The Butler County press. [volume], June 13, 1924, Image 1

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

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VOL. XXIV. No. 9
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.,—The long fight
for a national child labor law is ended.
At last the people of the United
States are in a fair way to prohibit
child labor regardless of hostile Sup
refne Court decisions.
Child slavery's doom was sounded
by the action of the Senate in pass
ing the child labor amendment by a
vote of 61 to 23, which was five more
than the necessary two-thirds. As the
amendment had previously passed the
House, it now goes to the states for
ratification.
In recent years,Congress has twice
passed laws prohibiting child labor
and in both cases the laws have been
declared unconstitutional by the Su
preme Court, despite unmistakable
indications that the people strongly
favored the laws. The child labor
amendment will become part of the
Constitution when it has been passed
by three-quarters of the states and it
will then be safe from Supreme Court
attack.
Debate Precedes Vofte
The debate in the Senate which
preceded the vote on the amendment
occupied a large part of three days,
nearly all of the Senators speaking
on the subject. Southern Senators
marshaled the assault on the amend
ment, some of them quoting Scrip
ture at length in an endeavor to jite
tify labor by children but all their
eloquence was in vain.
The vote was as follows:
For the amendment:
Republicans Ball, Brandegee,
Brookhart, Bursum Cameron, Cap
per, Colt, Cummins, Curtis Dale,
Edge, Ernst, Fernald, Fess, Frazier,
Hale, Harreld, Howell, Johnson, of
California Jones, of Washington
Keyes, Ladd, La Follette, Lenroot,
BOOMERANG
Proves the Attack of Man
agers on Actors' Union
New York.—The Fidelity League, a
company "union," formed by theatri
cal managers, has been shattered by
it4 friends.
Child Labor Amendment
Wins In Senate, 61 to 23,
And Now Goes To States
The trouble was caused by a state
ment issued from the office of Henry
Miller, actor-manager, who condemn
ed the Actors' Equity Association for
affiliating with trade unions who were
chai'ged with resorting to violence.
The names of several well-known
actors and actresses were signed to
the statement.
As a protest against the unauthor
ized use of their names, William
Faversham and David Warfield re
signed from the company "union.
The statement was repudiated by sev
eral other stars.
Equity officials point out that the
atrical managers have acknowledged
they organized the Fidelity League at
the suggestion of E. F. Albee, presi
dent of Keith's vaudeville, with the
purpose of breaking the Equity strike
of 1919 and destroying that organiza
tion.
In a letter to a local newspaper,
Francis Wilson, the well-known com
edian and former president of Equity,
says:
"Why are some of these members
of the Fidelity not brave to come out
With the truth and say that Equity
has no booking offices, no theatres
and that, therefore, their desires and
comfort and profit lie with managers
who have booking offices, theatres and
profit, and that it is a matter of com
plete indifference to them what be
comes of the people of their profes
sion who are less gifted, less fortu
nate than they?
"It is wonderful, at this late day
to see these people wave their worn
out phrase 'restriction of liberty,' as
if such existed in any country which
might at any hour draft any inliabi
tant as gun fodder. Personal liberty
Lodge, McCormick* McKinley, Mc
Lean, McNary, Norbeck, Norris,
Oddie, Pepper, Phipps, Shortridge,
Spencer, Standfield, Sterling, Watson
and Willis—40.
Democrats—Adams, Ashurst, Cara
way, Copeland, Gerry, Glass, Harri
son, Jones, of New Mexico Kendrick,
McKellar, Mayfield, Neely, Pittman,
Robinson Sheppard, Sheilds, Standley,
Walsh, of Massachusetts Walsh, of
Montana—19.
Farmer-Labor—Johnson, of Minne
sota, and Shipstead—2.
Total for, 61.
Against:
Republicans Borah, Gooding,
Moses, Reed, of Pennsylvania Smoot
and Wadsworth—6.
TO THE PUBUC
Democrats Bayard, Broussard,
Bruce, Dial, Edwards, Fletcher,
George, Heflin, King, Overman, Rans
dell, Reed, of Missouri Simmons,
Smith, Stephens, Swanson and Tram
mell—17.
Total against, 23.
Labor Backed Amendment
Led by the American Federation
of Labor, organized labor has en
thusiastically supported the amend
ment. The fight was launched last
November, when the Federation
joined with more than a score of na
tional organizations in indorsing the
amendment and pledging themselves
to wage an aggressive fight for it.
The amendment is as followsr
"ARTICLE
"Section 1.—The congress shall
have power to limit, regulate and
prohobit the labor of persons under
eighteen years of age.
