The Butler County press. [volume], August 24, 1923, Image 1

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

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VOL. XXIII. No. 19
By International Labor News Service.
Milwaukee, Wis.—'The "open shop"
movement in the photo-engraving in
dustry is fast losing ground, Presi
dent Matthew Woll, of the Interna
tional Photo-Engravers' Union of
North America, told the twenty
fourth annual convention of the
union here.
"Opposition to our international
union and local unions has receded to
a remarkable degree," said President
Woll in his annual report. He con
tinued:
"The so-called 'open shop' atmos
phere, surcharged two years ago with
all sorts of pyrotechnics, has greatly
reduced in tensity. Reason is again
coming into a field where passion
reigned supreme. Employers as well
as workers more fully realize the
dangers and folly of this frenziet
fanaticism.
"Attempting to operate photo-en
graving plants in the spirit of antag
onism toward our organization* has
not benefited any one but has harmed
the industry as a whole. It is frankly
admitted that the cost of production
in these so-called 'open shops' has
not been lessened rather, it has in
creased, nad the service has deterior
ated to a dangerous limit. Conse
quently, 'price cutting' has been the
despairing hope of these crusaders in
prolonging the delusion of ultimate
success.
"What these leaders in the so
called 'open shop' movement in our
craft hope ultimately to accomplish
is difficult to understand. Were we
to submit to their dictates, dissolve
our organization and submit to indi
vidual bargaining, what would these
industrial masters do other than
cheapen the price of the service and
demoralize the industry completely.
Indeed, it will be asked what has been
their constructive contribution to the
industry up to the present time, if
any
n
With the exception of Germany, all
the northern and western European
nations filled, or virtually filled, their
quotas under the 3 per cent restrict
ive law, where as the same sections
of Europe, in 1922, sent only 47 per
cent of those admissable.
As was expected, the southern and
southeastern European nations ex
hausted their quotas, but the fact that
the northern and western nations fill
ed their allotments sent the tide in
their direction. Just before the war
the northern immigrants composed
only 15 tol8 per cent of the total.
Movement for "Open Shop"
In Photo-Engraving Trade
Fast Receding, Woll Says
OLD CLASS COMING
Washington.—For the first time in
30 years the immigration tide to this
country has veered the past 12 months
from southern and eastern Europe to
nothern Europe, according to figures
compiled by the bureau of immigra
tion. The final percentages, it is es
timated, will show that 65 per cent
of European immigration came from
the north and east, compared with 33
per cent the pi-evious year.
Improved economic conditions in the
7
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'iS
"All we find them engaged in is to
tear down that which has been
builded up. They are declining to as
sociate with our fair employers in any
one thing intended to benefit the
craft they are constantly encourag
ing strife and friction between em
ployers and our members they are
the leaders in the 'price cutting'
movement they are always working
i nthe dark and under cover of night
they are endeavoring to have our
members violate their solemn pledge
of faith and loyalty to our cause they
would crucify any employer who
would desert their cause and exercise
American freedom to deal fairly with
our organization and its members—
in short they would dominate—and
control the destiny of our craft even
though their leadership would lead to
ruination and destruction.
"We have reached that period when
a mere passive attitude toward the
practices of these destructionists in
our craft must be changed to an ag
gressive combat. No effort should be
spared in ferreting out the insidious
propaganda and practices followed by
these labor-exploiting destructionists
and in bringing them into the light
of day.
"From the point of view of the un
fortunate workmen employed in these
so-called 'open shop' establishments
the opportunities extended by our or
ganization, to throw a cloak of pro
tection about them, has been wel
comed. Our campaign in organizing
the non-union men has been so ef
fective that the leaders of the so
called 'open shop' employers have at
tempted to stem the tide by trying to
organize the non-union men into a
union controlled by these masters and
for the sole purpose of further man
ipulation and deception. This latest
attempt moi'e clearly indicates than
all things else the folly and despair
of the so-called 'open shop' move
ment
riled Stales as compared with those
in Europe, is the main reason for
the.', new immgration, it is stated.
WOMEN'S LAW HELD UP
Los Angeles, Cal.—Operation of the
Arizona minimum wage law is tem
porarily restrained by Federal Judge
Ross.
An Arizona confectioner asked the
court to enjoin the Arizona attorney
general from prosecuting him for vio
lating the Arizona law which fixes
$16 a week as the minimum wage for
women.
Judge Ross said he based his ruling
upon the United States supreme
court's decision that the District of
Columbia minimum wage law for wo
men and minors is unconstitutional.
