The Butler County press. [volume], August 14, 1925, Image 1

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

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v-r JLII A. 1 V« XV
By International Labor News Service.
-Washington, D. C.—An attempt by
Collier's Weekly, which is the product
of non-union printers, po spread the
impression that the virion's job is
done and that the old-fashioned labor
organization is already obsolete, is
answered by the National Catholic
Welfare Conference in a vigorous
Statement.
Wage figures, gleanecF by various
government and private sources, con
tradict Collier's, which in a current
editorial asserts that "the wage
struggle has been won—at least no
longer are men compelled to fight for
a living wage," says the National
Gutholic Welfare Conference, which
dfcclraeg the figures indicate that
great numbers of workingmen in the
United States are not l-eceiving wages
high enough to support a family in
decent comfort. The council goes on
to say:
Section Men Poorly Paid
"About 200,000 section men on Class
1 railroads last year made an average
of $73 a month 56,000 extra gang
men made $75 a month 23,000 bridge
and crossing tenders made $75 a
month GO,000 shop laborers made $80
a month. All of these worked an
average of more than 8 hours a,-day
and some much more than that. None
of them made a Jiving wage. Their
number is greatly increased when
other railroads are considered.
"Their wages were, for the most
part, fixed by the railroad labor
board on the basis of what is paid for
similar work elsewhere. It is prob
able that the railroad labor board
put the sum below what is paid in
many other industries but it did^not
miss the amount more than $10 or $20
a month.^
"A year ago unskilled men in 23
factory industries were making an
average of about $22 a week, accord-
STOCKHOLDERS
Approve Increase in Capital
of Federation Bank
By International Labor News Service.
New York City.—Stockholders of
the Federation Bank of New York at
a special meeting in Washington Irv
ing high school authorized an in
crease in the bank's capital and sur
plus to $1,500,000. This will bring
the bank's capitalization above that
of any labor bank and is an added
safeguard to depositors, Peter J.
Brdy, president of the bank, announc
ed.
"The addition of another $1,000,000
in capital and surplus will give an
Opportunity to every labor organiza
tion and other groups sympathetic to
organized labor to participate in one
of the most constructive labor under
takings," said Brady in making the
announcement.
The present shareholders have 30
days to exercise their options on the
lHw issue of stock. Over 3,500 shares
fcuve already been applied for. The
stock has been placed on an 8 per cent
dividend basis and three quarterly
dividends have been distributed. At
the meeting the stockholders affirmed
the limiting of their profits to 10 per
cent on their investment and sharin
pVofits above that with depositors
the* special interest department.
JOINER'S FINE
Ifor Contempt Appealed To
Higher Court
Jk-InternationalInd.—ANews
Labor Service.
Indianapolis, few weeks
tart
o Judge Lazelle, of the circuit
of Morgantown, W. Va., fined
fan A. Bittner, international repre
sentative of the United Mine Workers
in the West Virginia field, $500 and
sentenced him to six months in jail,
because, the court said, Bittner vio
jjpted an injunction order and was
therefore in contempt of court. The
injunction was one issued by Judge
*||azell to a non-union codl company,
#ie of the many issued in this court
gainst the Jnfted Mine Workers.
Bittner nade all arrangements to
go to jail and serve the six months'
ar-nience because he felt that he had
committed no wrong. Several days
^ter Judge Little, of the West Vir
ginia supreme granted a super
das and writ of error in the case
hich appealed to the higher court.
5 The action 'makes unnecessary for
$ittner to serve a jail sentence pend-
the
ig the appeal in the higher court.
writs are returnable next Jan-
f*?'
V PHOTO ENGRAVERS' GAIN
Baltimore.—Photo engravers have
_gned a three-year agreement with
employers. Rates are increased $4 a
^eek, or to $48, for two years and an
Additional $2 a wee]£ the third year.
.i
Unions Job Not Done,
5 Says Catholic Council
Welfare Organization Makes Effective Reply to Collier's
Attempt to Prove Organized Labor is Obsolete
ing to a report of a nemployers' or
ganization, the national industrial
conference board. This is four or five
dollars a week more than the rail
roads give common labor. But even
this amount is not a living wage. It
is equivalent to^ataut $650 a year in
pre-war prices.
Millions Get Pittance
"A few months ago the United
State bureau of labor statistics in
vestigated workers in 92 cities and
towns and found that over half of the
men who were heads of families made
less than $1,250 a year and about a
fourth made under $1,050 a year.
More than 60 per cent of the man in
the cotton industry get under $20 a
week, according to the same bureau.
"There are something over ten mil
lion laborers in the United States and
four and a quarter million semi
skilled workers. Close to another five
million are skilled. Three and a half
million are clerks and the like. An
other three-quarters of a million are
servants. Here are 23% million wage
and salary workers, all of whom are
males. Relatively few of the laborers
get $25 a week. Most of them get
between $17.50 and $22.50 a week.
