The Butler County press. [volume], February 02, 1923, Image 1

About The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946

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Here is all extract from a descrip
tion of child labor in the oyster
shucking business on the Gulf coast.
This description was broadcasted by
radio by the U. S. department of la
bor. It ought to be reatf with interest
by members of the United States su
preme court:
"The boat, loaded with oysters,
comes in to the pier. It is only 4
o'clock in the morning, but oysters do
not keep, and in a short time a group
of women and babies and children of
all ages appear from a row of bar
racks and shacks behind the cannery.
"These are the workers coming
from their camp. They break apart
and open the shells with knives and
begin to fill their cups with oyster
meat. They stand at their work,
swaying back and forth with a rhythm
which apparently enables them to
Work long hours and still keep up
speed. They bend farther and far
ther over to reach the oysters at the
bottom of the cars.
"If shrimp pickiQg is going on, the
shrimp are iced instead of steamed,
to make their shells less difficult to
Open, and spread on wire trays on
top of the empty oyster cars or on
tables. The workers break off the
heads with one hand and squeeze out
the flesh with the other.
"A strong odor arises, and we no
tice that children and women are
wearing gloves and dipping their
hands in a tub of alum water, and
that even with this protection the
hands of some of them are bleeding
There is an acid in the head of the
shrimp and also a sharp thorn which
is likely to run into the hand and
break off
"The floor W wet and slippery and
strewn with piles of shrimp heads
or oyster shells, and over this floor
JOHN B.LENN0N
DEAD
Was For Many Years Treas
urer of American Fed
eration of Labor
Washington.—The death of John
Lennon, former treasurer of the
American Federation of Labor, at his
home at Bloomington, 111., profoundly
shocked the labor movement of the
United States.
President Samuel Gompers and Sec
retary Frank Morrison sent the fol
lowing telegram to Mrs. Lennon:
"In behalf of the executive commit
tee of the American Federation of
Labor and the entire labor movement
of our country, we extend to you the
sincerest sympathy in the loss of
your dear husband, John B. Lennon
"Mr. Lennon gave to the cause of
labor, justice, freedom and humanity
the major part of his whole long life
"He was an efficient and construc
tive member and secretary of the
Journeymen Tailors' Union of Amer
ica. He served as treasurer of the
American Federation of Labor faith
fully and well for twenty-seven years.
"In the councils of our movement
he gave heart and brain and the cause
of human progress has lost a devoted
servant.
"His name will live long in the
memory of man."
President Gompers and Secretary
Morrison also requested the central
labor body of Bloomington to appoint
a committee to act as representatives
of the American Federation of Labor
at the funeral.
John B. Lennon was born in Lafay
ette county, Wis., in October, 1850
He became a journeyman tailor and
served as general secretary of the
Journeymen Tailors' Union of Amer
ica from 1886 to 1910. During that
time he edited The Tailor, the official
organ of the Tailors' Union.
His service as treasurer of the
American Federation of Labor extend
ed from 1889 to 1917—27 years.
Mr. Lennon was a member of the
United States commission on indus
trial relations, the social service com
mittee of the federal council of the
churches of Christ in America, the
American Academy of Political Sci
ence, and the American Peace Society.
He also lectured extensively on labor
and soeial problems.
KIND OF ALIENS EN
TERING
Washington.—The kind of immi
grants now coming to the United
States under the 3 per cent law is
indicated in a statement issued by the
department of labor.
-*. -''Vv, The annual quota for Armenia, Por
tugal, Lithuania, Spain, Palestine,
Syria, Turkey, Africa, Greece, Italy,
'and Belgium are exhausted while the
quotas for Albania, Bulgaria, Czocho
Slovakia, Hungary and Rumania are
almost exhausted.
o e a n a e o u n i e s o
northwestern Europe, however, have
supplied less than half their quota.
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EXPLOIT CHILD LABOR
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Hiig Description
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Will Interest
Those Who
Perhaps It Will Also Interest Supreme Court
HUNGRY _LANDLORDS
Nip Uncle Sam for Post
Office Buildings, Says
Department Head
Sees Big Savings if Govern
ment Owns Buildings
Washington.—Unconscionable pro
fiteering by landlords whose specialty
is renting buildings to the post office
dpeartment has led Postmaster Gen
eral Work to insist that congress shall
establish the policy of government
ownership of buildings where postal
business is conducted and authorize
the immediate construction of post
offices to curb the appetites of the
more flagrant profiteers.
