The Butler County press. [volume], January 16, 1925, Image 2

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

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THE PRESS
ORGAN OF ORGANIZED
LABOR
OF HAMILTON AND VICINITY
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tOHIO LA80S PRESS Asswj
Members
Labor Press Association
THE NONPAREIL PRINTING CO.
PUBLISHERS AND PROPRIETORS
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Year
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of all societies and organizations, and should
be addressed to The Butler County Press, 326
Market Street, Hamilton, Ohio.
The publishers reserve the right to reject
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cation.
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be authenticated by the name and address of
the writer, not necessarily for publication, but
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faith.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1925
Entered at the Postoffice at Hamilton,
Ohio, as Second Class Mail Matter
Issued Weekly at 826 Market Street
Telephone 12M Hamilton, Ohio
Endorsed by the Trades and Labor
Council of Hamilton, Ohio
Endorsed by the Middletown Trades
and Labor Council of Middletown, O.
GORDON RENTSCHLER AND
HAMILTON HONORED
Hamilton is again honored. This
time by the elevation of one of its
foremost citizens, Gordon S. Rent
schler, to the vice presidency and
assistant to the president of the Na
tional City Bank, of New York, known
as the largest banking institution in
the United States.
Hamiltonians are not only proud be
cause of the honor Mr. Rentschler's
business abilities recognition by the
great banking concern brings to the
city, but they are proud and glad
that these honors have come to Gor
don Rentsehler, than whom there
no more highly regarded and respect
ed citizen in Hamilton.
Every one who knows Gordon Rent
sehler intimately likes him. His is
likeable nature. Always ready with a
cheery salutation and a smile, his is
the nature and disposition of a great
big boy. But my, what an old man's
head for business that boy has on
those great, broad shoulders of his!
A head for business now recognized
by the greatest banking institution
in the country. Hamilton is indeed
protid.
All Hamilton owes much to Gordon
Rentsehler. The workers are indebted
deeply to him for employment, for to
him, more than any other one man
in fact one might say to him alone
is due the credit for the establishing
here of the Ford plant with its more
than two thousand employes with the
outlook of many hundreds more to be
employed in the future. Not only the
direct employes of this big plant are
benefitted, but /the building trades
have also been greatly benefitted by
the erection here of the big plant
with more to come, as it is predicted
that there will be a continuous build
ing and enlarging of the plant.
Then, too, it has been due to the
hustling ability and influence of
Gordon Rentsehler in the past, that
the big Hooven-Owens-Rentschler
Co. plant, employing hundreds of men
has been kept busy. The Hamilton
Foundry & Machine Co. is another
big plant that Mr. Rentsehler
Baerfacts
all
the powerful big interests of
the country.
deeply interested in and keeps busy.
There are other concerns in Hamilton
in which his guiding hand has done
much to keep workers employed.
With the circulation of the great
amount of money it takes to make
up these various payrolls the mer
chants and business men of Hamilton
are much benefitted, and they too owe
much to Gordon Rentsehler. There
fore, all Hamilton is glad for the
honors that have come to a Hamil
ton boy for whom Hamiltonians have
none but the kindliest thoughts and
feelings.
To the many that have been ex
tended the Press wishes to add its
congratulations to Gordon Rentsehler
with every best wish that still greater
things may come to him in the future
to to Ilk V*
A WILD TALE
We don't know the brand of
hootch" or "moon" indulged in or
the kind of dope smoked by the
writer of the article which appeared
in the Cincinnati Times-Star last week
on police and fire department condi
tions in Hamilton, but it surely must
be of the tree-climbing variety. He
certainly ran wild and painted a
lurid picture of the dangers and fears
of our local people. Reading the
article would lead one to believe that
Hamilton citizens after dark put the
chain across the door, loosed the dog
and then spend the night with a shot
gun across the knee, guarding the
family against all kinds of horrors.
