THOMAS MEETING IS ATTACKED BY GAS
Textile Workers Faee W^age Cut (Continued from Page One) in the machine load was also sought. Johnson took the plea under advisement. "Recent statistical reports fur industry...
...Recent statistical reports fur industry reflect Slackening in demand in relation to current production," the NRA explained in announcing Johnson's order, whirli approved a recommendation of the cotton textile code authority...
...tion of the congressional platform...
...Whether liars figure or the figures lie we do not know, but the j difference between these two estimates is 2,093,000...
...German Humanitarians In Action i -» Local Nazis can point to a new proud achievement They have sue-, ceeded in closing Stettin's last municipal children's home, "Bis-marckhohe...
...Reviewing the progress since NRA codes became effective, we find the greatest employment gain was from July to September last year, when hours were shortened under the codes and unemployment was reduced from nearly 11,800,-000 in July to 10,100,000 in September...
...At the public mass meetings and banquets held in connection with the convention, it is planned to have film "shorts" in addition to the speaking...
...Production in {he first quarter of 1934 was approximately 8 per cent above shipments, the report said...
...In 1910 a party congress was held in Chicago to discuss various theoretical issues before the membership, and in 1917 the famous emergency convention was held in St...
...It is significant that a statement by Francis J. Gorman, vice-president of the textile worker*, and head of the union's research department, said that reports received from various parts of the country indicate there is a strong possibility that the mills will be Sflosed down if the employers persist in carrying through their plan for balancing production and consumption...
...26,450,000 spin-dles'active at the same time during April averaged 64 hours of operation per week and turned out an average of 130,000,000 yards per week, or B2Mi per cent over current demand...
...On Sunday, June 3, at 9 a. m., all other business of the convention will be suspended and the convention* will proceed to the election of the chairman and the members of the national executive committee...
...The first convention of the party was held at Indianapolis in 1901, at which the present party was organized...
...From September to January unemployment increased again with the season bringing the number out of work back almost to the July peak—11,775,000 were without work in January...
...It will take a lot of ^Government spending to offset the wage loss caused by cotton textile limitation of output...
...Perhaps we should learn how many have starved to death and by keeping record of the death toll we can divide the jobless between those who are alive and those who are dead...
...At the banquet a newsreel picture of the 1032 convention will be given...
...Sobered by knowledge of the dangers and oar duties, let us make the most of ear opportunity while we have it...
...In comparison with the large numbers still unemployed these gains are small...
...To knit our small human forces into a united band of Socialist workers, to send couriers of the social revolution into the field to awaken the sleepers and to inspire the sluggards, are duties the delegates face at Detroit...
...Continued from Page One) business of the convention will be suspended and the convention will proceed to the discussion and adop...
...the percentage of union members unemployed fell from 20.7 per cent in .April to 19.9 in the first part of May...
...In 1916 the presidential ticket was named by referendum and no convention was held...
...The fact that there were on relief rolls in Ma-rch (the latest figures), 3,013,000 families and in addition 614,000 individuals not grouped with families, dependent on direct relief payments shows the widespread need throughout the country...
...Or is life just one set of statistics after the other...
...369,000 of them had work on PWA projects and 314,000 were in forestry camps, but nearly 10,000,000 had no work whatever, except what could be obtained through the work program of Federal Emergency Relief by proving their need...
...At the mass meeting a film of the life of Eugene V. Debs, specially prepared for the convention, was presented, followed by "The Strang* Case of Tom Money...
...We have not yet regained the winter losses and have made no progress in reducing the level of unemployment...
...There are dangers and duties...
...Norman Thomas' meetings ':i central Illinois • have been sensational, both in their success and in the savage attacks made upon them by the authorities...
...Commenting on the "report, President Green said: "Trade union figures for the Aral part o.t May indicate that these I slight employment gains probably continued throughout April...
...Most other estimates place the number at about 10,000,000...
...THOMAS MEETING IS ATTACKED BY GAS OOCKFORD, 111.—A meeting ad-*-* dressed by...
...After repeated severe cuts of the appropriations, a further upkeep of the home with its sixty inmates was out of .the question and the children were turned over to the municipal orphan's institution...
...Shutdown, however, it is believed in Washington ,are likely to come from the nefusalof the workers to accept the lower wages which the curtailment in production will bring ,unless the order is modified...
...This comparison also shows that we are making very slow progress in putting the army of the unemployed back to work...
