The Butler County press. [volume], January 18, 1924, Image 1

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

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VOL.
In 1914 their attempt to corrupt
public opinion through their National
Liberal Restriction Immigration
:i: League W$fi exposed- by President
Gompers.
Br
4s"
,' Steel, coal and iron interests, coke
companies, steamship companies and
other combinations of capitalists paid
the expenses of various racial groups
who journeyed to Washington to op
i pose the Burnett immigration restric
tion bill.
This is the same power that period
ically demands that labor be handcuff
i ... ed to their employment— that strikes
be outlawed.
Now they demand aliens to come
to our shores under labor contracts
JUDICIAL CONTROL
Studied By Jurist Submit
ted to A. F. of L.
Washington.—At the request ef
President Gompers, Jackson H. Ral
ston has prepared and submitted for
the use of the A. F. of L. a revised
report upon "Judicial Control Over
Lebislatures as to Constitutional
Questions," in which he brings down
to date the whole subject matter. His
first report was submitted about five
years ago.
The author is attorney for the A.
P. of L. He is a publicist and a law
yer of international repute.
In this study the history of judicial
control over legislation is gone into
from the earliest period. The position
of John Marshall, chief justice of the
United States supreme court when the
nation was born, is discussed at
length. It was Marshall's decision in
the Marbury case which started the
control of legislation by the courts.
Mr. Ralston points out that .before
Marshall went on the bench he had
denied the existence of any power in
the supreme court to control congress.
The gradual growth of this power is
shown. There was but one such case
in the first 50 years of the history of
the supreme court. Congress has been
overruled 10 times within the last
five year. The doubtful character of
these cases is indicated by the fact
-Sb-r
Today
KT
No. 40
A "flexible" immigration policy
was urged before the house immigra
tlon
committee by James A. Emery,
attorney for employers' anti-union as
sociation.
The attorney said employers should
be permitted to go abroad, make con
tracts with aliens and bring them
into this country. If they did not
$'"/*•- ^ve
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^e'r contract ott arrival
they should be deported.
This astonishing statement was
-J-k made by a man employed by "big
business."
Never before,-have these profit
,.'
v
mongers and labor crushers been so
daring or so callous.
,"-^. Never before have they so frankly
i demanded that workers be peonized
g^fg and that the government aid them
in this degrading process.
These are the forces that condemn
trade unionism—can't the unorganiz
f^r~ ed workers now realize why?
~.*g. Behind the pretense and patriotic
prattle of these employers is their
longing for cheap labors—and plenty
'Vjw of it.
"7 If they could drug the public con
%4-'\'-" science they would have convict ships
running to and from Europe and Asia
manned by galley slaves.
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A
Big Business Makes Daring
Demand For Low-wage Labor
Peonize Workers
-THE W. C. FRECHTLING CO.
Our
Sale
Ends Today Saturday
JANUARY THE 19th
TO THOSE THAT APPRECIATE REAL
ISAVINGS THE FRECHTLING SALE HAS
BEEN VERY IMPORTANT SHOP NOW!
is
that the government will enforce by
threats of deportation.
With this proposal in force, work'
ers now here would also be enslaved
in short order by employers, who
would use their new power on every
jmd all occasions.
At first glance it seems inconceiv
able that even an alleged American
would propose tliis plan. On second
thought, however, the advocates of
this plan are logical.
Their peonizing idea is in accord
vdth their labor injunction and their
judicial agents who issue these writs
The labor injunction is the most
revolutionary attack ever conceived
against democratic institutions. It
sets aside government by law and
places it in the hands of a usurper,
who makes his law, interprets his
law, and enforces his law.
Meg who indorse this czarisi% are
logical when they favor the shipment
of aliens under contract to this coun
try to break strikes, and then have
the government enforce the contracts
The peonizers not only want a sup
ply of strikebreakers, but they want
Uncle Sam himself to be chief strike
breaker.
The peonizing idea of these em
ployers is in line with their belief that
labor is a commodity and that this
"commodity" should be held to its
task by law.
The one idea of these employers is
to have a cheap, submissive working
class whom they may order at will.
To "big business" the immigration
issue is a cheap labor issue. There
is not a national ideal nor a patriotic
impulse in its entire program on this
question.
If advocates of immigration restric
tion keep in mind the never-ending
hunt of "big business" for cheap la
bor, the immigration controversy will
be simplified.
that in hut two. was the court unan
imous.