Some receive less. Many classed as
semi-skilled are in about the same
position as regards wages. One would
be not far wrong to estimate that
about half of the men who work for
wages do not get a family living
wages."
Plenty of Work for Unions
Commenting on Collier's editorial
and the answer of the National Cath
olic Welfare Conference, Labor, organ
of the railroad workers, says:
"Labor hopes the editor of Collier's
will permit those stupendous facts to
soak in. So long as they remain facts,
there will be plenty of work for 'old
fashioned' trades unions which insist
on an American standard of living."
BORAH TO LAY
CHINA S CASE
BEFORE SENATE
For First Time Since World
War Outbreak
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—For the first
time since the world war began to
drive the general level of prices up
ward, rents in the United States have
taken a slight drop.
After 1920 the prices of most ne
cessities fell but rents continued a
gradual climb. They were a large
factor in maintaining the general
level of living costs. In the last year,
according to a study made by the
department of labor, there has been
a turn in the poposite direction. The
drop shown from the middle of the
year 1924 to the same period in 1925
was slight, and it can not be pre
dicted whether it is the beginning of
a continuing descending trend.
In 1924 the rent level was 68 per
cent above the year 1913. This year
the level is 67 per cent above 1913.
The present level still is above that
of 1923, which was 63 per cent above
1913.
Most prices. reached their peak in
1920, but at that time rents were
only 35 per cent above 1913. The
reason for the continued rise in rents
was the shortage of housing. If the
downward trend is continued it will
indicate that record building of the
past few years is making up this
shortage.
PUBLIC DEFENDS EDITOR
Yuma, Ariz.—Fifty citizens have
arranged to continue the publication
of the Yuma Herald if George W
Lynn, publisher, is sent to jail on
criminal libel charges. The charges
grew out of an editorial written by
Lynn in which he said formaldehyde
was used as a preservative in a local
dairy. ..
I
'*'f&aho.—The Chinese situa­
tion will be brought before the sen
ate, at the next session of congress,
Senator Borah declared injan address
here.
"I will do so not because I want
trouble, but because it is the only way
to prevent trouble," the chairman of
the senate foreign relations, commit
tee said. "The attitude of the foreign
powers toward China is keeping that
nation from progressing and main
taining order. Unless the foreign
governments conform to new condi
tions, respect the territorial rights of
China, treat Chinese labor with jus
tice, and give the government revenue
upon which she can live, we are going
to have a condition in the Orient
which everyone who loves peace will
regret."
RENTS IN SLIGHT
(Copyright
'.V,
By JOSEPH A. WISE
Staff Correspondent, International
Labor News Service.
Chicago.—The appellate court of
Illinois has handed down a decision
holding that labor unions may not be
sued as legal entities in this state.
The court says that the decision of
the United States supreme court in
the Coronado case does not repeal the
common law rule in Illinois, and that
it does not set a precedent for Illi
nois courts, nor does it furnish the
slightest authority in support of ap
pellant's claim that the common la,w
rule in Illinois has been repealed by
implication."
Besides being a highly important
decision for organized labor, it is an
other evere setback for the citizens'
committee to enforce the Landis
award, which had projected itself into
a dispute between John J. Cahill, a
heating and plumbing contra :t of
Evanston, 111., and Locals 93 and 769
of Plumbers, Gas and Steam Fitters
and Helpers.
Sought to Sue Two Locals
The Landis committee sought to sue
the two local unions for damages as
legal entities. Hope Thompson, at
torney ^for the unions, entered a de
murrer which was sustained by the
circuit court. The Landis committee
then carried the case direct to the
supreme court on the ground that con
stitutional questions were involved.
The supreme court declared that con
stitutional questions did not enter
into the case, and it then went to the
appellate court.
FIGHT RENEWED
For Child Labor Amend
ment By Washington
Labor
Aberdeen, Wash.—The State Fed
eration of Labor convention here vot
ed to call a state-wide conference to
plan a renewal of the fight for the
federal child labor amendment.
Speakers representing the Ameri
can Legion, the State Federation of
Women's Clubs, the Parent-Teacher
Association and other civic and wel
fare groups assured the trade union
ists of their support.
The convention gave notice to Gov
ernor Hortley that the recall might
be applied to him. The state execu
tive was declared to be on unfriendly
terms with everyone in the state but
the timber and allied interests. The
unionists called attention to the ap
pointment of the wife of,a large can
nery owner as director of women in
industry, charged with the enforce
ment of women's hour and wage laws,
as a sample of the governor's interest
in Washington's wage earners.
