The Butler County press. [volume], May 15, 1925, Image 1

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

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V
VOL. XXV. No. 5
By International Labor News Service.
Harrisburg, Pa.—Based upon a
study of nearly 3,000 aged persons
who have filed their applications un
der the Pennsylvania old age assist
ance law, recently declared unconsti
tutional by the supreme court of that
state, the Pennsylvania old age assist
ance commission in its report to1 the
legislature just published summarizes
its conclusions as follows:
"1. Although over 90 per cent of
the applicants are native born, the
average total possessions of the ap
plicants examined is less that $24 per
person, while the average amount of
savings is only $6.75 per applicant.
"2. Three out of every four appli
cants are without any remunerative
occupation and dependent for support.
"3. While the children of the appli
cants, in however humble conditions,
were generally found to make every
effort to support their parents, these
children were in many instances in no
position to do so because of the in
adequacy of their own income and
the size of their families. Not infre
quently these parents were supported
at the expense of their own children's
welfare.
Many Are Childless
"4. Many aged men ami women who
have no children to help them are al
ready supported either by their re
spective poor districts, private charity
organizations, or private individuals
—in other words, with moneys coming
from the taxpayers.
"5. That many of the aged, with but
slight assistance from the state, could
find adequate homes has been fully
brought out by our investigations.
"(5. A- perusal of our findings will
prove conclusively that in the great
majority of instances THE FAIL
URE TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT
THEMSELVES IN OLD AGE WAS
NOT DUE TO INDIVIDUAL MAL
ADJUSTMENT OR 'BLAME,' but.
were a result of conditions and cir
cumstances over which these unfor
tunate aged had no control. This is
fully supported by the statements of
facts, the testimonials of the county
borrrds and their former employers.
Present Systems Inadequate
"7. Neither the almshouse nor the
present system of our outdoor poor
EVICTION
Of Strikers Blocked in West
Virginia
Charleston, W. Va.—Governor Gore
has notified West Virginia coal oper
ators that hereafter evictions of
strikers from coal company houses
must be in conformity with the law.
It has been the practice of the oper
ators, with the connivance of local
authorities, to evict strikers on a few
days' notice to vacate or without any
notice in some instances. Coal com
panies in Ohio and Marshall counties
have recently resorted to this prac
tice.
Aged Paupers Not To Blame
For Their Dependent State
Says Old Age Pension Body
The state law requires ix full calen
dar month's notice to vacate before
eviction can legally take place. Gov
ernor Gore's order prescribes that
hereafter the coal companies must
comply with the law.
The governor also assures strike
leaders that the right of a trial by
jury will be guaranteed in all eviction
cases.
Baerfacts
Profits of 20.2 per cent were
piled up
by
the steel industry in
the war years, 'the Federal Trade
Commission reports, whereat
George Rothwell Brown, column
ist of the conservative Washing
ton Post, remarks:
"The Federal Trade Commission
makes a report that apparently
answers the old question as to
who won the war. It seems to
have been the steel companies."
Pacifist and militarist, radical
and conservative, worker and cap
italist, are still arguing who won
the World War, but there is little
doubt that the steel companies
were anions the chief winners.
While the world was struggling
in the grip of a terrible paroxysm
of death and destruction, want and
misery, sorrow and madness, the
steel companies were making
profits that in 1917 reached 28.9
per cen't. It is true that federal
taxes took a sizable slice of the
profits in 1917 and 1918, but there
remained a good, fat, juicy
"melon" for the masters of steel
and their satellites. The steel
workers, who actually made the
proffts possible, received little
more than a bare living.
The result for the steel work-
relief adequately meet the needs of
these worthy aged. They are costly
both financially and spiritually. An
effective state assistance system ap
peals to as the only adequate
alternative under present conditions.
Cost Would Be Moderate
"Based upon as accurate anr scien
tific figures as are ascertainable, we
find that even if every aged person in
the state, qualified under the law,
would be given assistance, the cost
would not amount to more than, ap
proximately, $5,000,000 a year, or
about 57 cents lor each citizen in the
s'tate. This is a big sum of money
until it is recalled that for this sum
we would be able to take care of
three times the number of persons
now taken care of in our almshouses
which expenditures, if everything be
included, amount to a't least $8,000,000
a year. We firmly believe that there
is not a citizen in this commonwealth
who would not rather be willing to
pay his 57 cents, which is but 56
cents per $1,000 taxable property and
only 24 cents per $1,000 wealth of
the state—even if these were addi
tional, which happily is not the case—
than be responsible for the tragedies
and heartbreaks now caused by the
prospect of the poorhouse after a life
time of toil and service.