"Section 2.—The power" of several
states is unimpaired by this article,
except that the operation of state
laws shall be suspended to the ex
tent necessary to give effect to legis
lation enacted by congress."
Why, one can not even cross a street
as he pleases, and it is well he can
not.
"What these Fidelity stars mean is
not 'personal liberty,' but gross sel
fishness."
CANT USE STRIKE
Following is a list of Master Plumbers in Hamilton
employing only UNION Journeymen Plumbers and fair to
organized labor:
Martin Arnold Louis B. Schaub
Geo. O. Betscher Seevers & Ballett
Jack Dedrick Albert Shuler & Son
Economy Plumbing Co. Harry J. Thompson
Fled J. Fwi The JohnjL«Walker
Ray Martz
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Plumbers Local Union
No. 108
0
To Violate Contract With
out First Attempting to
Avoid Conflict, Jury
Decides
New York,—If a decision by a sup
reme court jury in Justic Burr's room
is upheld ,a business man can not use
a strike to evade contract obligations
unless he proves he attempted to pre
vent the strike.
The case was a dispute between a
broker and a cotton goods manufact
urer over the delivery of goods. The
manufacturer pleaded that a strike in
his mill relieved him of responsibility
as his contract with the broker pro
vided for delays due to fire, strikes or
"other conditions beyond control."
On cross-examination it was
shown that the loom fixers had de
manded wage increases in the cotton
mill and asked for a conference two
weeks before the strike was called
The management replied by taking a
way the assistants to the loom fixers
The latter then suspended work.
In his charge to the jury, Justice
Burr called attention to the novel
questions involved, and asked for a
finding as to whether the strike was a
matter beyond the control of the man
ufacturer. The court said:
"The strike clause does not mean
that whenever a strike is threatened
or occurs, the manufacturer may a
bandon all effort to avert it and fold
his hands until such time as lower
wages may prevail or until such time
as the strikers may give in."
The jury found that the strike was
not "beyond control" of the manufac
turer.
JAMES W. GRAFF, Business Agent*
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(Copyright, W
By International Labor News Service.1
Washington, D. C.—Solemn protest
against the failure of congress to en
act farm relief legislation was voiced
by Senator Royal S. Copeland, of New
York, in a senate speech directing at
tention to the plight of the farmers,
and analyzing the relation between
agriculture and the prosperity of city
workers.
"I warn the senate," Senator Cope
land declared, "that if agriculture is
permitted to go into the ditch, then
as certain as the sun rises and sets,
we and our mills and factories will
go into the ditch also. Agricul
ture has come to the edge of the preci
pice. The masses in the city have
arrived at the breaking point. In
short, the individual food producer
and the individual food consumer can
take no further step without disaster.
Sole hope of assistance lies in the
government.
Asserting that a complete collapse
of American agriculture is perilously
near, Senator Copeland pointed out
that the rush to the cities of im
poverished farmers and farm workers
was menacing the wage scales and
living standards of American labor.
He said that the shopmen on some
railroads were defeated in the 1922
strike because their places were taken
by young farmers who could not earn
a living for themselves and their fam
ilies on the farms and who therefore
accepted the wage scales offered by
the railroads.
Rttsh to City Menaces Labor's
Scale of Wages
"Unless we can stop the rush of
hundreds of thousands of young farm
ers from the abandoned farms to our
industrial centers, then the day of
the soup kitchens is not far away,
said the senator. He continued:
REFUSE TO DIVIDE
Attempt To Split U. S. and Can
adian Workers Fails
Montreal, Quebec.—Following" the
A. F. of L. executive council meeting
in this city, attempts are again being
made to divide workers of Canada and
the United States.
While here President Gompers dem
onstrated that if nothing but cold dol
lars were considered, Canadian trade
unionists are receiving from their in
ternational unions more than they
give. The other considerations, how
ever, are understood by workers on
both sides of the boundary. The fra
ternity and unity between workers of
the two countries is unsatisfactory to
certain interests and in a leading edi
torial the Montreal Gazette complains
that Canadian workers do not manage
their own affairs. The Gazette insists
that this situation "from the Canadian
point of view, is economically unde
sirable, besides being humiliating, and
it is something against which Cana
dian legislatures should resolutely set
their faces."
The dazette approves a jingo speech
by Mr. McCrea, member from Sher
brooke, who spoke in the house of
commons against Canadian workers
aligning themselves as they do.