'The demand for new buildings to
handle the enormous volume of parcel
post business now flooding the postal
system comes from every section of
the nation," declares the department,
"It must be promptly met. Under
the present arrangement the depart
ment can only meet it by making
contracts with landlords to construct
additional buildings providing more
space. These prospective landlords
finance the propositions by borrowing
money at 7 or 8 per cent, add taxes
insurance and profits, and then the
government bears the entire burden
through big rental charges. At the
end of these contracts or leases the
government, although it has in some
instances practically paid the entire
cost of the buildings in rentals, is
obliged to renew the leases at enhanc
ed rentals."
In order to persuade the present
penny-pinching and reactionary con
gress to authorize his government
ownership policy. Postmaster Gen
eral Work recommends that the
money to finance the building pro
gram be borrowed at an interest rate
of from 3% to 4 per cent, thus "elimi
nating the exorbitant rents paid to
landlords that is equivalent to from
12 to 15 per cent on their invest
ments." At the present time the de
partment is paying annually $12,000,
000 in rentals. Postmaster General
Work claims that his government
ownership program will save at least
$6,000,000 of this amount.
RAIL INCOMES RISE
Washington. Incomplete reports
filed with the interstate commerce
commission by 137 class 1 railroads
give the net operating income of
those systems for November last as
$68,458,000, as compared witr $59
710,000 for the same carriers in No
vember a year ago. These carriers
represent a mileage of 199,260 miles
The roads show the effect of their
attempt to smash the shop men
unions by their report that operating
revenue during November increased
12 per cent.
WIRE PROFITS INCREASE
New York.—Western Union Tele
graph Company profits for 1922 in
creased $1,600,318 over 1921. Last
year's profits almost reached a mil
lion dollars a month, or $11,284,126.
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Oysters
the babies cfatfl and the children who
are too young to work run about and
play. A two-year-old has had his
hand crushed, falling in the path of
the oyster cars, and others show cuts
received from falling among the
shells. There is no one back in the
camp to leave these toddlers with.
The workers in the camps have
been brought here from the north for
the winter, and everyone in the com
pany camp is expected to work. Per
haps, however, the babies may be left
in care of children just a little older.
"The mother of a girl of 9 tells
us that this child hasn't gone to work
because 'her little hands are too ten
der.'
A big sister explains apologetical
ly that her 7-year-old brother does
not work because he cannot reach up
to the car to shuck.
A child of 12 looks at us won
deringly, since visitors in this out
of-the-way place are rare, and she
asks us, "Don't you ever shuck?"
"Child labor seems to be taken for
granted. In some of the canneries a
state inspector may be seen at long
intervals, but his coming can usually
be detected and the children sent to
hide."
If the constitutional amendment
now before the U. S. senate, sponsor
ed by the American Federation of
Labor, is adopted and ratified this kind
of disgrace will come to an end.
MINE AGENTS PROSPER
New York.—William C. Atwater &
Co., mine agents and exporters of
coal, announce a 1,300 per cent stock
dividend. The capital stock will be
increased from $100,000 to $1,400,
000.
tCopyritfl W. N. U.)
One of the worst mob outrages in
recent history has just taken place in
northern Arkansas along the line of
the Missouri and North Arkansas
railway.
As this is written mob rule still
holds power in the M. & N. A. rail
road territory.
This mob, calling itself a "commit
tee of 1,000," set out to "clean up"
the union railroad workers who have
refused to work on terms offered by
the road and who are on strike.
In Harrison, scene of principal mob
activities, E. C. Gregor, a union man,
was hanged, though admittedly inno
cent of any wrong. He refused to
allow the mob in his home the mob
threatened to dynamite him and his
family to save his wife and children
he surrendered, only to meet death.
In some communities the mob forced
municipal authorities to resign and
turn government over to the mob.
In other places the authorities did
mob bidding meekly.
Dozens of men have been whip
ped and beaten some thrown into bull
pens.
The mob, ruled by a group of a
dozen, was transported from place to
place on cars furnished by the rail
road.
