to...
...Baldwin doubts us tot bfei some and hoar what we have to say...
...1, 1924, the membership began, to recover lost ground and bad risen to about «60,000 by the beginning of the present year...
...employers...
...tfr^n Cook we're wtth him," "Ws don't want the men to go back to longer hour...
...aecompanied by reports drr"rsx WSJkj tbe position of the workers, the far rials' of combination and the activities At the authorttlee, adbmfttaa to the ea*> ference by the National Trade tTassb* Centers in those ah up tries- The cob I ference neoieiorts Ireve wlsu hss* *oaey municated to the Interhntions* Labor Office, which baa already fully aadV sympathetically defined its position b) regard to those matters falling wiWahf the sphere of its activities...
...secretary and August Brey of (tomsay aa president...
...Some labor leaders war* arrested te Oporto aad a law waa ia preparation doing away with tbe right to strike and uniting capital and labor to corporations on the model of the Fascist bodies to Italy...
...they could, gave only half-hearted support to enforcing...
...It fell to James...
...After having fallen from about 1,000,000 in 1923 to CIS.SST osj Dec...
...If^they take it it will moan that my wife and children will have to walk the streets, aa wa have nowhere to ge, people being afraid to take you in when they know you have no money te pay rant with, and .my youngest 'twins only aix months oW...
...I am writing to ask if there haa been any grants fer children's bootp and clothes...
...It Jsaa drawn th* money from those who have spot it and it vasts to repeat the miracle thia month again...
...The new institute is to be on a large scale, to Include administrative, educational and club requirements, such* as halls for meetings, office* of the Scottish X. L. P* a Sbciattst brob, and so on...
...Csuaofi of the "independent" unions wtth preposals for unity, in the' letter **> dressed to the "Independents" the an* fortunate position of tbo...
...I wonder if you eeuM sot them n grant aa an* is a miner's wife and a destitute case...
...The maximum relief, no matter now many children, is in some cases IS...
...The sponsor of this undertaking is the Scottish Group of the Independent Labor Party...
...FACTORY WORKERS REGAINING LOST (BOUND From the report presented by Secretary R. Stenhuls of A -»aterdam to the sixty-four delegates" representing fifteen organisations in eleven countries, who attended the third congress of the International Federation of Factory Workers' Unions, held in Copenhagen.-June 29 to July 1. tt Is evident that despite difficult economic conditions *in many countries, the membership of the international la rising again...
...anal or una .^^*ss ehdi vor free* dungeon er galtoy i swdtor^aw^^sj sS^r*a>g tones 'rawed tn* t^^^^^^^^ar^ana *¦ spebnphsb nbspasnw...
...It was also discovered that no statement of the existence of an emergency had been filed with the state authorities...
...It breaks my heart 1 to see them...
...to cover nor strength, to suckle...
...Trustees to Discontinue Unemployment IhMrwuk \In N. Y. Dress Industry The Field ot Labor So Tnany high-sounding words bs.ro boon couumed in praise of unemployment insurance fund schemes, that one regrets to report the first casualty among them...
...The money that haa accumulated .is being returned to tbe workers and employers...
...The preliminary work fat to bo done UBdsb the direction of President Krstoshsnm of the Germaa Saxnarlto* Weebasb DHIRNATIONAL BACKS LABOR IN THE BAUARNS Tb* international Federation £#, Trade Union* haa laid before tb* osspt patent ministers In Bulgaria, OfWeShj Rumania and Yugoslavia tb* rassav tlons adopted by th* recent BsBaat Trade Union Congress oa the reosee* mendatlon of the three commltiess sjw painted by it The rseo hi tlons wear...
...let us give and give serin to save them and their children, and we have to do this fn the face of every effort that can be made against' them by tb* moot callous Minister of Health who 4s endeavoring fo nuflffy all assistance by cutting down poor Law hetp...
...That disorganised the industry...
...we Mtust Share what W* have .with them now...
...Eighteen thousand workers are involved...
...Bulgertoa workers is pointed out And attenttoa la drawn to the way te which the cleavage te tb* rank* . of the trade unionists hinders ths fight to lmprwa* that position...
...Wa must bring It to a victorious close We cannot refuse to moot with equal bravery toe magnificent heroism of the miners and their womenfolk...
...For th* coal owners, a madness seems to have entered in so that they will rather kill their industry, which the worker* have built up for them on blood and sweat and intelligent toil, than accept a genuine reorganization which would restore industrial prosperity, but begin to wipe out their own domination...
...Thus the authorities attempt to keep ail miners' families down to the de d level of destitution...
...My husband' woptt tot anyone so much as >ook at the butter you sent for me...
...unless 'fed to communal kitchens, go hungry...
...A proposal by tbe Norwegian Chemical Workers that tb* Ruaston Factory Workers' Union be admitted to the International upon its affirmation that it would recognise th* rutoa and principles of the, toternatkmal was rejected and'* motion of the BuusuaUie adopted by * vote of forty-eight be sixteen providing- thai tb* Russians be allowed* to affiliate If...
...of a fortnight old baby who** mother has died and who is totally unclad...