At the next meeting of the Montreal
trades and labor council the McCrea
speech was declared "devoid of truth
ful foundation." Such misrepresenta
tion "when uttered by labor represant-
1 1
Unsullied
Copeland Sternly Rebukes Congress
For Failure to Help Agriculture
Sees Farm Situation Menacing Labor
"When I contemplate what has
been taking place during the last 18
months and what is taking place with
increasing momentum during each
passing day, I cannot conceal my as
tonishment at the apparent indiffer
ence with which some members of
this body seem to view this phase
of the situation.
Farm Situation Worse Danger
Than Immigration
'The leaders of organized labor
are most emphatic in demanding a
rigid exclusion of foreign immigra
tion from this time forward. Why?
Because very naturally and with
much justice they do not want the
jobs of American working men to be
menaced by classes of labor which
ar,e accustomed to a much lower plane
of living than are the toilers of our
own country. But of what practical
benefit are rigid exclusion laws which
annually shut out some tens of thous
sands of foreigners when ten times
this number of farmers are flocking
to our large cities, where, unham
pered by the ties of unionism, they
become bidders for the union man's
job?
*1 understand that representatives
of the American Federation of Labor
have appeared before the house and
senate committees on agriculture ad
vocating the passage of the immigra
tion bill. One of the chief reasons
they, advanced was the ever-increas
in*g migration of the farm workers to
the cities. The labor leaders must
not content themselves with casual
support of farm relief, because there
tives and unshielded by political priv
eges, is sometimes considered as se
itious and dealt with accordingly,"
e unionist declared.
HAND-PICKED 'UNION'
Rejected By Detroit Street
Car Men
Detroit, Mich.,—Out of 3,900'me
mbers of the Street Car Men's union,
but a small percentage voted for the
company "union" that was arranged
by city officials who operate the mun
icipal street car system. Three hun
red workers cast blank ballots as a
protest against the management's at
tempt to interfere with the union.
While street car men are negotiaing
a new agreement with the commis
sioners, the latter would dictate who
shall represent the workers. In pre
paring their slate, the commissioners
used names of employes who were not
consulted. Coercion was applied, and
fairness and decency were disregarded
by the commissioners. Men were re
lieved from duty to vote and others
were brought from their homes. Cer
tain workers were quietly informed
that it would be "to their interest" to
accept the company's plan.
At a mass meeting attended by over
3,060 of these unionists, International
President Mahon and other executives
were given a rousing reception and
their policies were indorsed.
The resolutions include this refer
ence to Garyism by company officials
"Whereas, on May 12, 1924, when
'i".<p></p>COUNTY
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BUTLER PRESS
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New York Senator Warns that Industry Faces Certain
Disaster Unless Government Comes to Aid of Farm
ers—Rush of Agricultural Workers to Cities Threat
ens Labor's Wage Scale and Living Standards.
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, JUNE 13,1924 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAH
exists an economic condition which
menaces the security of American la
bor a thousandfold more than the
menace of immigration. The time
is not far distant when to the cry of
America for Americans' there will be
added the slogan, 'The city job for
the city toiler, and a decent living
for the farmer who gives life to all.'
Sees Soup Kitchens Near Unless Aid
Is Given
"When I plead for a condition of
happiness and prosperity on the
myriad farms of the nation that shall
make the farm workers content to re
main at the crossroads, I am not
merely pleading for the well-being of
agriculture. On the contrary, I am
pleading for every working man and
woman in the state of New York and
of the country. I am doing what lit
tle I can to prevent the coming of
the soup kitchens which, unless the
impending collapse of agriculture is
arrested, are just a little way around
the corner."
Senator Copeland stressed the
farmer's need of co-operation, telling
of the benefit that capital* and labor
have derived from organization, and
declaring that labor has made itself
secure by collective bargaining
'Everybody is aware," he said, "of
what labor has gained through collec
tive bargaining. Every honest man
must admit how impossible would
have been this advance of labor from
a veritable serfdom to its present
position without collective bargain
ing. Likewise, all are aware of what
capital has accomplished by combina
tion."
each of us as platform employes re
ported for work we were compelled
under the direction of Assistant Gen
eral Manager Schram, to sign our
names and cast a ballot declaring
whether we would continue to work or
not, and the ballot was then opened
and if we had refused or protested we
were told we could not work."
FEDERAL WORKERS
PAY TOO MUCH RENT
Washington Federal employes in
the District of Columbia are paying
two-thirds of their wages fdr rent
said Assistant Attorney General Un
derwood, in urging Justice Stafford
not to enjoin the enforcement of the
rent regulation law, that has been ex
tended by congress.