The article was ridiculous in the
extreme. The wrwiter said we have
but three men doing police duty when
the city is employing nine men regu
larly, the merchants employ five more
and together with those employed by
different sections of the city we have
more than twenty men doing regular
police duty. Then too, most every
citizen is helping in his own way to
guard against any uprising on the
part of night workers, thieves, hold
ups, etc. The writer of the T.-S
article simply lied or was given the
"dope" by some dissatisfied Hamil
tonian. If the latter, he should be
given his "passports"—he doesn't
belong here.
Of course it is to be regretted that
some of our city officials should
have taken the stubborn stand which
they did, when the Chamber of Com
merce committee offered suggestions
and agreed to see the matter through,
for if they had not assumed the "we
don't need your advice, we can take
care of ourselves, get out" attitude,
things wouldn't be as they are today.
But that's past. Things are not as
bad as they might be. The predicted
crime wave failed to develop, so let's
quiet down and quit kickin'.
Let's quit broadcasting our troubles
and get down to boosting the old town
—quit knocking it. She's the best old
town in the world at that. Let's get
set for the predicted prosperity boom
of 1925 and quit worrying about
police protection—that is taking care
of itself, AND IN FINE FASHION,
in n A A Ife
LEARNED SOMETHING
At the time city council spurned the
suggestions and offer of help by the
Chamber of Commerce for solving
the problem of the city's financial
predicament and the leader of council
said it would be an easy matter to
go out and collect from the citizens
and firms the amount necessary to
run the safety department, the Press
said the leader of council would learn
much before he got through collect
ing. And if he'll own the truth he
will say right now that we were right
Simply because some big firm pledg
ed $1,000 the council leader thought
collecting $20,000 would be easy pick
in'. And then too, wonder if the coun
cil leader didn't think he saw a grand
stand chance for showing some people
up! He's new in the game, but he's
lrarninjr. We all have to have our
By J. M. BAER, The Congressman-Cartoonist
International Labor News Service
Power Trust Attempting Big Steal
Senator Norris has temporarily
checked the attempt of the power
trust to grab off Muscle Shoals,
one of the most valuable power
sitew in the country. Although
few senators were in fheir seats
while the Nebraska senator made
his speech, the people read of the
gigantic steal, and now senators
are hearing from all parts of the
cour.iry. It will be a great vic
tory for the people if Senator
Norris is able to save this great
water-power sfte by defeating the
I'nderwood bill, which would turn
it over to the Alabama Power
Company, a tenticle of the great
power trust monopoly. The Un
derwood bill has the backing of
the administration, the United
States Chamber of Commerce and
1-V
The bill was practically assured
of passage when Norris made his
attack. He said, in part:
"If this administration meas-.
ure, fathered here by the senator
from Alabama, shall be enacted
into law, it will ultimately be
recognized as a rape upon the
treasury of 'the United States, a
goldbrick to the American farm
er, and the giving of a concession
of untold value to some corpora
tion whose identity has not yet
been disclosed—a concession so
great that it will make Teapot
Dome look like a pinhead.
"Doheny and Sinclair will soon
realize that they were only pikers
when they spent, hundreds of
thousands of dollars for the cor
rupting of public officials."
.. -i
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lessons and learn. And this is not
being said in a spirit of sarcasm,
either. It is the plain, simple, Un
varnished truth.
We also said at the time that the
Chamber of Commerce would eventu
ally have to finish the job of raising
funds. We note where the committee
hiked to Columbus the other day to
pave the way before the legislature.
It will be remembered we said of the
C. of C. "eventually, why not now."
Well—ain't she comin' around that
way?
to to to to to
SHULER GUILTY?
Guilty! Who, Mayor Shuler?
Should say not. Why, he's our pet
lambkin and a 'dry.' It's a frame-up.