...Amongst all tpSee letters, never ia there a engBajpab of giving in, never a word of aniyming but goodwill "to the misers' leaders...
...It was j too much Ilk* placing the responsibility where it belonged—cm the...
...send your contributions to Lady 8lesser...
...the official organ ef tb* German General Fedsrattoa of Labor...
...Can ye* do anything for this sad cassf This man's wife has just returned- from West holms Hospital with consumption...
...His courageous and uncompromising leadership of'the whole Labor group fn the House of Commons Is a heroic precedent for tbe growing movement of today...
...for our seven children, and our two selves...
...They '. have net one penny coming in...
...They have scarcely any...
...k* nan mat haw* ft either^ «*d, a ts "on Belief...
...The employers will be refunded the * contributions they made less the deduction of a pro-rata share of the total expenses Incurred by the Fund...
...The union officials, therefore, even If...
...The city authorities had to rescind their resolution...
...Their wsrk to net limited to first-aid and trsnsjissbi tton of the sick and injured, but CaW brace* "the spreading of sanitary htoas among the youngr workers...
...II Tufton street London, 8. W. 1. Tbo committee haa raised nearly f te.eee...
...There are two children unable to work...
...the Austrian capital 5, then than a week...
...It th* men -went back," says one weenen, ^o*bto^yj»s7y bw^^fribiisai are going through and especially sore for the young lads and the men...
...They still hope for something bettor in the -futarel They tell a* that to look forward to nothing but the old slavery made worse hi to ask too much ot them...
...Than, tb* -teft-right- fight occurred last summer...
...Meanwhile the tragedy of want In the coalfields draws on lta : hsanj course...
...of mothers lying in childbirth without, evert *- nightdress...
...which was to pave the street The Schenectady Trades Assembly, the local labor body, protested to the city authorities and the State Labor Department It was pointed out that the - law definitely provides that an "emergency" can only be declared in case of "Are, flood or danger to life and property...
...We only get a relief ticket (poor law) to keep ue, and that ia all in food...
...As a result of negotiations, a schedule of rates was established according ta which certain percentages, cakrilajled from "the selling prices of the dresses do the retailers...
...My husband is a miner...
...As Secretary Davis expressed it all that was necessary was an "educational program" to urge workers to be careful In order to avoid labor turnover aad the necessity ot paying compensation claim* The sole accomplishments of tbe conference were, therefore, resolutions thanking Davis for calling the conference and providing for a uniform method of gathering statistics to all.the States...
...they are weapons against the men which only united effort of the workers can keep from going off...
...For the dear miners from my money box...
...j - Trie right against tne miners ts tbe greatest of struggle* against the worker...
...they would endeavor to persuade tbo AH TTissalgii Trade Dsn**' Federation -to affiliate with the International Federation ot Trad* Union...
...I have had my homo en th* hire purchase system and have paid regular each week until the lockout, and because I have not been able to send the amount each week through th* strike they are about to take our home, and all we have to pay ia A11 1b...
...Miss Charlotte Todee, the delegate of the Workers' Health ¦ Bureau, representing a half million trade unionists, presented a resolution nailing for effective action...
...of the colliery companies who have not wealthy by-products plants to balance poor mines, it may mean heavy loss...
...even though for the weakest...
...The farce which the employees of the country, assisted by the Federal Government, ia ready to "make of the whole problem of occupational ha sards la exemplified in the National Industrial Prevention Conference recently held at Washington...
...It, therefore, proposed to install two shifts at tea hours each...
...On top of the already existing difficulties, the first quarter of thia year saw a dispute wtth the contractors, who aa the direct employers of the workers, were tb* one* who actually sent in to the Fund th* one per cent deducted from wages...
...Extracts from Letters to Dr...
...on any . other's^ equsl right" .. , —^Prtsse Thompson...
...continue until August IS, laid...
...And boys or men...
...It hurts our toolings to see bur children's shoes and clothes wearing out*, and we cannot replace them...
...7 j * Do ypa readies that be tod over1 Id ia held eligible for relief T Yes, even tbaush b* has never aorked yet...
...They dare not accept it As mothers, they would tr> betraying their children if they did so...
...each as a group...
...Tbe employees, who 'register in a sum of ess sou doners each, aad such additional amounts that may stiU be left over...
...R. Stenhuls was re-elected iplstu* Hone...
...The nation is faced now with...
...This attitude of the unions hi supposed to have had considerable influence uporl the Portuguese politicians, who forced Da Costa out and " announced that-they were going to restore constitutional government...
...A. Corcoran, assistant to tbe chairman- of the Fund, Arthur D. Wolf, trJ carry out the details...
...The remainder spoke for the big business interest...
...Where they paid at all, carriessnbps In keeping records was oommon...
...With the factional struggle at lta greatest intensity no attention was paid to the Fund at all...
...So runs many a child's message which comes to the women's committee at Tufton street How stands the struggle now after two months...
...Readlstos...
...oeuld send me a tow things I should be very grateful...
...The Socialist and Communist political organizations made common.cause with th* trade unionists...