In these cttses, it is pointed out, the
desires of the people have been set
aside by a majority of the court, the
supreme court assuming the power,
by its own will, to defeat the desires
of the l-epresentatives of the people.
The report also discusses the su
preme court's control over state legis
lation, the political nature of its acts,
the action of state courts under par
allel circumstances, the action of for
eign countries as to review of legis
lative acts, the manner in which con
stitutional questions may arise, the
limiting of judicial power to unanim
ity or to a percentage of judges, and
an analysis of the argument in favor
of maintaining the judicial power now
exercised.
The remedies heretofore proposed
are discussed at length and various
propositions which have been sub
mitted to congress are analyzed. Sug
gested remedies for the evils which
the report demonstrates to exist re
ceive careful attention.
NEW LABOR BANK OPENED
New York. The International
union bank, sponsored by the Inter
national Ladies' Garment Workers'
Union and other garment unions, has
opened its doors for business. It is
the fourth labor bank that has been
established in this city within the
past year.
rence
the Last Day
The W.C. Frechtling Ca
IJSURETY COUPONS GIVEN AND REDEEMED
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OPEN
UNITED EFFORT PREVENTED
Wages
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—What organiz
ed labor long ago predicted has come
to pass. Steel is finding the 8-hour
day more efficient than the old 12
hour day.
Admission that the 8-hour day is
bringing increased efficiency is made
by the Iron Age, leading organ of
the iron and steel industry. Accord
ing to a survey made by the Iron Age,
establishment of the 8-hour day has
been virtually completed in the
plants of the United States steel cor
poration and in 70 per cent of the
plants of the independent companies.
The Iron Age reports that there
was some "temporary dissatisfaction"
aqiong steel workers at the change,
owing to reduced wages. This con
dition soon gave way to general sat
isfaction at the advantages resulting
from the additional time left to the
men, the trade journal The re
sult has been a noticeable increase
of efficiency at many plant§, the in
vestigators say.
from falling.
u
We have never had a better "spirit
among our employers, and I feel that
the additional leisure time afforded
them will prove socially and indus
trially beneficial," said E. G. Grace,
president of the Bethlehem Steel
Company.
End of 12-Hour Day Outstanding
Event
In presenting reports from various
steel centers on the success of the
8-hour workday, the Iron Age says:
"The outstanding event of the
year 1923^-so far as the relations of
employers and employes in the steel
industry are concerned, was the de
cision of the leaders to abolish the
12-hour day as urged by President
Harding.
"This decision was promptly fol
lowed last August by the beginning
of the establishing of the shorter
hours by companies representing a
large percentge of the iron and steel
manufactured in the United States.
Although it was soon apparent that
the United States steel corporation
was making rapid progress and that
some independents were doing fully
as well, there has been much doubt
as to what has really been accom
plished.
"The Iron Age, through its''staff
representatives in important manu
facturing centers, has made a care
ful investigation to determine exactly
what has been accomplished in this
important movement, which followed
years of agitation.
Change Virtually Completed in Many
Plants
"The result, given in detail below,
shows that the United States steel
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A
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, JANUARY 18,1924
EVENTS OF 1923
By Courtesy of the American Federationist
NERS
VICTORIOUS!
CftCAT£t
BY TH
AF.iL
Steel Industry Finds 8-Hour Day
More Efficient, With Men Satisfied,
According to Survey by the Iron Age
corporation and a number of the in
dependents have virtually completed
the change from the 12-hour shift
to shorter hours. The estimate of
the Pittsburgh district is that all of
the employes of the steel corpora
tion and 70 per cent of the independ
ent plants are now working less than
12 hours, whfle at Chicago and some
other centers the change has been
carried out with admirable zeal to
an even greater extent.
"Definite and final information as
to additional cost of making steel un
der the new conditions may not be
available for a year or more, but up
to date the estimate that the cost
of making a ton of steel is from $2
to $3 a ton higher seems to be fairly
accurate. This increase is largely in
the steel works and rolling mills,
some blast furnace operators having
made the change at a surprisingly
small increase of cost.
"As to the effect of the change in
improving the relations of employ
ers and employes, there is strong tes
timony that despite some temporary
dissatisfaction owing to the reduction
of wages, men, as a rule, are now
thoroughly satisfied and some of
them, as is showi^ in the testimony
of the steel workers in the Buffalo
district, are enthusiastic because they
have more time to spend at home
and in recreation-. Efficiency has in
creased at many plants, but whether
this is due to the shorter hours of
work or to the fact that the demand
for labor has decreased has not been
clearly established.
