NEW YORK FOR THE WORKERS
Lee, Algernon
NEW YORK FOR THE WORKERS Algernon Lee's Keynote Address to Am New York Socialist Convention By Algernon Lee TCEXXOW delegates: We have come tor father today far the purpose of adopttag a...
...administration tat New York City shoved 1U fangs against trade untontom this week when ¦00 eaglneenv, membe» of the Union or Technical Men, were fired from the board of transportation because they have been agitating for a wage increase loaf ago ordered by the Municipal Civil Service Commission...
...Warriors own declaration that Eawmagij nstdest deaertotkm:-or Ms sjll 'aV ctorjUtoa tat toe CM Ttojmmny wee Indeed a gang of grafter* bribetakers, and accomplices in an the crimes of the underworld, bat that all this was ancient history, the* the leopard bad changed his S|sJ|S"--ot-, Jet us say, the t&gei bad got rid of has aft toes aid not only that but be had aarfca-gamee change of heart bad aeoeme ea pure as a tomb, as harm Jews as a dove, as faithful as a watchdog...
...That is the way they reason...
...We hope you will give us every assistance in tins campaign "Very truly yours...
...tt a sUks(J "represents the soundest measure jsU adopted by an American state...
...As The New Leader goes to press, the onion is considering appropriate action to meet the situation...
...0Sm£^ QasaVjbbsssav'^aw^a^s** JefTirannlasilim as a swats* poabtoal pfctkaopexy la dead...
...Buob aau disregard of ••ommon sense and bosseaei 15 not conducive to increased ressatfiS ome ef our 'Representatives.'" ---M The Bulletin hails pa wage by Odvl .orals of an old age pension bill, tat¦ fourth to be enacted this year, as tat] climax to "the most successful year si legislative progress toward old age seagvm ity...
...There are many good people- who think that partisanship has no place In municipal elections...
...mag we cant fate* to anlweafcee aad to ttniHng as two ef the United States today...
...But times hare cRanged...
...The Democratic Party and the Republican Party both stand far the perpetuation of a fundamentally dishonest eceaetnie system, for a social "$p&am SocUdist Com- . ¦ paign From Start to Finish" ttoa ef a aia is a tog eases et ersaei'srs bynj ggej 11 si itog^etoaa^e* r«r...
...Six Ceanta Listed "Therefore, the executive officers of this anion acting with the consnte of the membership have sen fit to draw up a petit ton addressed to Mayor Walker asking him to remove Mr...
...The only viafbie difference between ft and the old Tammany is hi the excellent taste In dram displayed by the Mayor and bis Mice Omurrtoriener...
...Aside from that we have bank scandals and bus seandalr and sewer scandals and street cleaning scandals and police scandals...
...have been carrying on a fight to secure • salary of $3,120 in line with a went, decision of the Municipal Civil Service Commission...
...What baa the city government got to do with national issues, they ask...
...Walker Aid Fires Union Engineers Discharge of 300 Threatens to Bring Strike oi 1,000 on City Work TBS- Wllbr-TunMa...
...As for us, we have taken our stand...
...ef transportation, of health, of education, problems that enter into the dally Uvea of an of us, have to be dealt with by government and are therefore political issues...
...ef coarse— end we do not only preach it, wd asm practice it We patot to the mindredsef Socialists who...
...a aseek ef ee-caHed prosperity, white a large proportion ef ess eto*to peeaeea.js>S1i 'tor Oat aaaetaw shall net masse lew -mans as lease...
...As for tow tax* well, we have «e do- ' ef famines have to live to eid-law tencmenu, white mm ¦theels are overcrowded and ear lea share overworked, while there Is a* •nay ef eiisasplajii, ¦ while there are natiiaiaililnul children to zaaek...
...In the Spirit of Debe" We Bm laWals reaarneli the vicious principles of the capitalist system...
...Let us line up as partisans in national campaigns, but in city elections let us forget our party affiliations and think only of honesty, efficiency, and low taxes...
...And that is why all who realty wish to tear ap social evils and political abuses by the root Instead of merely pruning off some of the poison fruits, ought to Join with the Socialist Party to carry the city now and then the state end nation, My friends, we have a mission that Is worthy of all sacrifice...