Administrative Cost Low
"Even under liberal estimates, we
ara convinced, from studies of the
facts, that under the present law a
fund of $5,000,000 a year would not
require for administrative expenses—
for both state and counties—a sum
to exceed $800,000 per year, which is
but 6 per cent of the total, as against
almost 50 per cent under the county
almshouse system. The cost for in
vestigation per applicant in the 26
counties from which figures were ob
tained shows that the average cost
per applicant amounts to $1.04, or
less than 41 cents per $100 allowed."
MASARYK
Is Recipient of "Czecho"
Workers' Tribute For
Efforts in Their
Behalf
Prague, Czechoslovia.—The efforts
of President Masaryk, of the republic
of Czechoslovakia in the cause of so
eial progress, and particularly in the
work rendered by him for the estab­
lishment of the eight-hour day, were
the subject of tributes from his
friends on the occasion of his seventy
fifth birthday.
President Masaryk founded the
workers' academy in Prague in 1895,
which has since become the main
center of workers' education in the
republic.
It was due to his efforts that
Czechoslovakia was the first indus
trial state to ratify the Washington
eight-hour convention and the first act
signed by him as president of the re
public was the eight-hour-day law,
which was passed in 1918.
President Masaryk holds that be
cause the eight-hour day enables the
workers to reach a higher level of
culture, and gives them spare time
to develop their mind and spirit, it is
one of the foundations of democracy
By J. M. BAER, The Congressman-Cartoonist
International Labor News Service
Steel Trust Big War Winner
ers, however, might have been far
different if they had been effec
tively organized*. With organiza
tion, they could have forced the
steel magnates to give them their
proportionate share in wages and
thus the profits would have been
more equitably divided than they
were.
Though the Federal Trade Com
mission thinks that "capable man
agement, or good fortune, in in
vestment and operation" were the
major factors in the big steel
profits, reasoning men and women
know that the anti-union, low
wage policy of the steel industry
was a tremendous factor in
Steel's "swag." Exploitation of
labor has been a cardinal article
of faith in Steel's creed since the
beginning and organized labor
should not let the people forget
this fact. Every opportunity
should be 'taken of the present
discussion of Steel's profits to
point out the relation between
Steel's profits and its anti-social
labor policy, to the end that pub
lic opinion shall force Steel to
adopt a different attitude, as it
forced Steel to make at least a
gesture at abolishing the inhuman
12-hour workday.
^V
mm
I (Copyright. W. N. U.)
Union Label Promotion Work
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—An organiza
tion campaign that will extend the
length and breadth of the United
States and Canada, and will be backed
by the united strength of every bona
fide trade union organization in the
two nations was launched here at a
joint meeting of the executive coun
cil of the American Federation of
Labor, the presidents and secretar
ies of the federation's four depart
ments and 108 national and interna
tional unions.
The campaign is- to be the most
extensive drive ever conducted by the
American Federation of Labor to
bring the unorganized wage earners
into the labor movement. No effoi-t
will be spared to present the aims and
principles of trade unionism to unor
ganized workers, and it is confidently
expected that the campaign will add
new members by the tens of thou
sands to the national and internation
al unions.
Labor Representatives to Visit
Each Town
Canada and the United States will
be divided into five districts and a
group of four representatives of labor
will visit every town and city in each
district to spread the gospel of trade
unionism and to point out the benefits
of purchasing union labeled goods.
Each international union will co
operate in this work to its fullest
ibility.
The publicity is to be given through
GERMAN WORKERS
To Wage Vigorous Cam
paign For 8 Hours in
All Industries
Berlin, Germany. The general
confederation of the German trade
unions is continuing its vigorous
fight for the eight-hour day.
Early in the year, yielding to the
insistent demands of organized labor,
the government applied the three
shift system in blast furnaces and
coke works, but excluded rolling mills
and Bessemer and Thomas convert
ers.
To whip the reactionary govern
ment into line the International Feder
ation of Metal Workers
Called
ference at Cologne.
a con­
"The eight-hour day," declared the
conference, "is not only of the utmost
cultural importance to the workers,
but also conforms to the necessities
of modern economic development,
which demand the peaceful collabora
tion of all civilized nations in order
to make good the
losses engendered
by the World War."