The guiding group of a dozen set
itself up as a drum-head court, sum
moning before it all union men and
sympathizers. A sympathetic farmer
was driven from his farm and banish
ed.
"Sign a pledge of loyalty to mob
PLEAD FOR
WORKERS
London, England.—In a manifesto
issued by the Trades Union congress
general council, the prime minister is
called upon to at once summon parlia
ment to deal with unemployment as a
national emergency of vital impor
tance. Protest is made against the
government's policy of declaring a
holiday for parliament until February
13.
"Chronic unemployment had reduced
thousands of working class homes in
the country to a state of absolute des
titution," the manifesto declares.
"The cottages of the workers have
been stripped of domestic comforts,
and even the elementary requirements
of a decent existence have been sold
in order to provide the necessary food
to stave off starvation. The burden
imposed on local authorities by the
great call for relief has been so great
as to establish a state of local bank
ruptcy.
"Many local authorities are heavily
in debt on account of having to meet
a responsibility which should have
been borne by the nation without re
gard to the good or bad fortune of a
particular area.
"Where unemployment is most se
vere co-operative societies and small
traders have been brought to a state
perilously near bankruptcy, and the
long-continued drain on social re
sources has produced a state almost
of social bankruptcy in certain areas
-T'.
SWil
THEnBUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
Grand Opera
RAILROAD MOB BANISHES
ARKANSAS STRIKERS WHO
REFUSE "LOYALTY" PLEDGE
Civic authorities ordered to resign while "Committee of Twelve" su
pervises deportations9 assaults and imprisonments--Legislative Inquiry
Begins.
The Arkansas Mob
"Pledge"
Here is the "pledge" which
union men were ordered by the
Arkansas mob to sign, on pain
of banishment:
"I hereby decline to renounce
my strike benefits, but agree to
leave Heber Springs (or other
place of residence) and any
county through which the M. &
N. A. railroad passes. I further
agree to remain out of the
above territory."
Upon refusal to sign this
"pledge" many men were turned
over to armed guards and
beaten. Some so treated were
not union members, but were
union sympathizers.
A committee of the Arkansas
legislatui'e has begun an inquiry
at Little Rock.
and railroad or get out," was the ul
timatum. Some gave up their union
cards and swore to obey the mob oth
ers refused and with their wives and
children were driven out over the hills.
4
Every indication thus far is that the
railroad or its friends organized the
mob and transported it from place
to place.
While dispatches have related most
ly to Harrison, mob activities were
not confined to that place. The mob
operated in Leslie, Eureka Springs,
MANYLAWS
For Labor's Betterment
Urged By New York's
Governor
Albany, N. Y.—A long list of reme
dial laws were urged by Governor
Smith, in his inaugural message. A
demand was made that no labor in
junction be issued until a hearing be
held and the facts established,
firmly believe that the state should
declare by law that the labor of a
human being is not a commodity or
article of commerce," said Governor
Smith. Other recommendations were:
The workmen's compensation law be
operated for the benefit of the work
ers, and legislation along this line be
passed eight-hour law for working
women and children abolition of mo
tion picture censorship repeal of the
Lusk laws compelling loyalty tests
for teachers minimum wage law for
working women and minors restore
direct primaries for all state offices
urges legislation permitting public
ownership of all public utilities by
cities water power developed for pub
lic, not private gain reforms in state
prison management extension of
emergency housing laws and improv
ed schools, especially in rural sec
tion aid for farmers through reor
ganization of state department of
farms and markets.
Preach union labels.
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HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1923 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
tf
Heber Springs and other places.
Members of a "committee of
twelve" directing mob activities are
named as follows:
N. W. Redwine, Leslie, Ark. M. L.
Black, Leslie A. G. Killehew, Leslie
J. V. Ferguson, Marshall E. G. Find
ley, Leslie D. T. Cotton, Little Rock
John L. Clay, Leslie John H. Barnett,
Marshall Than Rainbolt, Marshall
Ranse Dowdy, Leslie Dansey Treese,
Marshall Lewis Stills, Gilbert.
L. W. Lowry, A. F. of L., organizer
at Little Rock, telegraphed President
Samuel Gompers, of the American
Federation of Labor, saying:
"The 'Citizens' Committee' that as
sumed charge of Harrison did not con
tain one citizen from Harrison nor
from Boone county! They were men
from other places, brought in on a
special train.