And how can a 'dry' be guilty of
anything wrong? Pre-posterous!" so
say the Seven Mileians and "drys"
when speaking of the charges made
against Mayor Shuler possessing and
giving away liquor. That claim of
"frame-up" is surely being worked
overtime these days. It is becoming
shelf-worn. Every time they catch
'em at it now they holler "frame-up."
We are not passing on the question
of guilt in the case of Mayor Shuler,
but there isn't a doubt about the
evidence in this case being much
weightier than in many cases where
Mayor Shuler soaked the poor devil
brought before him as much as $2,000
and sent him to jail if he couldn't
pay. About the worst the well wish
ers of his honor hope for him is that
he be treated no worse than he has
treated,- that he receive as he has
given, that he only be done by as he
has done unto others, etc., etc.—you
know.
to to to to to
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION
By Will J. Rohrer
What was the intent and purpose
of the men who framed the workmen's
compensation law of Ohio? Was it
to delay and wear down the ones to
whom benefits are due and keep from
their loved ones the paltry sum that
might accrue in case of sudden death
by accident?
No! It was framed and passed that
justice might partially come to those
who suffered and those that might
suffer. It was framed and passed
that the murderous practices of
judges, lawyers and courts might have
an end in the keeping away from in
jured workmen a right conceded to
inanimate objects.
Thus it was with dismay that we
read in the daily press that after six
long years the court of common pleas
in Hamilton county, Ohio, in a jury
verdict, had awarded the widow of a
workman who was killed on his way
to his place of employment, a judg
ment that gave to his widow and
children that which the writers of the
law intended she should have m
stanter.
The case had been fought by the
industrial commission upon the
ground that Andrew Huber, while on
his way to his employment, through
no negligence on his part, was killed
Mind you, while on his way to his
place of employment!
Quite correctly the law does not
permit compensation for a death
while a man sits at home shoveling
coal into his furnace or cutting the
grass on the lawn of the church
which he may attend. But the law
clearly and understandingly states
that an award must be made when
a workman loses his life in the course
of his employment. And if going to
and from a man's place of employ
ment is not part of his job, then in
the name of Sam Hill what is it?
It was also intended that when the
law was placed in operation that hu
maneness and justice would be the
paramount principle. Now it appears
that the industrial commissoin in this
particular case were not able to per
mit common sense to prevail, but
must of necessity listen to the spe
cious pleas of lawyers who failed to
carry with them upon their gradua
t.ion as lawyers any of the finer sensi
bilities of humanity and justice.
As one of the framers of that law
we gaze in askance at the utter wan
tonness displayed in this case
James Harrington Boyd, chairman
of the commission George Perks
vice-chairman, and the writer knew
what was intended, and it is a sad
commentary that with the passage of
all these years it takes an outside
lawyer, six years of energy and much
time and money to drive into the
heads of the industrial commission
that instant justice should and must
bo done, when the demise of a work
man has been legally proven.
Governor Donahey might reason
ably inquire whether some of the
members know why they are serving
upon the industrial commission, and
1
5«
whether they really know the differ- (bequeathed to his descendants
ence of a man being killed in a shoplyond price.
THElBUTLEfc COUNTY PRESS
and plant, or while he is on the job] And it should be the glory of organ-
going to his place of employment.
It is true his time does not begin
until the bell rings, but it is also
true that if the bell were not there,
he would not leave his home to go
out and take the risk of being killed
for the mere sake of being numbered
with his forefathers.
The commission has done good
work, but it is such cases as the one
referred to that brings on a stench
that causes those who love their fel
lows the keenest anguish, especially
when a home may be broken up and
the family disintegrated.
Judge Roettinger, before whom the
case was tried, deserves credit for
charging his jury quite so humanely.
