The Butler County press. [volume], November 09, 1923, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
VOL. XXIII. No. 30
By International Labor News Service
San Francisco.—So far as labor is
concerned there is much to be happy
:bout in this energetic and wonderful
city. And there is one thing that is
thoroughly rotten. That one thing
is a weekly publication called "San
Francisco Labor Unity," formerly
published under the title "Rank and
File." It is as rank now as then.
This publication is of th'e* "bore
from within" type. It hates the pol
icies of the American Federation of
Labor, ridicules its officers, adver
tises W. *Z. Foster's books, believes
all the twaddel that Upton Sinclair
wrote in his "Brass Check," uses the
Federated Press, and does everything
that a good, hundred per cent hater
of the A. F. of L. might be expected
to do.
If that were all there would be
nothing for San Francisco trade
unionists to kick about, because there
is plenty of freedom of the press in
this country and anybody that can
pay the* bills hip the right to publish
a newspaperful of either hokum 01
hate.
But there are some trade unions in
San Francisco that support this rag.
That gives the suject its importance.
It is a sad hang-over from the days
of the misguided so-called rank and
file movement. It is just about as
nasty and discordant as a hang-over
can be.
Outside of that San Francisco trade
unionism is sound, in good shape and
getting stronger every day. The
"open shoppers" would be glad to let
go if they didn't have a bear by the
tail. They find it hard to keep up
the old fight.
The big issue of the hour in San
Francisco—and in the whole bay dis
trict—is the injunction against the
Industrial Association and the Build
ers' Exchange. These organizations
are charged with refusal to sell mate
rials to contractors employing union
men.
Discussing this sitiation President
Gompers said here, "In my long years
of service in the organized labor
movement I have never known of such
a consummate, cruel, unlawful and
criminal conspiracy against labor."
Trade union membership is strong
and growing stronger. Some of the
building trade unions have larger
memberships than ever in their his
tory.
Trade unionism is vindicating
Plain and Fur
Trimmed
"Agin Everything" Paper
Only Fly in Ointment of
San Francisco's Unions
TODAY AT
FRECHTL
Important Sale
SALE DRESSES OF THE BETTER KIND
IN
POIRET TWILL
Satin Faced Canton
Pasha Crepe
$25.00 $29.50 $35.00
Street and Afternoon Dresses
TODAY AT FRECHTLING'S
$19.50
SALE OF BOLIVIA
COATS
These coats are full lined and worth
much more.
The W. C. rechtling Co
Surety Coupons Given and Redeemed
itself. It has had many trials, withn
and without but the sound prinicph
of the movement have stood the te^i
both with workers and with employ
ers. In the essentials the movement
is more solid than ever. It has
swept away many old hatreds and pre
judices. I has a right to be proud
of its record and confident of its
future.
EIGHT-HOUR DAY
Gives Steel Workers Chance
To Live Normal Lives
By International Labor News Service
Washington, D. C.—Strong testi
mony to the value of the 8-hour work
day in the steel industry is given by
the Gary Post-Tribune, Gary, Ind.,
in the following letter to President
Samuel Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor:
We have received a copy of the
American Federationist for October
and we note with a great deal of
pleasure indeed, the editorial accom
panied by reproduction of our adver
tisement from Printers' Ink which ap
pears on pages 842 and 843 of yolr.
magazine.
"You say truly in this editorial in
speaking of the 12-hour day that
'there remains not a single voice to
sing its praises.' A volume could be
filled with the good things to be said
of the 8-hour day as opposed to the
12-hour day, but it is all perhaps fair
ly well summed up in saying that
thousands of working men in th s
city now have an opportunity to get
better acquainted with their families
and to live normal lives.
"From a business standpoint, we
believe that the 8-hour day will be
the best thing that has happened to
this city, although this is really only
of secondary importance.
"The Gary Post-Tribune,
"J. R. SNYDER, Manager."
WEST VA. WAITERS
WIN UNION
WAGES AND HOURS
Morgantown, VV. Va.—The newly
organized Morgantown local of the
Hotel and Restaurant Employes' In
ternational Alliance has signed up a
number of Morgantown concerns for
the union shop with outstanding wage
increases and shorter work day.
$25.00
ThlNKL
W. N. U.)
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—There is good
ground for believing that America is
within striking distance of ending
poverty, says Julius H. Barnes, presi
dent of the Chamber of Commerce of
the United .States, writing in the
Nation's Business, official organ of
the chamber.
Mr. uarnes does not place the pos
sibility of eliminating poverty in
some far off age, long after those
now living are dead. He declares
that it is within the possibilities that
poverty may be absolutely abolished
within a single decade, or at most a
single generation.