WILL URGE 48-HQUR WEEK
Lewiston, Maine.—-An educational
campaign in behalf of the proposed
48-hour law was perfected at a meet
ing in this city of the executive board
of ihe Maine State Federation of La
bor. The law will be voted on at a
special election, to be held October 16.
This Is An
Edison Phonograph
Year
V
life) fi
j~]
A A A A A A
n this great Mid=Summer Sale of
ours you find all those essentials,
which, if found together, mean real
bargains. In this sale is furniture of a
quality you can depend upon, at a big
w,
.TO
(Copyright, W. N. if.
By International Labor News Service.
Washington.—The governor of Ok
lahoma has terminated the shirt con
tract at the Oklahoma state prison.
This victory over a system of graft
and exploitation of human beings is
the first since the encroachment of
contract convict labor upon the free
labor market became serious a few
months ago and both manufacturers'
organizations and labor organizations
joined hands to fight a common eco
nomic evil.
They were joined by the national
committee on prisons and prison labor
and other social gencies who are op
posed to the contract system of con
vict labor as a social evil. Politicians
are fast learning that they are on the
wrong track in associating themselves
with the prison contractor.
The unfair competition of prison
labor is most serious to garment
manufacturers at present because of
the concentration of prison labor in
garment manufacture. Ironically
enough production of prison contrac
tors is particularly heavy in work
shirts which are bought by workmen
who are ignorant or are misinformed
about the source of the product. The
union label does not appear on shirts
manufactured in prisons.
A strenuous fight is being waged
against further encroachment upon
free American institutions by the
slave system of the prison contractors.
y$v
THE BUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
Big Events in the Lives of Little Men
DEALT A HARD BLOW BY OKLAHOMA'S GOVERNOR WHEN
HE TERMINATED STATE PRISON'S SHIRT CONTRACT
OTHER STATES WAR ON SYSTEM
Utah Manufacturers Take Action to Prevent Prison Labor Being Turned
Over to Reliance Company, Big Makers of Workmen's Clothing
In Utah the Manufacturers' Asso
ciation is bringing legal action to pre
vent the state from turning its prison
labor over to the Reliance Manufac
turing Company. This is the big con
tract convict labor trust whose busi
ness has expanded so rapidly under
unfair competitive methods that free
manufacturers have been driven out
of business. The manufacturers are
corresponding with the American
Federation1 of Labor about methods
of carrying on the fight.
The leading newspaper in Idaho is
conducting a powerful agitation to
drive the contractors out of that
state.
The Garment Workers of Houston,
Texas, have started a campaign to
prevent the Reliance Company, of
Chicago, from securing a contract for
the manufacture of clothing in the
Texas state penitentiary. The Re
liance Company is using full pages of
advertising in the newspapers to in
troduce the "Big Yank" workshirt
They say this is "America's biggest
name in workshirts." They list 252
towns in South Texas where this
shirt can be bought and eighty-six
stores in Houston alone where this
shirt is carried.
As rapidly as possible the Alloca
tion committee of the national com
mittee on prisons and prison labor is
conferring with the different state
governments to introduce an econom
ically sound system of employing
Mid-Summer Furniture
BUY NOW
*lk
Ow
CONTRACT PRISON LABOR
R-E-B-S
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1923 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
8
prisoners that will forever eliminate
the vicious contract system.
The governor of Virginia, where
the contract system is slated to go as
soon as other employment can be ar
ranged mor the prisoners, has ap
pointed LeRoy Hodges, Deputy Gov
ernor of Virginia, and Mr. Boyd,
president of the prison board and cen
tral purchasing officer of the state,
to represent Virginia on this alloca
tion committee to meet as soon as
possible.
The governor of Colorado has writ
ten the national committee on prisons
and prison labor for recommendations
on how to employ prisoners and dis
tribute their products without using
the prison contractors. He also is
interested in the work of the alloca
tion committee and how it proposes
to allocate industries among different
states so that the prisoners may be
employed, and so that their product
may not be sold on the open market
in competition with free labor and
free industry.
STEEL MARKET SLACK
New York. Comparatively little
buying has been reported in the steel
market the past week and many mills
are down for summer repairs. This
condition exists despite Judge Gary's
claim that additional labor is neces
sary before the 12-hour day can be
abolished.
Are
Hy International Labor News Service.
Jersey City, N. J.—Largely as a
result of the exposure of sweat shop
conditions made by organized labor,
he sweat shops have been virtually
ill driven from Jersey City.