(Note—In this case it was claimed
that the man had not started to per
form his usual routine of work. It
was proven that he had left the city
of Cincinnati to go to the city water
works. It was proven that he arrived
all safe and sound, but that prior to
his punching the time-clock, he slip
ped, was injured and died of the in
juries sustained. The industrial com
mission held that inasmuch as the
man had not punched the clock he
was not on his job. The jury's ver
dict writes that the industrial com
mission must take another reef in its
humaneness, or rather inhumane
ness.)
to to to to to
SAMUEL GOMPERS' ESTATE
Samuel Gompers left an estate val
ued at about $30,000, according to the
son named as executor under the will.
The great labor leader could have
left an estate of thirty million if the
accumulations of a fortune had play
ed even a secondary part in his life
work.
There are men who rank high in
financial and social circles whose god
is gold. In reaching out for the
goods of this world they ignore the
moral code and strive only to remain
within the law written by human
hands. Some, in their greed, even go
so far as to shatter legislative enact
ments, in their reckless pursuit of
gain they overstep the deadline mark
ed out for the protection of organized
society.
For more than forty years Gompers
was president of the American Feder
ation of Labor. The largest salary
he ever drew as head of the federa
tion was ten thousand. Up to last
year he only drew seven thousand
This year it was proposed to increase
his salary but he himself killed the
proposition by refusing to accept the
advance. He was not directing the
affairs of organized labor for gain
He was in the work because of his
interest in the welfare of humanity.
Relatively, thirty thousand dollars
may be regarded as much or little
In Gompers' case it wasn't a big
lifetime savings for a man of Gom
pers' ability. After half a century
of strenuous work, it might have
been expected that waning physical
strength would have forced the labor
leader to retire. Even so, there was
the possibility that he might have
lived ten or fifteen years. The
thirty thousand dollars that his thrift
enabled him to lay aside would not
have been more than enough to care
for him in his declining years.
But the point is this: A selfish
man, or one whose conception of honor
was not so lofty as that of Gompers
could have multiplied that thirty
thousand a hundred fold without, per
haps, arousing suspicion.
During the long and honorable
career of Gompers there arose many
industrial controversies between cap
ital and labor. For the greater part
the result of these disputes was con
tingent on the attitude of Gompers
Usually the question was, "What will
Gompers do? What will Gomper
say
ft.
Doubtless there were many occa
sions when the president of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor could have
reaped a golden harvest by merely
remaining inactive—doing nothing
saying nothing, but that was not the
Gompers' way.
The great majority of those who
took issue with Gompers in these la
bor disputes were men of honor. They
believed in the justice of their cause
but would not attempt to bring about
its triumph in any but an honorable
S
way.
But those who would act on the
theory that the end justifies the means
dared not approach Gompers with un
clean hands. They knew that neither
gold nor position would tempt him
and that any suggestion of self
aggrandizement would be spurned
and exposed.
When divided among heirs the
thirty thousand dollar estate will be
only a trifle. But the good name he
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ized labor that it has ft part ill this
rich heritage.—Ex.
If you will just watch for the
union label on the work garments
and underwear you buy, you won't
have to worry about them being
prison-made and you will be assured
of the absence of that itching and
crawling sensation.
LOSS OF LIFE
In Coal Mines in Many Cases
Due to Incompetent
Workers
Seattle, Wash.—"The disastrous
explosion that occurred in the Bur
nett mine last week brings afresh to
mind the constant menace of the con
tinued operation of deep and danger
ous coal mines in Washington by in
experienced outsiders," says the State
Labor News.
"The Burnett mine, like the Car
bonado mine, Black Diamond and New
Castle mines, located in Western
Washington, are among the most dan
gerous mines in the nation. During
all the years they operated with ex
perienced union miners accidents
were held down to a minimum, the
number steadily decreasing each year
until a record for safety, second to
none in the nation, had been estab
lished.
"In fact, the record for safety
established by union miners in the
Roslyn-Cle Elum field in 'the past
three years, with only one fatality
is the best record in the mining in
dustry.
Since the operation of the mines
in Western Washington began with
inexperienced non-union crews, hard
ly a week has passed without serious
accidents. The number of fatalities
together with permanent and partial
disabilities, in their totality, are an
appalling indictment of non-union and
inexperienced operation.