"His first public utterance, during
his inaugural address, when' he term
ed the wage workers and other sup
porters of the child labor amendment
'bolshevists' ond
fbusilanimous
V
Appellate Court of Dlinois
Unions Can't Be Sued as
Decision Is Severe Setback
To Labor-Hating Commission
For Enforcing Landis Award
blath­
erskites,' was fully expressive of his
mental attitude toward labor and its
friends," the convention declared.
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1925
Loaded With Sunshine
The attorneys for Cahill and the
Landis committee sought to convince
the court that the United States su
preme court decision in the Coronado
case applied in intrastate cases. In
reference to this point, Justice Thom
as M. Jett, who wrote the opinion,
held:
"The reasoning of the United States
supreme court in the Coronado case
is that the growth, power and""statu
tory recognition of labor unions has
brought about a condition which ren
ders it necessary that they be regard
ed as legal entities in suits for dam
ages. That court then proceeds to
establish a new and far-reaching rule
in federal courts.
Common Law Not Repealed
"The Coronado case does not re
peal the common law rule in Illinois.
It does not set a precedent for Illi
nois courts, nor does it furnish the
slightest authority in support of ap
pellant's claim that the common law
rule in Illinois has been repealed by
implication. The federal government
has never enacted a statute so far as
we know, as Illinois has done, making
the common law the rule of decision
in federal courts until repealed by
legislative authority.
"In the Coronado case the follow
ing language is found:
"'Undoubtedly at common law, an
unincorporated association of persons
was not recognized as having any
other character than a partner3hip in
whatsoever was done, and it could
only sue, or be sued, in the names of
its members and their liability had to
INJUNCTION JUDGE
FAILS TO JAIL WORKER
Charleston, W. Vo.—The state su
preme court of appeals has refused
to confirm a sentence of six months
in jail and a fine of $500 that Judge
Lazelle, of Fairmont, inflicted on Van
Bittner, international representative
of the United Mine Workers.
The trade unionist has returned to
the Fairmont district, and is again
active in Judge Lazelle's jurisdic
tion.
Van Bittner told Judge Lazelle he
did not know the injunction was is
sued, To the average judge this
would be accepted as proof that con
tempt of court was not intended, but
the court was determined to jail the
trade unionist.
STILLOPEN
Teapot Dome Lease?*fr*$Dt
Closed Case
Washington.—The refusal of Fed
eral Jud^e Kennedy, at Cheyenne, to
grant the government's request that
the Teapot Dome case be reopened to
hear new evidence makes it probable
that this question will again be con
sidered by the next congress.
Connected with the trial was the
alleged transfer of $300,000 in Liber
ty bonds to former Secretary of the
Interior Fall's account by the Conti
nental Trading Company, a'Canadian
""W
LAbOR DAV
Decide^
Legal Entities
=*be enforced against each member.'
"Moreover, it is the rule in Illinois
that in respect to questions of general
law over which the state court has
complete and final jurisdiction, the
decisions of the supreme court of the
United States are merely persuasive
authority and not binding precedents,
and if it would be neeessai'y for the
highest court of a state to overrule
its former decisions in order to con
form to the views of the United
States supreme court on such ques
tions, it is its duty to adhere to its
former decisions."
Association Can't Be Sued
As to the common law rule in Illi
nois, the court said:
"The question raised on this record
by the demurrer to the declaration
is whether or not this suit can be
maintained against the defendants,
unincorporated associations, in their
association or union names.
"By reason of Chapter 28 of the re
vised statutes of Illinois the common
law is the rule of decision in this
state in proceedings of this chai*acter
and should be considered in full force
until repealed by legislative author»
ity. The question of parties to a law
suit is always one of the first consid
erations, not as a mere matter of pro
cedure, but as one of the ..basic ele
ments of litigation going to the juris
diction of the court. The rule of the
common law on the subject of parties
must control in this state, under the
foregoing statute, unless the rule has
been repealed by the legislature.
"At common law, a voluntary, un
incorporated association can not be
sued in its association name.
Pays Tribute to Attorney
Justice Jett cites many previous de
cisions of the appellate and other
courts to uphold his opinion. The
court paid a high compliment to At
torney Hope Thompson in using prac
tically all of the citations he had used
in his brief and by employing his lan
guage in large part in writing the
decision.
concern. Last February Judge Ken
nedy refused the government's re
quest for additional time to secure
verification of this charge. Proceed
ings were then started in Toronto
to compel witnesses to testify and the
supreme court of that city ruled that
witnesses must testify. The main wit
ness for the government fled to Afri
ca. The government also started
court proceedings in France, where
other witnesses were located.
Almost to the hour that the trial
ended in Judge Kennedy's court the
government witnesses returned They
are now in this country, and the gov
ernment intended that they be held if
Judge Kennedy would reopen the case.