"Strikers were arrested by armed
men under instructions of this self
constituted committee and given their
choice between renouncing their union
affiliations or permanently leaving
the Missouri and North Arkansas
(railroad) territory. If a striker
agreed to renounce his union he was
said to be a 100 per cent American
and given a white ribbon, whcih was
the badge of members of the mob.
Lowry also reported:
"Carl Brown, clerk in office of gen
eral superintendent of the railway at
Harrison, 'escorted' Mrs. Pete Ven
able out of town, she being one of the
women ordered banished by order of
the citizens' committee."
GET THECARGOES
And Ship Will Follow, Says
Commerce Reports
Washington.—"Commerce Reports,"
a weekly survey issued by the de
partment of commerce, declares that
when cargoes are secured a merchant
marine follows.
The position of the department of
commerce is a direct challenge to sub
sidy advocates and to American busi
ness men, who are reminded that Eng
lish and German business men built
up a merchant marine by first se
curing markets rather than depending
on subsidies.
"Great Britain and Germany built
up their vast foreign commerce
through intensive and aggressive ac
tivity on the part of their own trad
ers, who early established themselves
in every part of the world," says
'Commerce Reports.'
"They erected huge warehouses and
'godowns' to facilitate their trade, en
gaging in both importing and export
ing business. Having gained the
greater part of the world's commerce
it was an easy matter to build up the
large merchant fleets that each na
tion attained at the height of its
prosperity.
"Success for our American mer
chant marine will just as truly fol
low a similar procedure on the part
of our own exporters and importers.
t-
Washington.—The house judiciary
committee failed to make an impar
tial investigation of the Keller im
peachment charges against Attorney
General Daugherty, said Congressman
Thomas, of Kentucky, in a minority
report. It is recommended that the
speaker of the house appoint a com
mittee "to make a full and fair in
vestigation of all the charges."
Mr. Thomas said it seemed to him
that the committee's efforts were di
rected to heckling and embarrassing
Congressman Keller, who asked for
the attorney general's impeachment.
In a public letter to Congressman
Volstead, chairman of the house ju
diciary committee, R. Momand, of the
Pressure Lighting Company, New
York, charges the committee with sup
pressing facts and rescuing the attor
ney general from conviction.
Mr. Momand had presented evi
dence to the committee, and Mr. Vol
stead replied that at the next meeting
of the committee, "I shall be pleased
to present your communication to the
members for their consideration."
Mr. Momand shows that this letter
lu him was not mailed until after the
committee had closed its hearings.
"The above," says Mr. Momand,
nly adds to the abundant proof
already supplied by the committee
itself of its faithless acts in the im
peachment proceedings, which acts
the records show have been of the
most deceptive and fraudulent char
acter, and have for their purpose not
the upholding of the law and its due
BUSINESSJETHODS
Of Shady Character Hunted
Out By Federal Trade
Commission
Washington.—The District of Co
lumbia health department has de
stroyed as unfit for human consump
tion two tons of candy confiscated
from the plant of a local candy man
ufacturer.
Washington. The federal trade
commission has found a Brooklyn hy
drogen peroxide manufacturing con
cern guilty of "unfair competition"
by "misrepresentation of a competi
tor's product." One of its competi
tors manufactures a well known dis
infectant. The concern sent out a
chemical analysis of its competitors'
product which did not "truthfully
describe the disinfectant," having
such a harmful effect on the sales
that it was removed from the coun
ters of a number of chain stores.
The commission orders the Brooklyn
concern to "refrain from directly or
indirectly publishing ^br ch'culating
any false, deceptive, or misleading
statements," concerning the competi
tor's product.
NEW DAUGHERTY PROBE
URGED IN MINORITY REPORT OF INVESTIGAT
ING COMMITTEE—CLAIM IS MADE THAT
REAL FACTS WERE SUPPRESSED
Says Committee's Efforts Were Only Directed to Embar
rass Congressman Keller, Who Asked For
Attorney General's Impeachment
Washington. The federal trade
commission has ordered a Chicago
tire rebuilding and repairing concern
to refrain from using a "trade name
similar to that of a competitor and
stamping a product so as to be confus
ed with that of a well known product
of a competitor." The competitor
manufactured a tire known as the
multi-mile cord." The Chicago con
cern appropriated part of the com
peting firm's name and labeled its
second-hand tires "multi-cord." The
federal trade commission claims that
this practice not only confuses the
purchasers, but "tends to lend pres
tige to the respondent's product which
does not belong to it."