Mr. Underwood told the court there
are 65,000 government employes who
receive an average wage of $1,408
year. Instead of paying one-fourth
of this amonut for rent, they are now
paying nearly two-thirds, said Mr
Underwood.
ANTIS DEFEATED
San Jose, Cal.—Voters repudiated
the "American plan" and the entire
anti-union posse by re-electing Wil
liam J. Bigger, member of the Car
penters' Union, to the city council
The unionist was supported by large
elements of the citizenship, including
churchmen and merchants, who at
tired of the union-smashing policy of
the "American planners."
Washington.—In an address at the
university of Pittsburgh a represent
ative of the national association of
manufacturers blamed the union shop
for increased rents and mentioned
Washington, D. C., as one of these cit
ies.
This claim is made just when the
District of Columbia is investigating
the frenzied finance of large property
owners and investment houses in this
ctiy.
In a probe of apartment houses, the
District of Columbia rent commission
reports 32 of the larger properties
are mortgaged $9,000,000 more than
they sold for at their last selling.
To pay the interest on these trusts,
or mortgages, rents were increased
to such figures that a rent commis
sion was created to control the goug
ing.
Real estate corporation and mort
gage companies organized dummy
corporations in their offices and trans
ferred large properties to clerks who
again morgaged the properties and
boosted rents.
In explaining how fictitious values
are placed on properties by these
transfers, Senator Ball said:
"I will ju.st. quote briefly, for in-
CANCER CURE
PREDICTED
New York.—A cure for cancer will
be discovered within a few years, was
the prediction of Dr. Charles H. Mayo,
noted surgeon of Rochester, Minn., at
the opening of a cancer clinic in this
city.
pr. Mayo said that reseach work
is crystalizing toward a cure, and
he believed it would be discovered by
Amercan physicians "within a few
years."
We are on the right track," said
Dr. Mayo. "Cancer is as old as hu
man history. It is a bolshevik cell
which attacks and destroys the health
cells that are living in a normal way
and«*t occurs in any part of the hu
man body."
Dr. Mayo denied that excessive
meat eating causes cancer. Lapland
ers and other excessive meat eaters
of the far north rarely have it, while
it is frequently found among those
whose diet is fruits and vegetables
Overeating
in
one of the chief causes
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building Probe Shatters
"High Wage Alibi Frenzied
Finance Boosts The Rents
stance, one apartment house,
THIS WEEK
The probe revealed that trusts or
mortgages were then sold to the pub
lic in small denominations, and rents
were increased to assu#e the high rate
of
interest
on
the
Alex Smith and Sons
Ardsley Axminster
Rugs
9x12 Size
$25.50
ficitious values.
EMPLOYERS ARE
AIDED BY COM
PANY "UNION"
Portland, Ore.—A company "union,"
maintained by lumber barons, is their
best aid to wage reductions through
out the northwest. The official title
of the "union" is loyal legion of log
gers and lumbermen.
In every instance the company
"union" favoi's wage cuts. In Bright
on, this state, employes of the Bright
on Mills Company were cut to $3.60
a day. The management then sug
gested a mass meeting to "consider"
the question. At the meeting a "field
officer" of the company "union" an
nounced that he had examined the
company's books and found reductions
were necessary.
The same method is applied in
other localities. The Four Bulletin,
official magazine of the company
"union," is in hearty accord with the
wage-cutting plan of the lumber
barons.
Subscribe for The Press.
Direct Factory Representatives for
COLUMBIA and BRENLIN WINDOW SHADES
Me hang all Shades with screws
K-R-E-B-S
Rug Department
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which
cost $200,000, plus the cost of thft
land, which was $18,000. It is as*
sessed at $235,502. It has trusts
against it amounting to $609,500.
"The Chastleton (an apartment
building) is assessed at $1,419,387.
With its improvements, it cost $1,
800,000. It was sold, or transferred
on a fictitious sale, for $3,000,000. It
has trusts against it of $2,863,500,
more than a million more than it cost
when built.
"Wardman Courts, an apartment,
cost $1,262,960. It has been sold for
$1,250,000/ It has against it trusts
of $2,397,500, over $1,150,000. more
than it sold for at the last selling.
"Going on down, taking some o£
those with which we are familiar, the
Roosevelt hotel cost about $1,500,000.
It has trusts against it today of $2,»
865,000.
"A small apartment which cost
$60,000 to build has been sold for
$77,500. There are trusts of $165,000
against it today."
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