PICTURE MEN GAIN
Duluth, Minn.—Motion picture op
erators have raised wages 10 per cent.
The rate in first-class houses will be
$50 for a five-day week." Other
houses will pay $45 for a six-hour
day.
PRISON-MADE
GARMENTS MUST
BEAF PRISON NAME
Los Angeles.—The state commis
sion of labor wants California dis
trict attorneys to enforce the law
which provides that prison-made gar
ments must- bear the name of the
prison in which they were manufac
tured.
It has been discovered that exploit
ers of prison labor arfc paying little
heed to this law.
By International Labor News Service.
New York City.—The Central
Trades and Labor Council and the
International Molders' Union jointly
can claim credit for saving a $340,600
contract for sewer pipe for American
workers by their prompt action in
appearing before the board of esti
mate of the city of New York in
protest against awarding the pipe
contract to a German syndicate, the
low bidder by $36,000.
Mayor Hylan promptly took heed
and overturned the recommendation
of his purchasing expert and the con
tract will go to the lowest American
bidder, the United States Cast Iron
Pipe Company. The jobs thus pro
vided and subsequent contracts safe
guarded as the result of the precedent
established will keep thousands of
American patternmakers, molders apd
other crafts busy.
The men who accomplished this for
American trade unionists are John
Munholland, vice president of the Cen
tral* Trades and Labor Council, and
NO MINERS'STRIKE
Unless Soft Coal Operators
Break Jacksonville
Agreement
By International Labor News Service.
Indianapolis, Ind.—Newspaper re
ports of a threatened coal famine be
cause of a probable strike of miners
is bi'anded as "pure bunk" by mine
union officials. The contract made
between the soft coal miners and
operators at Jacksonville does not
expire until 1927, and it has been the
policy of the United Mine Workers to
keep a wage contract religiously.
The attempts of operators to repud
ate this contract, after having signed
it in good faith, is the only cloud on
the horizon. The United Mine Work
ers are insisting that the operators
keep to the letter of the agreement
in order to avoid trouble.
The attempts being made in sev
eral parts of the soft coal fields to
scrap the Jacksonville agrement is
believed by the miners to be a part
of a conspiracy to disrupt the union
organization by putting a starvation
wage into effect, as is now in force in
West Virginia and other non-union
fields, where workers are little bet^
ter than slaves.
Big Contract Giving Work
To American Toilers Saved
By Labor Men's Prompt Action
DUt"not.
quite gone!
FREE COAL!
{Jugjust llttocJugusi 2222
A ton of coal, free—
Furnace comfort this winter, but without
the expense of a furnace—
And both yours, provided you act quickly!
Membership in our Heatrola Club closes
Saturday, August 22nd. Two dollars enrolls
you—secures for you the free ton of coal,
while easy payments make you the owner
of an Estate Heatrola, the wonderful new
heating plant that keeps the whole 4iouse
cozy in the coldest weather.
Don't let this opportunity slip by. Call or
telephone, and let us submit full details.
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
Joseph Stephenson, of the Interna
tiona] Molders' Union. They acted on
the spur of the moment when they
heard the contract was about to be
let to a foreign concern. It was for
almost immediate delivery of miles
of sewer pipe and water gates, valves,
joints and other fittings.
Not only did the union representa
tives point out that the ethics of the
matter required that American shops
be given this work, but they showed
that the advantage of a low bid of
$30,000 was more apparent than real.
It is a requirement that the work
be inspected by a city representative.
This would mean a trip abroad for
some one to supervise the German
firm. Over there the methods are
quite different for one thing, they
use more iron scrap in the metal,
giving it an inferior quality, it was
argued. And since the first shipment
must be here in another month, it was
regarded as impractical by the labor
representatives to give a firm on the
other side the job.
There will be no coal famine nor
even a coal shortage if the operators
who signed the Jacksonville scale keep
to their part of the pact. The miners
will keep their part of it.
DUNCAN GOES TO CAN
ADA
Washington.—Vice President Dun
can will represent the A. F. of L. at
the Canadian Trades and Labor Con
gress convention.
Charles H. Moyer, president of the
International Union «of Mine, Mill and
Smtlter Workers, was elected to this
position at the last convention of the
A. F. of L. Because of his resigna
tion, Mr. Duncan was chosen by the'
A. F. of L. executive council.
FOOD PRICES INCREASE
Washington.—During June the re*
tail price of food increased 2 per cent,
as compared with the previous month,
according to the United States bu-.
reau of labor statistics.
For the year period, June 15, 1924,
to June 15, 1925, the increase in all
articles of food combined was ap
proximately 9 per cent. For the 12
year period, 1913-1925, the increase
was about 58.5 per cent.
i i
HEATROLA,,
K-R-E-B-S
Closing Out All Refrigerators—Buy Now Forfait Year
ti