Why he believes that America may
ibolish poverty is told as follows by
Mi. Barnes:
'To understand America's great
is and her industrial leadership, we
ust consider that here is a republic
M,h a relatively short national his
"t-y of a century and a half, en
listed with the natural resources of
continent, and that continent open
the development of the white race
i rely three short centuries.
'There is surely something of great
1 solemn meaning that one hun
and ten million people, with this
»rt national history, have made the
marks in human progress which
have a right to claim.
The total population of the world
about eighteen hundred millions of
»ple. Now, when you picture these
is-
hteen hundred millions of human
ings, inevitably progressing along
road which leads ultimately to
ing standards something like our
a a, you get a picture of the vast
fnount of human activity which will]
called into action, with increasing
urgency and increasing effectiveness.
Our System Proving Its Worth
"And when we have this picture of
.! hteen hundred millions of people,
i.uving with blind and halting steps,!
be sure, along the road which leads
individual happiness, security and
ntent, we have the inspiration of
vision, if we may claim justly that
\merica will be the pioneer to open
i le the path for these advancing
Hides.
Surely it is a picture to fix the
agination and to harden the pur
ine, that America with 5 per cent
the world population, should show
In leadership in the translation of
h.- natural resources of the world
tito the forms of human service.
"And when one looks for the prac
al reasons as to why this excep
rial translation of nature's great
-sessions into man's service, we
find that it rests securely upon an
n.lustrial philosophy which is dis
mctly and peculiarly American, also.
1 is industrial philosophy is one
viiich both from conviction and from
lecessity has placed an extraordinary
due upon human labor, by enlarging
i* product of human hands with
ncry invention and mechanical de
vice which great originality and ge
nius could devise. There was so
much to do in this vast empire, and
(i few, relatively, to perform the
ask, that there has been a constant
eunomic pressure for the release of
manual labor by ingenious devices
for mass production.
"The economics of production costs
which this mass production of Amer­
THE BUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1923
The Master Colorist
tr
in
ica insures and the security of em
ployment which this enlarged com
petition for workers' services itself
assures, is the base on which is sus
tained the constantly rising tide of
American production and distribu
tion.
"The effect of American economies
and the increasing scale of produc
tion and distribution and consumption
on which human opportunity and
earnings rest, is written not only in
the aggregate of national wealth cre
ated, but in the increase in only the
last ten years of savings accounts in
this country from six billion dollars
to fourteen billion dollars, and of na
tional bank resources from six bil
lion to seventeen billion.
"But if you ask what evidence we
have that America's great wealth ami
earnings are fairly and justly ap
portioned among our people, we haw
some measures that indicate the an
swer may be straightforward an.i
w i a n a i o n a i e e e a e
i
ures of average earnings per worker
in the manufacturing industry, show
ing average increases per capita of
100, and then again 200, and then still
again 300 per cent, during the pro
gress of this industrial development
Is it not reasonable to assume that
the very existence of' the great vol
ume of factory production and the
great flow of distribution, shows
that wealth and buying power ar
widely distributed, in the hands of
millions and millions *of consumers
No such volume could be marketed
were the ability to buy confined to
the fortunate wealthy few.
"Now, if those indicators show the
magnitude of America's industrial
leadership if those tests indicate as
well a social system in which the
general level of possession is clearly
rising and secure, then they suggest
a deeper meaning, which carries an
accent of almost startling signifi
cance.
"We have taught for generations,
and it is undoubtedly the truth, that
poverty, itself, is the major cause of
sickness, suffering, and sometimes
death and more, that poverty is the
mother of criminals, and destitution
the incentive to crime. For centuries,
the effort of the world has been to re
duce and to eliminate poverty, from
which spring crime and social degen
eration. In furtherance of the effort
for this attainment there have been
constructed social theories of experi
mentation which, in actual practice,
have only written an added chapter of
human misery and disappointment.
Progress Already Made is Clear
"Does it not make you catch your
breath that, here in America, Ameri
can individualism has written a story
of social progress and individual ac
complishment which may prove the
very outposts of the social advance
which will eliminate entirely the age
old horror of destitution So clear is
this progress written in America, so
clear the acceleration of advance in
the security of individual living in the
American home, that it requires not
so much thoughtless daring as accu
rate appraisal of national progress to
forecast that America is within strik
ing distance of accomplishing the ut
ter and absolute elimination of pov
erty, the quest of many centuries of
social effort. It is within the possi­
cc of
bilities that this may now be actually
attained within a single decade, or
at most a single generation.
"The glory of America may rest
in history that, through its own polit
ical, social and industrial philosophy
and practice, America achieved the
utter defeat of poverty and destitu
tion, and charted the course for the
world to follow in making secure and
high the general level of human hap
uiness.