"The change has not been easily
made, but has involved an immense
amount of thinking and planning.
The greatest promise of permanence
is found in the plants where the pre
liminary work was most thoroughly
done and where the officials and su
perintendents -are most heartily in
favor of shorter hours."
Steel Workmen Now Show More
Enthusiasm
The long day has almost disap
peared from the Chicago district, says
the Iron Age's Chicago report, which
is typical of the reports from other
steel centers. The concensus of opin
ion seem? to be, says the report, that
"the workmen are performing their
tasks with more zest and enthusiasm
than when they were working longer
hours." v
That the workmen prefer the
shorter workday is frankly admitted,
the report saying:
"Perhaps the most convincing tes
timony to the fact that the men pre
fer the shorter day is the experience
of the Wisconsin steel works, South
Chicago, which has been on a three-
4
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shift basis for some time. In fact,
the continuous processes at that plant
were put on a three-shift basis ap
proximately nine years ago and in
June, 1919, the machine shop em
ployes, yard laborers, and the like,
who had been working ten hours were
also placed on an 8-hour turn. These
men although working only eight
hours, were paid ten-twelfths of the
wages of the workmen employed in
other plants on 12-hour shifts yet
although their daily wages were less
than those for the long shift, the
company found no difficulty in keep
ing its employment rolls filled. The
payment of a higher hourly wage
than by mills on a long turn basis
was partly offset by the fact the labor
force was not increased 50 per cent
but only 35 per cent. The manner of
handling given tasks was so revised
that fewer men would suffice than
under the old system. There was
also some increase in tonnage output
per man. At times the increase in
production has been sufficient almost,
though not quite, to keep labor costs
down to a parity with those under
the two-shift plan."
Workers at Pittsburgh "Completely
Satisfied"
The report from Pittsburgh says
that the elimination of the 12-hour
day is at least 70 per cent completed
in the independent plants and al
most 100 per cent in the steel cor
poration units. It is stated that the
men are "completely satisfied" with
the change and that "it is generally
subscribed to that the men are a good
deal more efficient than they were
on the longer workday."
From Buffalo comes the report that
the steel workers heartily commend
the change. One plant reported that
the inauguration of the 8-hour shift
has resulted in the following:
1. Increased efficiency and pro
duction.
2. Absolute contentment of em
ployes.
3. Elimination of "slackers."
4. Labor turnover practically nil.
5. Regular attendance at work.
Similar testimony comes from the
Cleveland district, where it is re
ported the men are satisfied and that
labor has become more efficient. The
same report comes from the Birming
ham district, southern Ohio and Ken
tucky and other steel centers.
STEREOTYPERS MAKE GAINS
Providence, R. I.—Stereotypers em
ployed on newspapers in this city have
raised wages to $47 a week. The
old scale was $43 a week. The city
of Pawtucket is included in the agree
ment. ..
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The case came before the court on
the plea of the Dayton-Goose Creek
railroad, a small road in Texas which
earned in excess of 6 per cent and
then attacked the legality of the re
capture clause. This railroad was
merely a vehicle for larger railroads
to attack the law, as 19 systems,
joined in asking the court to set aside
WITHOUT LIMIT
Are Profits of Big Corpora
tions Reported in Wall
Street
Cleaning For Last Year
Greatest in History of
Capitalist Combines
New York.—With the new year
comes the annual story of sensational
earnings by great industrial forma
tions and combinations of capitalists.
Banks are also declaring large divi
dends, all of which are being quietly
referred to in the lingo of the finan
cial district, that the populace may
not become too curious and investi
gate values that are created by work
ers employed in industries where low
wages, long hours and poor condi
tions are the rule.
Some profits are so large they stag
ger the imagination. The net gains
of Sears-Roebuck mail order house
has reached such proportions that this
corporation will increase its contribu
tion to its employes savings and profit
sharing fund, a scheme whereby these
workers will abjure unionism, forget
low wages and "take an interest in the
business." This corporation has $8,
000,000 of preferred stock, at a par
value of $100 a share. During the
past eight years earnings on this stock
totaled $920.46 a share, while the cor
poration retained $428.35 a share for
its surplus account. In other words,
during the past eight years for every
$100 of stock the profit in excess of
the regular 7 per cent interest has
been $1,348.21. Of this amount the
stockholders received 7 per cent in
terest and an additional $920.46.