The conference condemned the Ger
man
minister of labor for limiting the
eight-hour decree to blast furnaces
and coke works, denounced the large
scale industrial industrialists
for
their opposition to eight hours, and
insisted
that
the
shorter
workday
THE BUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
Spring Fever Epidemic
To Be Stressed In Campaign
American Federation of Labor and More Than Hundred
National and International Unions to Co-operate In
Spreading Gospel of Trade Unionism.
60Me
Trade Unions Begin Great Organization
Drive To Win New Members In U. S. and Canada
moving pictures and lectures. Lead
ing men in the organized labor move
ment will be selected to carry on the
work.
200 Labor Executives Promise
Hearty Support
Of the 200 labor officials present
every one gave whole-souled support
to the campaign. The plan was con
ceived by the union label trades de
partment of the American Federation
of Labor. It was approved by the
executive council at its meeting in
Miami in February, and the meeting
here gave it the indorsement of the
entire labor movement.
The matter was brought to the at
tention of the national and internation
al unions by Secretary-Treasurer John
W. Hays, of the International Typo
graphical Union, who is also presi
dent of the union label trades depart
ment, and John J. Manning, secretary
of the department. They presented
facts and figures to show the wonder
ful results that would come from such
a campaign.
President William Green, of the
American Federation of Labor, spoke
earnestly in its favor, and he was
followed by Vice Presidents James
Duncan, Daniel Tobin and Matthew
Woll. Among the other speakers
were President. Michael F. Greene, of
the United Hatters of America Pres
ident George W. Perkins, of the Cigar
makers' International Union, and
President William Hutcheson, of the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners of America.
shall be applied to the entire indus
try.
"The best guarantee for the rein
troduction and reinforcement of the
eight-hour day in all countries," con
cludes the conference resolution, "is
the existence of strong workers' or
ganizations dominated by the spirit
of fraternal co-operation."
The employers' federation of the
iron and steel industry opposes the
eight-hour day because of the "dis
astrous consequences of a reduction
of the hours of work" and the "con
siderable losses" sustained for some
time by their plants.
On the contrary, the central com
mittee of the general confederation
tof
German trade unions, protests
against the delay of the government
in the legal reintroduction of the
eight-hour day, which, the committee
says, "is disastrous not only to the
working class, but also for the author
ity of Germany in the civilized
world."
Should the German government
persist in its opposition to the rein
troduction of the eight-hour day, or
ganized labor plans to have the ques
tion submitted to a referendum vote
of the people in accordance with the
constitution of Germany.
STATE UNIONS TO MEET
Amarillo, Texas.—The annual con
vention of the Texas State Fedei-ation
of Labor will convent in this city
1 dui'ing the week of May 25.
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1925 ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
COAL MINE
Accidents Kill 181 Workers
During March
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C. Accidents at
the coal mines of the United States
caused tin- death of 181 workers in
March, according to information fur­
nished by the various state mine in
spectors to the department of the in
terior, through the bureau of mines.
As 44,684,000 tons of coal were pro
duced during the month, the number
of fatalities per million tons of coal
produced was 4.05. This compares
with a fatality rate of 7.19 per mil
lion tons of coal in March of last
year. The reduction in the rate, the
bureau of mines points out, was dne
mainly to the fact that in March la
year two major explosions occurre
killing 172 and 24 men, respectively,
whereas in March this year only
i
major explosion occurred, with a lo-
of .*!:! lives.
The output of coal in March i:
eluded 7: ,620,000 tons of bituminou
coal and 7,058,000 tons of anthracite
The March fatality rate for bitunu
nous mines was 3.80 per million to
of coal produced, as compared wi'
7.54 for the same month a year au
and a 8.85 average for March duri
the ten years, 1015-1924. For anthin
cite mines the fatality rate in Mar.
i
was 5.38 per million tons as compare
with 5.42 for March last year and a
ten-year average rate of 6.05 for tin
same month.
Including an explosion at Barra
i
ville, W. Va., in which 33 men we
killed, the record for 1925 to the e
of March shows 3 major deaths i
one time) with a total loss of
lives, as compared with 4 similar d:*
asters during the first three mont.
last year and a loss of 265 lives.
WAGE REDUCTIONS
Defeated By French Coa
Miners in Strike
Paris, France.—French coal miner
are winning their struggle to com]
mine owners to resort to other met
ods than wage reductions to rediv
production costs.