"Its full attainment may be de
layed or deflected by ignorant or vi
cious violations of sound economic
(Continued on last page)
K
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—The prison la
bor contract in the Oklahoma state
prison is back again. Just before the
convention of the State Federation
of Labor Governor Walton declared
he had ordered the Reliance Manufac
turing Company out of the prison. A
a result the governor had some
friends at the convention and all went
merry. After the convention and dur
ing October, when the sweatshop con
ditions should have ceased, the Re
liance shop was discovered to be turn
ing out garments from the prison as
repidly as ever. The contract has not
been discontinued. Labor has been
double-crossed.
Explanations and excuses are plen
tiful. The gvernor is bluffing strong
ly. The Oklahoma Leader in an edi
torial satisfactorily demolishes the
stock excuse of all state governments
who retain the prison contract system
when it says:
"The altogether despicable reason
assigned by the governor and his lieu
tenants for this flagrant violation of
his pledged word, that the state
'needs the revenue' is an excuse en
tirely empty of truth, as has been
shown in the columns of the Leader
repeatedly. Stated again, when the
depreciation and maintenance of state
property now in use by the Reliance
Manufacturing Company, is consider
ed when you take into account the
actual cost of heat, light and power
"urriished by the state when you add
to this the cost of guards and the
feeding and clothing of the convicts
•mployed, it is disclosed that the
itate, instead of making money out
the transaction, is actually losing
money. That is to say, it is taking
money out of the pockets of the tax
payers and giving it, in violation of
law, to the Reliance Manufacturing
Company."
JN FINED
Sydney. Australia.—Judge Curle
wis, of the New South Wales state
industrial arbitration court, has lin­
A Warm Air Heating System That Is Easy To Move!
lit
In
Wtrrirrm
4
Installed In 45 Minutes--No Basement Necessary
No special installation is needed for this wonderful little warm air heating
system—in remodeling, no basement to be dug. It can be put into your home
in less than an hour and can be placed anywhere that you would place an
ordinary heating stove or base burner.
See j!t Demonstrated At OUR STORE
HEATROLA
TURNS HOUSES INTO HOMES,
Walton Goes Back on Word
Contract Prison Labor Still
Flourishing in Oklahoma
FIVE
HUNDRED DOLLARS
For Alleged Strike Under
Compulsory Arbitra
tion Law
WS.S.
WMMfUMn
tim**r TW
omrcD •TATM
flOVUNMIMT
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
ed the Amalgamated Printing Em
ployes' Union 100 pounds (about
$500) for an "illegal strike."
Under the New South Wales indus
trial arbitration law cessation of
work as a persuasive measure to
bring employers to their senses and
lead them to the light of trade union
principles is illegal for unions regis
tered under the act. Unions are li
able to a penalty of 500 pounds (about
$2,500) a day during the duration of
such a strike.
The printing employes' union was
registered under the arbitration law.
Its members had the 44-hour week
over six days, with overtime provided
for. The union made a demand for
the 44-hour week over five days. The
employers refused to concede the de
mand.
The union officials then told the
employers that unless the 44-hour
week over five days was granted no
overtime would be worked, and per
haps the men would not be found at
work on Saturday.
The employers remained obdurate.
The employes kept their word and re
fused to work overtime.
The employers haled the union offi
cials before the arbitration court on
the charge of sanctioning an illegal
strike. Judge Curlewis sustained the
employers and imposed the 100
pounds fine with the warning if the
union was brought before him again
on a similar charge the penalty would
be heavier.
DENVER UNION
HITS SCHOOL
BRICKLAYERS
Bricklayers by public school certifi
cates are roundly condemned by the
Bricklayers' Union of Denver, Colo.
Instruction in bricklaying was en
gineered into the Denver public
schools by a local brick contractor
who is a member of the school board.
Would-be bricklayers are charged $20
for the course, $10 at the beginning
and $10 at the end of 12 weeks, when
they get their certificate and are ex
pected to be competent bricklayers.
The Denver Bricklayers' Union has
withdrawn its members from woxk
being done by the brick contractor
member of the school board as a pro
test against the school-certified brick
layer scheme.
At last—a warm air heating system
for both renters and owners.' The
Instate Heatrola can be installed in
any home and can be moved just like
ny other piece of furniture.
Works Like A Furnace
The Estate Heatrola works like a
warm air furnace, circulating great
volumes of warm, moist air and heat
ing every part of the home. Its con
struction is such as to make the max
:mum use of every bit of heat given
ff by the fuel. And it burns no more
fuel than an ordinary stove.
Looks Like A Phonograph
Handsomely enameled in rich grain
ed mahogany, the ESTATE HEA
TROLA looks like a beautiful cabinet
phonograph. It has no nickeled parts
to be shined or metal parts to be pol
ished. It is a beautiful piece of fur
niture and a real ornament to every
room.
E S