International Labor News Service
las already told how organized labor
led in the fight on sweat shops, expos
ing conditions which stirred New Jer
sey and resulted in a state-wide cam
paign against sweat shop labor. The
campaign routed the Jersey City
sweat shop operators, though two of
them who were convicted are showing
fight and have secured a writ which
will take their conviction before the
supreme court in Trenton next No
vember.
Evil conditions revealed by the
sweat shop investigation were out
lined by Health Officer James J.
Hagen in a report to Mayor Hague.
Hagen made the investigation in co
eperation with Mrs. Nellie Smith,
counselor of vocational guidance and
a member of the Jersey City School
Teachers' Union. In his report,
Hagen said:
"All public and parochial schools
were visited and from the principals
we secured a list of children doing
work at home. The homes were then
visited by our pulbic health nurses
and sanitary inspectors to ascertain
facts regarding sanitation of prem
ises, ages and health of workers,
whether license had or had not been
granted by the commissioner of la
bor and other information of value to
the proper authorities.
"Over 1,000 children were reported
"EDUCATIONAL"
League Condemned
Cloak Makers
Campaign Led by Unions
Results in Driving Sweat
Shops From Jersey City
By
Chicago.—The creaking machinery
of the trade union educational league
haS been hard hit by organized gar
ment workers, who have expelled two
members who belong to this commun
ist group.
Charges against the two garment
workers stated that through caucus
meetings, planned and carried out by
the league, and directed by pei'sons
not belonging to the Garment Work
ers' Union, attempts were made to
control the union.
The joint board, representing all
Garment Workers' Unions in this city,
appointed a committee to consider the
charges. Two reports were presented,
but the board accepted the minority
report. It declared that the trade
union educational league is an oppo
sition organization to the Garment
Workers' Union, and recommended
that those members or officers who
would not withdraw from it should
condemnation of all who would, by
be expelled from the union.
The board's action carries with it
belonging to such leagues and groups,
endeavor to rule the union and man
ipulate its affairs from the outside.
STEREOTYPERS GAIN
London, Ontario.—Organized store
otypers employed on local newspapers
have raised wages $4 a week.
AND SAVE!
discount rom prices that were al ready
low, thus affording a real opportunity
for you to properly furnish your
home at the lowest possible cost.
This Is An
Edison Phonograph
Year
'WS.S.
WMtUVWUS STAMPS
1*1
UNITFX* STATES
GOVERNMENT.
doing sweat shop work at home
these children being between the ages
of six and fourteen years. Teachers
stated that these chil^ken were re
tarded in their lessons and because
of this children were compelled to
work after school and until late at
night, causing many cases of defec
tive eyesight.
"During school hours some were so
tired that they fell asleep at their
desks. One teacher stated that the
majority of children in her class of
forty were unable to do their lessons
in the classroom because they were
compelled to labor at home. None of
these children had working papers
and all were under fourteen years of
age.
"The classes of work are as fol
lows: Night gowns, bloomers, shirts,
beading, embroidery, caps, dolls, and
doll's clothing, infants' wear, pants
and flowers.
"Many homes were found unsani
tary and persons suffering from com
municable diseases were found em
ployed therein. Cases of tuberculosis,
trachoma, malnutrition, hemorrhages,
curvature of the spine, de fective eye
sight, etc., were reported by nurses
and inspectors. We are of the
opinion that if a medical inspection
was made of each person so employed
that a great many cases of disease
would be located among these people.
"The wages paid these people are
pitifully small. Whole families com
posed of three or four make as low as
$3 to $5 a week. Some children re
ceive from 70 cents to $1.20 weekly
for their labor."
LABOR PRESS NOT
FOOLEI) BY COM
MUNISTS' NEW NAME
Washington.—"Slick" publicity men
of the communist party are having
hard sledding with the labor press
of this country, which refuses to pub
lish Moscow propaganda now issued
under the name of the federated
farmer-labor party.
This is the 'steenth name the com
munists have assumed. They have
called themselves left wingers, revo
lutionists, workers' party, and what
not. Now they are masquerading as
the federated farmer-labor party.
DEFENDS HIGH WAGES
Birmingham, Ala.—In an address
to the local trades council, Congress
man Huddleston defended high wages.
"Workers support society, so the
more they get the more society will
have," he said. "The working men
are the producers, and the grocer, the
merchant, the doctor, the lawyer,, the
banker, and everyone else who do not
work, live off him. It stands to rea
son, then, that the more the working
men earn the more the other fellow
makes off them. Yet our Chamber of
Commerce boasts of the city's wealth
of cheap labor."
CARPENTERS WINNING
New Orleans.—Organzed carpenters
in this city are winning their strike
for improved conditions. They are
being resisted by the general con
tractors' association.
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