...They have been quick enough, however, to vote a much larger sum for-the purchase of land which is to be used for settlement of Hitler storm troopers...
...A half-hour program was broadcast Thursday evening by the Columbia Broadcasting System, and a similar time has been reserved for Saturday evening by the National Broadcasting Company...
...Undoubtedly, higher prices have affected buying...
...In 1919 a convention was held in Chicago to meet the issues brought up by the Communist split, and other non-nominatink conventions were held in Detroit in 1921, Cleveland 1922, New York 1923 and Pitts-burgh in 1925...
...With the spring busy season slightly more than a million of the winter unemployed have gone back to work, but at the season's peak in April, unemployment was still above the September level, with over 10,600,000 out of work...
...DelegatesGather at Detroit '»»liiiin...
...Norman Thomas in this city was broken up when tear-gas bombs were tossed into the hall...
...Among the few survivors of that convention in the party today are James Oneal, George H. Goebel, Algernon Lee and Cameron H. King...
...The Federation estimates that about 260,000 man and women were reemployed in April...
...at New York in 1928 and at Milwaukee fit 1932...
...The national ticket was named at Chicago in 1904 and 1908, at Indianapolis in 1912, at New York in 1920, at Cleveland in 1924, when the party endorsed the LaFollette nomination made by the Conference for Progressive Political Action...
...We may faee emergencies at any time in the-near future...
...A woman fainted and two men were injured as the large crowd dashed out of the hall in a panic as the gas fumes spread...
...This means the addition of cotton mill strikes to other big strikes looming on the industrial horizon this summer...
...Norman Thomas, Daniel W. Hoan and Leo Krzycki will be heard on national radio hookups from Detroit during the convention...
...Forward to decisions and work that will be creditable to us, no matter what the future may bring...
...In April 10,-616,000 were still without industrial work...
...Unsold stocks of cotton goods at the end of April amounted to .'l.'IO, 000,000 yaVds, while weekly sales during April averaged about 80,-000,000 per week...
...The annual: saving is estimated at 41,000 marks (approximately $17,000) by the triumphant city fathers...
...Reports of retail stores show this...
...The textile industry is not the only big industry'in which production is officially Reported to have outstriped consumption, despite NRA' reduction of hours...
...The textile curtailment, the NRA emphasized, "shall be made by reducing hours or days in each week and not by shutdowns of one or more weeks...
...Comrade Thomas continued his address to the large crowd outside the hll...
...We are poor, terribly poor, in financial means but rich in idealism and the will to serve our class in the hour of its greatest tragedy and suffering...
...The dangers He la the fearful prospects that may be visioned if capitalism sinks deeper and the masses are unprepared to defend ¦their interests, to say nothing of making their claims the basis of a transition to a Socialist order...
...Because of the attack upon his meetings, and their consequences, Comrade Thomas was unable to get out his Timely Topics in time for this issue...
...A special committee of the Timber Conservation Board recently reported to the Department of Commerce that in the six months of the lumber code, no net national progress has been made toward balancing production with consumption...
...Incidentally, the NRA announcement is silent on the part played by rising-prices in reducing balance between cotton textile production and consumption...
...Self-Criticism in Germany ALIVE OR DEAD...
...Question to the jobless, man: are you alive or dead...
...Louis that formulated the party's historic anti-war stand...
...The curtailment plan of the textile employers, approved by the NRA, will bring further reduction in the ability of the nation to buy cotton goods, by cutting the incomes of hundreds of thousands of cotton mill employes and their families...
...Of the fifteen national conventions held before this one seven have been nominating conventions and eight have been devoted strictly to organization problems...
...The duties lie in the work of Socialists ,*o awaken the maaaea to these dangers...
...Unemployment is now slightly below the level of April, 1932, when 10,990,000 were out of work...
...Production equal to current demand Would require operation of the aejtive'1 spindles not in excess of 40 hours per week...
...In view of the seasonal dullness in cotton manufacturing, characteristic of the late spring and summer ruunths, it is evident," the NRA continued, "that if the .situation were left to run its course the industry would again be faced with the demoralization usually attendant, upon over-production to the detriment of mills, mill employes and the public...
...That this is hardly the time to do anything that will reduce buying power ia emphasized by the latest unemployment report of the American Federation of Labor, revealing little progress in putting men to work...
...An estimate of the National In- f dustrial Conference Board places the number of the jobless in this country last April at 7,907,000...
Vol. 17 • June 1934 • No. 67