...The one broad question of principle on which citizens can nowadays logically align themselves into parties at this;— Shall the powers of government, at Washington, at the state capitals, and in the city balls, the powers of law making and law enforcement and the power of Judiciary as well, be used to solve these problems in the Interest of profit yielding property, or shall they be used to solve them in the interest of tolling humanity...
...We don't know how long It is going to take us to get there, and that question doesn't worry us much...
...A general strike of an its members, about 1,006, is possible...
...Stte'll is felt that the California bill iiisj fcjM come a model toward which advonsalS of pension laws in other states ws) 1 strive, the details of the bill are first...
...In this ctty there are three paEHml camps...
...NEW YORK FOR THE WORKERS Algernon Lee's Keynote Address to Am New York Socialist Convention By Algernon Lee TCEXXOW delegates: We have come tor father today far the purpose of adopttag a municipal parifnrm...
...Oongrssaasa nsTfil Swing of California and Omgresssmi Hamilton Pish...
...Tammany ve^enterteintog.^todeedTit wasn tossup which was the funniesv-ths Hag...
...What we bare to do is to make the thing so dear that they cannot fall to understand...
...The Board of Estimate has authorized John H. Dktney, chairman of the Board of Transportation, to pay this minimum salary...
...We know where we are going...
...I know we are swing to hew* geod candidates and a good platform, and I feel saw every toe of as is going to do his best to make this a great campaign worthy of ear Party's splendid past and of Its splendid ideals...
...Let us discuss municipal Issues, tot as expose Tammany missovernment tot us use illustrations that the man In the street will comprehend...
...corruption, which is also the tost of poverty and social injustice and of a thousand resultant evils, always clean and straight That la why wa have a right to indict Tammany here and the Republican ring to Philadelphia...
...For we know that we are on the forward track, and that the future is ours...
...J—The Board of Transportation is the only department in the entire city that has withheld the adoption of this new salary schedule...
...The case against Ttlaney and the union's position Is sumajartoafl in the following letter sent by the union to Joseph P. Ryan, president of the Central Trades and Labor Council of Mew York City: "Dear Sir and Brother: Tor the past five months Grade' C Engineers in the Board of Transportation who ar members of the Union of Technical Men...
...Both imf nilaiiiia ajMj defeated...
...in cities huge ami amaS fWaa^saaatm setts to Oabtontia and v» point to the many rtliiinemb at* fJbrfaWftt who are holding pubic office in other parts of the world, and we boldly challenge our opponents to find any stain of corruption mi their refill...
...Mr, Delaney has not only disregarded the decision and Intentions of the Board of Estimate, but he has also arbitrarily placed his department outside the jurisdiction, rules and regulations of the Civil Service Laws...
...Operation of the Wisconsin state cbw age pension law is praised as a lis> 1 success...
...There was something to be said for that view in the old days, when the functions of government In general, and of the municipality in particular, were much more limited than they now are...
...The sett of Mb who like to call themselves the "good dtiaens" want honest and efficient government for the benefit of landlords and business men...
...ML The bmlletin declares that the ealel tion of data on old age depeae^ssa/asb have been accomplished through sal ¦71 ditton -of but two questions ea useessl merator'g sheets...
...It can safely be predicted," ttoaaJ letin declares," that during r-e - ill jajj ade, the question of old age security ana istotton will be the leading an suH states...
...The great mam of the people will be with us whenever they understand...
...We bare a clearly defined political philosophy to guide us In municipal pontics, in national politics—yee, and In International politic as well...
...oAwa] the amendments which would haeeegftlaa the questions...
...House Blo Collections Old AgeDal Insertion of Two Qsjfl tions on Census Sing Would Have Save Modi Money ¦pATLUM ef the House of StojsaBjfl * tivee to sdoot an -mmilmaet |iT Census WlT "which would make assasbl the asuiiilin ef inclusive data «r_ age dependency throughout the asJanJ is aharpbr criticised by the Ajasxtosjl f soctotkm for Old Age Security felt1 June-July bulletin...