The mine workers are also deter
mined that they will compel the i
owners to raise wages as often a'
as much as the profiteers boost t!
cost of living.
Some time ago the mine owners
pressed a determination to reduce pr«
duetion costs during 1925. But tin
cost of living went up, and becai
of the thorough organization of tn
mine workers wage increases hnv
been granted instead of wage redur
tions being imposed.
Coal mine owners now realize thei
inability to force down wages to i
duce production costs or to prevei
wage increases when living costs ri
They are therefore resorting to otlu
methods to meet the emergency
For this purpose there is a tenden
to construct more coke ovens' at th
mines. Several large companies ha\
also installed equipment for the mai
ufacture of synthetic ammonia
utilizing the gas from the coke oven*
It is thought that the better utili/.a
tion of the coal will bring about econ
omies to offset rising labor costs.
By Staff Correspondent, International
Labor News
Indianapolis, Ind. Clyde Kelly,
epresentative in congress from Penn
ylvania, author of the postal pay in
rease law, spoke to more than 3,000
ndiana postal workers here and de
lated that under the new wage in
rease law postal workers were get
ing a living wage for the first time
in their lives.
He said that since the right of the
postal workers to a living wage had
been established the fight now centers
on rights to which postal workers of
the future are entitled.
Mutfl Keep Up Fight
"It is our duty to look into th
future and concentrate on winning
ther lights which will be for the bet
terment of the service and for the
benefit of the thousands of youths of
today who will give their lives to the
postal service," he said.
'The right of a real old age retire
ment law is the immediate need and
one for which I promise to fight in
the next session of congress. With
the help of your congressmen here
we will put it over. When a man ded
icates his life to the service it is fit-
COMPENSATION
Won By Organized Labor
in Australia
Adelaide, South Australia, Austra
la.—The new workmen's compensa
tion act of South Australia embraces
within its provisions employes of
every class, including domestic serv
ants, clerks and pastoral and rural
workers—all of whom were either
wholly or partially excluded by tht
former act.
The minimum amount payable to
dependents in the event of the death
of a workman has been increased
from 200 pounds to 400 pounds and
the maximum from 400 pounds to 600
pounds.
Postal Workers Must Look
To Future In Fight For
Rights, Says Clyde Kelly
The weekly compensation payment
has been increased by adding to 50
per cent of the workmen's average
weekly earnings the sum of 7 shillings
pence for each child who is de
pendent or mainly dependent.
The amendments were demanded
by the organized labor movement of
South Australia.
Auction Rug
AXMINSTER
BRUSSELS
VELVET
WILTON VELVET
ROOM SIZE RUGS
6x9 7^x9 814x10^ 9x12
1154x12
Come In While Our
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K-R-E-B-S
All Rugs Marked In Plain Figures
.'V' .«"
Jjr .*.J^T. 4S^»I
ting that in the end he should not be
cast into the scrap heap and permit
ted to die in poverty.
"Another right that is to be won
is the right to security in employment
as long as the postal worker renders
capable and efficient service. This
would mean the establishment of a
board of appeals, of which I am in
hearty favor, for no supervisory pos
tal official should be the judge, jury
and executioner all in one."
Hits Postal Management
Congressman Kelly declared that
postal workers were entitled to work
under healthful conditions. He said
he knew of postoffices that are "un
worthy of the name." He pointed out
that the postoffice department pays
out millions annually in rents and de
clared that the interest on these sums
would "build a postoffice in every city
and town in the nation."
Mr. Kelly advocated "a road open
to the top" so that postoffice employes
might become postmasters. "The day
is at hand," he said, "when the post
office will be taken out of politics and
the office placed on the merit system."
He declared that he was strongly in
favor of the rights of postal employes
to organize themselves into "effective
organizations." He said the days of
the old "gag laws" were gone and
the postal employe had a right to
make suggestions for the service.
RAIL OWNERS PROSPER
Washington.—The railroads of the
United States paid dividends in 1923
on 6 per cent of the capital stock,
the security owners receiving $287,
513,229. The average rate was 7.29
per cent.
An attempt is made to explain and
defend this high return by the state
ment that if dividends paid were
spread over the 28 per cent of the
stock on the roads that did not pay
dividends, the average rate would be
but 4.52 per cent.
In this way railroad interests
undertake to create the impression
that when a few railroad promoters
organized into a corporation issue
watered stock, the public is thereby
obligated to pay them 'a return on a
lot of securities the total cost of
which to the promoters was the print
er's bill.
ith & Sons