"While this great sacrifice of hu
man life and limb goes on, there are
hundreds of experienced union min
ers available in King and Pierce
counties. They are thoroughly ca
pable to operate these mines and
safeguard them against increasing
sacrifice of human life. These men
are working in sawmills and at gen
eral common labor, and most of them
would be glad to take their places
again in the mines were the doors not
closed against them."
PHYSICIANS REFUSE
TO BE STANDARDIZED
San Francisco. The California
Federation of Labor protests against
the latest economy plan of the state
industrial commission, which proposes
to establish a fee schedule for physi
cians and surgeons.
"In other words," officers of the
federation say, "workers' limbs are to
be graded and classiified on a factory
scale—just as part for an automobile
If this plan is carried into effect it
will mean that the better class of
physicians will retire from practicee
as far as industrial injuries are con
cerned."
High-grade physicians and surgeons
scoff at the commission's plan. They
say the physical and mental condition
of an injured worker can not be stip
ulated in advance, nor can it be estab
lished by any form of schedule.
TOMORROW
SATURDAY
AT
9 A.M.
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DISPLAY
i
TWENTY-FIVE
HUNDRED KILLED
Is 1923 Toll of Workers In
U. S. Coal Mines
Washington. There were 2,4&2
workers killed in the coal mines of
the United States during 1923, accord
ing to a report on coal-mine fatalities
just issued by the United States bu
reau of mines. The figures are based
on reports submitted by mine offi
cials of the coal-producing states.
Falls of roof and coal are listed
jis the dominating causes for nearly
one-half of the fatalities, 1,158 men
meeting death by this agency.
It is apparent from the report that
practically most of the fatalities
would have been prevented had the
Ambulance Service
Phone 35
Clearance Sale
We inaugurate a sale of foot wear—the climax of all bargain giving!
Direct From Factory
Entire stocks of several Cincinnati makers of high-grade footwear un
loaded to us at great reductions. New footwear, many lines made for Spring
1925, included in this most remarkable money-saving sale.
Buy Now and Save
Don't miss this sale—be here tomorrow—Saturday. From point of value
giving this sale eclipses all previous efforts.
The Dan Cohen Co.
246 HIGH PHONE 862
inline owners put into practice modern
mine safety science, applied and ad
ministered by mine-safety experts
whose major purpose is safety for
the miners rather than profits for the
mine owners.
C. W. GATH CO.
It has been said that the best way
to reduce railroad accidents would be
to place a railroad director on each
and every cowcatcher. Perhaps mine
fatalities would be appreciably re
duced if directors of the mine cor
porations were compelled to work in
each mine in the places regarded as
most dangerous.
STEREOTYPERS ADVANCE
Stockton, Calif—Stereotypers em
ployed on newspapers in this city have
signed a two-year agreement with
newspaper proprietors. Rates for
day and night work will be $7.75 the
first year and $8 the second year.
Funeral Directors
Saturday Specials
Chairs and Tables Rented
17 So. Street
AT
The New Meat Market
5c I
14ic
5c
FRESH SHOULDER RIBS
Per pound
SMOKED CALA
HAMS
FANCY BOILING BEEF
Per pound
Chicago Market Co,
118 High Street Telephone 4506
Are You Well?
If you are well you are happy.
If you are sick you are miserable.
Chiropractic Vertebral Adjustments
Will do more than anything else to make you well.
Wallace Barlow D. C.
PALMER CHIROPRACTOR
5-7-8 Jefferson Bldg.
OFFICE HOURS
9:30 a. m. to 12 1:30 p. m. to 5 p. m.
6:30 p. m. to 8 p. m.
COMPLETE X-RAY EQUIPMENT
Factory and Store
HAMILTON, O.
PHONE 1540
BUY
NOW
AND
SAVE
SEE.
WINDOW
DISPLAY
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