Profits have also flown in a golden
stream into the coffers of such con
cerns as the Studebaker automobile
corporation, International harvester,
American locomotive, Allis-Chalmers,
American woolen, Corn products, R.
J. Reynolds tobacco, Baldwin locomo
tive and May department stores.
Profits of the latter concerns for the
last eight years totaled $547.61 for
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Railroads Must Divide 5
Profits: Supreme Court
Makes An Unusual
Washington.—The section of the
transportation act which ^requires a
railroad that earns profits in excess
of 6 per cent to turn one-half of this
amount into the United States treas
ury, has been upheld by the United
States supreme court. This section
is known as "the recapture clause."
The decision is a most sweeping
one, and takes advanced ground on the
limitation of railroad profits. It is
declared that no matter how econom
ically a railroad is managed "it is not
entitled as a constitutional right to
more than a fair return upon the
value of its properties."
This view may shock those who re
fuse to see any difference between a
public utility and a private business,
and who insist that the former should
have the same latitude as private
concerns in making charges.
"By investment in a business dedi
cated to the public service," said the
court, "the owner must recognize that,
as compared with investment in pri
vate business, he can r.ot expect either
high or speculative dividends but that
his obligation limits him to only fair
or reasonable profit."
The Quality of
Shipper Diamonds is
Our First Consideration
A FLAWLESS—PERFECT
FIRST WATER GEM
Is a Source of Constant Satisfactioat
SQUARE DEAL PRICE TAOS
Will Assure You ml the String
SCHIPPER
Jewelry and Optical Co.
156 HIGH ST.
y-f* '.±--ir-
1
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
«£,v
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this sectionr on the ground that it It
confiscatory and that it goes beyond:
the powers of the law, which was in
tended merely to regulate rates.
The court replied that this is too
narrow a view of the clause. "To
regulate in the sense intended is to
foster, protect and control the com
merce with appropriate regard to the
welfare of those who are immediately
concerned, as well as the public at
large, and to promote its growth and
insure its safety," said the court.
"If congress has the power to build
railroads under the commerce clause .,
it may certainly exert affirmative^
control over privately-owned railroads^:
to see that such railroads are equip
ped to perform, and do perform, the.
requisite public service."
New York.—No surprise was creat
ed in inner railroad circles because^
the supreme court upheld the recap
ture clause of the transportation act.
Months ago attorneys for these offi
cials quietly warned them that "th*
chances favored such a decision."
Some of the officials secretly fa
vor the clause and hoped that the
court would sustain the act. While
the officials publicly took the opposite
position, they privately expressed the
belief that with the recapture clause
in effect the interstate commerce com
mission would be more liberal with
allowing rates for all the railroads if
there was a check upon the earnings
of the stronger roads.
each share of stock having a par
value of $100. This is outside the
regular 7 per cent interest. In addi
tion there was an undivided profit of
$337.92 per share. In a group of
leading industrial corporations, the
smallest profits the past eight years
were International harvester and Al
lis-Chalmers, though the former pro
fits reached the astounding figure of
$148.30 for each share of stock having
a par value of $100. This was exclu
sive of regular dividends and did not
include $68.20 of profits on every
share that was set aside for surplus.
Profits of Allis-Chalmers was $143.48
per share and $49.76 per share in sur
plus account, besides interest.
Banks are sharing in this general
prosperity. The First National Bank"
of this city has just declared an extra
dividend of 20 per cent, in addition to
the regular quarterly dividend of 10
per cent, or 40 pe rcent a year. The
extra dividend brings the total divi
dends for the year to 60 per cent, or
$6,000,000. This stock is now selling
for $1,425 a share.
The above is indicative of profits en
joyed in select industrial and banking
circles which are controlled by those
who insist that an excess profits tax
"scares capital and deadens initia
tive."
PACKERS' WAR
FROFITS DON'T
SATISFY
THEM
Washington.—Several meat pack
ing companies, including Armour,
Morris, Wilson and Swift, have joined
hands in a raid for $7,000,000 on the
United States treasury. The suit is
filed in the United States court of
claims, and is based on the govern
ment's alleged failure to buy meat
which the packers claim was produced
under purchase contracts with
Um
war department after the singing of
the armistice.
The government denies the exist
ence of such a contract, and has filed
with the court a counter claim for
$2,000,000 excessive profits on sales
to the government.
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