New York.—A large New York
concern manufacturing men's shirts
has been cited to appear before the
federal trade commission at Washing
ton on the charge of misrepresenting
its product to the detriment of con
sumers and the business injury of
competitors. The complaint charges
that the concern has its shirts made
from cotton cloth manufactured in the
United States but labels, brands, ad
vertises and sells them as "English
broadcloth," which has come to mean
an imported fabric of superior quality
PHONED TO ENGLAND
New York.—Officials of the Amer
ican Telegraph and Telephone Com
pany sent messages anc made
speeches by wireless telephone to
Southgate, England, where the Brit
ishers cabled back every few minutes
that the words, with few exceptions
were distinctly heard.
Scattered words and phrases have
been wirelessed over the ocean before
but this is the first time that continu
ous conversation has been carried on
over the space of 3,400 miles.
^.x^,^
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and orderly processes, but suppress
ing the evidence against Attorney
General Daugherty and rescuing him
from the conviction Which must inev
itably attend a proper hearing of the
charges against him."
STRIKER LYNCHED
BY ARKANSAS MOB
Washington.—Striking employes of
the Missouri & North Arkansas rail
road are victims of mobs that would
smash their strike. One striker has
been lynched because, the public press
states, he "resisted a citizens' commit
tee." During the two years' strike
many workers have been driven out
of the state.
The railroad is responsible for the
strike, which includes shop men,
transportation employes and other
workers. When the railroad labor
board raised wages under decision No.
2, this railroad, together with other
railroads protested. The board de
cided against them. The railroad not
only refused to pay the new rate, but
reduced wages below the old standard
and declined to appear before the
board on the ground that it is in the
hands of a federal receiver and the
board has no jurisdiction. Then the
employes suspended work. Later the
board legalized the railroad's wage
cut, and since then efforts have been
made to smash the strike.
FORWARD MOVE
MENT
Says A. F. of L. Executive
Committee, Approving
Workers' Education
Plan
Washington.—The executive coun
cil of the American Federation of La
bor has approved the plan submitted
by the A. F. of L. committee on edu
cation, under instructions from the
Cincinnati convention, whereby the
federation will be adequately and per
manently represented in directing the
activities of the workers' education
bureau, New York, N. Y., with which
the federation has hitherto co-operated
under a temporary agreement.
"Under the terms of this agree
ment," declares President Gompers,
in a letter addressed to national and
international unions, state federa
tions and city central bodies, "an ex
ecutive committee of nine members
was created to direct the policies and
activity of the bureau. The chairman
of the federation committe on educa
tion, Mr. Matthew Woll, has been
elected chairman of the executive1*
committee of the workers' education
bui'eau, and two other members of our
committee, Mr. George W. Perkins
and Mr. John P. Frey, have been
elected members of the same execu
tive committee.
"In accord with the convention in
structions," continues President Gom
pers, "I wish to commend the work
of this bureau to you and your mem
bership for the purpose of furthering
adult workers' education. I earnestly
urge all affiliated organizations to
co-operate in this work through affil
iation with the bureau."
President Gompers points out that
international and national labor
unions, state federations of labor city
central bodies and all labor organiza
tions directly or indirectly affiliated
with the A. F. of L. are eligible for
membership in the bureau. Provision
is also made for individual member
ship.
COST OF "GREEN" MEN
Washington.—The continuous em
ployment of "green" and illiterate
men in the coal industry caused the
death of 787 men during the past 11
months. These men are placed in
mines and know nothing of its dan
gers until hit by falling rock or coal.
The United States bureau of mines
says the only remedy for this situa
tion "under present industrial condi
tions" is a continuous campaign of
education among the miners and a
rigid enforcement of safety measures
by mining companies and their fore
men.
RISKY
Helen: "If he proposes, I shall sug
gest that we postpone our wedding
until things get back to normal."
Her dear friend: "I wouldn't do
that. The man might get back to nor
mal himself."—Pittsburgh Dispatch.
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