...There is no longer any basic difference between them on the national field any more than on the municipal field . With them It la purely a question between the ins and the outs...
...msnlliSUng a mrmterpa) ticxeCand launching the municipal campaign of 1*29...
...If I understand the temper of our parry, we are going to wage a partisan Socialist campaign, from start to finish...
...Be hag displayed a threatening attitude toward the City Engineers in his employ, using intimidation and coercion for the sole reason that his engineering employees have organized to fight far their rightful demands...
...But all to no emft* Mam amendments were defeated...
...2—By this action...
...This salary schedule has been adopted and approved by the Board of Estimate, the Board of Aldermen, the Municipal and State Ctvil Service Commissions, and the Mayor.- It is threfore evident that Commissioner Delaney has assumed an unfair attitude towards the employees under his supervision...
...During 1928...
...We strike at the root of potties...
...And tot us do all this In the Socialist Ideal In the spirit of Ben Banford and Eugene V. Debs, let us bring Socialism Into the people's minds and into the people's hearts, and we need not doubt that we shall succeed...
...Delaney as chairman of the Board of Transportation...
...The California law...
...1 ^8 Altogether, states the Bulletin...
...the total ejsm peiidltures by Wisconsin and Its coeststa Old age relief was tS2 439.50...
...Jr., of New York...
...The two old parties have abandoned the principles which once divided them...
...Just as we had In the days of Murphy or of Groker...
...4—Commissioner Delaney has manifested his opposition and unfairness to the Emplowees' Organization and to Organised Labor...
...miw.mpmi as well as state and federal...
...We stand for bianaty hi pontics and aaarinartntiem...
...Ttifl sum provided pensions for 2M gaaaBjM xho received an sverage pension of Wtdaa montihy...
...8-7-We are convinced that such an attitude by a City official toward employess under his Jurisdiction is harmful, demoralising and oontrary to the spirit of public service...
...The discharge of the uiion mem* ber* followed circulation of a petition by the union- tor the removal from office of John B. Delaney, I ad of the Board of Transportation...
...Data on the economic ant assail rial status of the aged throughost fig] country will prove invaluable to afi.- fl order to obtain such information eltiaml any extra cost to the govenussat, 4e_J gressmea Swing and Pish totroegsstl amendments to the eensus bill ehsbJ would have made possible the stssiaej of such data...
...No one disputes that claim...
...1 We have had mere than three yean bow in which to see this New Tammany at work...
...But meanwhile new issues have arisen, and new political ideas are commanding attention...
...Grade C Engineers, as a result of this Board of Estimate vote, are receiving this salary In other City Departments...
...stirs...
...Let the old parties try as they may to dodge that issue, it will not down...
...Mo talk about naaii I ludiUdualtoai can revive it Whether anyone Ukes H or not.' the functions of government have grown and wffl continue to grow...
...All tftrnatng men and women of every kind, Industrial problems, labor problems, problems of production and of property, problems of boaasng...
...And what else should reasonable men expect...
...hold or -have bald pusttfi office, to Oaafrtoe, in state bgblllmn...
...We Socialists want honest and efficient government far the benefit primarily of wage workers and rent payers...
...nd every one of them has to be dealt with by all sorts of governmental agencies...
...Delaney has adapted a most violent anti¦.Union sHSude towards the men in his departmerrtr H has resorted to Intimidation and coercion and has even gone so far as to use certain of his subordinates, Division and Designing Engineers, to attend meetings of this union for the purpose of reporting the names of his mpkjyees who are active in union work...
...Wi old agt pension proposals were submAOM to the legislative meetings this year, bad] states now have old age pension baaa their statute books...
...The Democratic administration in New York is a perfect match for tne Republican administration inThiladelphie...
...MARCEL E. SCHERER, Organiaer, Union of Technical Men...
...The following are the reasons for our taking drastic steps: c"l—John H. Delaney, In his present capacity as chairman of the Board of Transportation, has acted arbitrarily In refusing to put into effect the salary schedule adopted by the Board of Estimate for all city employed engineers of the so-called Grade "C" group...
...Ever since the union started the campaign for the lncreasd salary rate, Mr...
Vol. 8 • June 1929 • No. 23