...Following his aeianre of power Into in May, Da Costa issued a proclamation announcing his intention of abolishing tb* right of labor to combine aad of dissolving tips existing unions because they were "Injurious to the country...
...Threat of Dictatorship Unites Portuguese Unions...
...There win be an eaay victory over the rest"if this fight is tost We ewe it to the women' in the front line of the hattle to do all we can for them...
...It haa cast a search-light upon the poverty and splendor of the mining population and struck right into the hearts and minds of those outside the coal fields...
...Shoes are a big item...
...THE POLITICIANS BOW TO ORGANIZED LABOR Immediate and effective action by organized labor haa forced the city authorities of Schenectady, N. X., to obey the State' Labor Law limiting the hours of work on public works to eight per day...
...Tbe struggle to upon us...
...Finally...
...C, at the instance of Secretary ef Labor Darts...
...no works at...
...Steps have - been taken to found a Ken- Hardie Institate in Qiaagow aa a permanent memorial to tb* great Labor lender...
...Aad can you do, more to help...
...If you can...
...tbe year preceding his death...
...The city officials played thtb the hands of the company by passing a resolution declaring the existence of an "emergency...
...Payments will begin around August 1. . After that tbe unemployment Insurance Fund In the Dress Industry will rapidly peas out of existence.—I* 8. IS WDUSTOAL ACCIDENT A JOKE...
...Considerable diesatisfaction with the management ef the international secretariat waa voiced by the Dutch delegate* aad steps-were taken to remedy some ef the faulta they complained of...
...They are frankly out against the men to the very death...
...Hardie marial Planned Labor Doinas Abroad oral dome* da Coata a Short ttesa bev tore ha was overthrown Jury Chad b besarAetol ..effect ussto th* divided labor tbflana..**' that naeaaj rcpnbMc fcs tbe anbstanc* of n report an tb* situation there found ta Oewerfcschafta-Zeltun...
...I have five other children, the eldest is 12 years, so if you...
...The Fund in the New York City dress industry baa just come to sue end by a vote of its board of trustees...
...Because this firm paid its common labor - only sixty cents an hour, whereas the prevailing rate of wages waa seventy-five, it was unable to secure enough help to complete its Job on time...
...In- accordance with tbe decisions atL th* Balkan Trade Union CoafiisnSb the Bulgarian Trade Unto* CeafJeV which is affiliated with th* L F. T. C has approached the Executive...
...The Arthur A. Johnson Company had a contract on * sewer construction Job tn the main street of tbe city...
...say frankly that It ts better tor them to starve hi the daylight than to starve to the dark and danger of tbe pit...
...Registration hsgsa on July IS aad_ will...
...The organised labor movement of Schenectady had won a signal victory.— Whatever freedom for ourselves ws claim...
...My children are in a distressful condition for clothing and boots...
...They win receive about one-half of their original payments...
...But the gratitude should be on the other side...
...Judging from tb* namarks of the three Russian fraternal delegates, such action 1a not- apt to he taken in th* near future...
...Ia the face of this danger an ths scattered labor organizations, numbering about 1*0,000 members, sind laeluding Socialists...
...Jobbers end workers both lapsed in their payments...
...during the .greet international hup* athletic mast, that held the csatspjj interest in...
...It must be remembered, that the new "left" administration was adverse in principle to a fund- to- which th* workers had to contribute anything at all...
...Even Its ugly story is, however, made beautiful by the heroism of the men and women...
...My eldest bey has a terrible eeld on him through his feet being wet and the doctor passed him tuberculosis laat ysar...
...SANITARY SECTION FOR SPORTS INTERNATIONAL to bev**pp*cha^ *m and -psabpig- ararkers as th*sjjg...
...Bemsrinses milk ' from maternity centers is deducted toe...
...About the only Justification for this was the inconvenience caused to the merchants doing business on the broken-up street Rumors soon spread that the same favor would be granted to the McDonald 'Construction Cp...
...1 SWt expecting to be confined shortly and I have not get anything nor any money coming in from anywhere to get anything with...
...From the beginning It waa evident that any hope for real control of Industrial hazards and any consideration of occupational diseases could not be expected from thia meeting...
...Dover...
...in Germany th* " iiilsa* Worker* have fad units, wtth abas*] rteeo members, and form a *% cgnater-bsSsnoe to the in iim'gh militarist Bed Cross...
...They pun in their belts, grit their teeth aad stick it Coubt yea do the same...
...Eight week* is a long time for their boot* and clothes to gst properly on the bottom...
...The contractors, naturally, e esse it to function in that manner...
...A pro-rata basal was ant attempted oa account of th* tooompletness of tb* available records and the necessity at waiting until alt claims had been filed before beginning refund...
...Sheer tragedy lies behind the letters which come to the Women's Committee: starts* of pregnant women toeing wtth terror the birth of yet another child, whom they have neither clothes...
...Phillips Durham County...
...Tb* hope is expressed that the- ssobrtsns of the Re Iks a Oa— ference win set as, mm * suitable bsaSi...
...Its bills are frauds...
Vol. 3 • July 1926 • No. 29
