The Butler County press. [volume], July 23, 1926, Image 1

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VOL. XXVI. No. 15
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By International Labor News Service.
Washington. The International
Association of Machinists, the larg
est metal trades union in the Ameri
can Federation of Labor, has bidden
farewell to William H. Johnston, its
able leader during one of the great
est crises in the history of America—
the war and the war's aftermath and
the railroad shopmen's strike. In his
place at headquarters sits Arthur O.
Wharton, also a veteran of the organ
ization.
Former President Johnston's health
has been broken by the strain of his
work. He was not only foremost in
the rail strike, but in the forefront
of the progressive political movement.
He was elected international presi
dent of the machinists in 1913. He
has a record of 31 years' «ervice in
the organization.
Among his accomplishments was
the launching of the first labor bank
in America, the successful administra
tion of the Machinists' Union during
the war, construction of the union's
headquarters here, and his rebuilding
of the organization after the shock
of the rail strike. He has gone for a
two months' vacation to his early
home in Providence, R. I., after four
teen and a half years as the union's
executive.
President Wharton is the brains of
the machinists' railroad department
and the wisest labor counsellor on the
"BOB" WOODMANSEE
Well Known Labor Editor,
Is Married
By International Labor News Service.
Chicago.—Robert E. Woodmansee,
secretary-treasurer of International
Labor News Service, and Miss Laura
M. Butler, instructor in the commer
cial department of the high school
at Springfield, 111., were married in
the parlors of the Chicago Temple
Methodist Church, the Rev. Dr. John
Thompson officiating. Miss Rosella
Butler, sister of the bride, and Ed
ward F. Woodmansee, son of the
bridegroom, were the attendants.
"Bob" Woodmansee, as he is better
known in trade union circles, is edi
tor of the Illinois Tradesman, official
organ of organized labor at Spring
field, 111., and is a member of the
board of education of that city. He
is a member of the Springfield Typo
graphical Union and has represented
that union as a delegate to many con
ventions of the Illinois State Feder
ation of Labor.
Mr. and Mrs. Woodmansee will take
a wedding trip in the East, visiting
Atlantic City, Philadelphia and New
York. They will live temporarily at
1836 Grand Boulevard, South, upon
their return to Springfield.
SHORT SKIRTS
Costing Textile Workers'
Jobs in Philly District
By International Labor News Service.
Philadelphia. Abbreviated styles
in women's dresses are causing a de
pression in the textile industry in the
vicinity of Philadelphia. Experts in
the business estimate that on an aver
age only two yards of cloth is being
used to make a dress now, as compar
ed with five yards in 1914, and ten
or twelve yards twenty years ago.
Silk and rayon goods are making
heavy inroads into the woolen and
worsted trades, with the result that
many of the factories in the Philadel
phia district that have been consum
ing wool are turning to knit goods,
particularly fancy sweaters Mid
scarfs.
Philadelphia is a strong textile cen
ter, and for the country as a whole
produces about 33 per cent of the silk
goods, 27 per cent of the knit goods,
17 per cent of the worsted goods, and
SMOKED CALA
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Machinists Have New Leader
As A. 0. Wharton Succeeds
Johnson, Retiring President
Saturday Specials
FRESH SHOULDER RIBS
Per pound
I FANCY BOILING BEEP
Per pound
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defunct railroad labor board of
which he was a member continuously.
He was elected to lead the machinists
by the executive council. He has been
a member of the union 35 years.
His career is typical of an American
labor leader. At the age of 14 he be
came a machinists' apprentice in To
peka," Kan., served four years and
went to work as journeyman for the
Union Pacific railroad, and fought
through the big strike of 1893. There
after he traveled from shop to shop
as a mechanic and union advocate.
Five years later he became a lodge
official in Kansas and from then on
began his career as union leader, his
best work being the organizing of
the Southwestern railroad shops. His
most signal triumph was the settle
ment of the Union Pacific strike in
1010 after the machinists had been
out nine months, said to be the most
complete victory over any railroad.
The next year he played a big role
in the Harriman strike and out of it
evolved the Federation of Shop Crafts
idea, to join all the crafts. In 1912,
when the federation was formed, he
was elected president. Two years lat
er he became president of the Railway
Employes' department of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor. As such
he was the logical man to represent
labor during the war on the railroad
labor board.
6.5 per cent of the women's clothing.
There are 25,000 textile mills in the
Philadelphia district, employing about
1,000,000 persons.
Many of the textile mills have been
running only part time since May 1.
The woolen mills are running about
60 per cent of capacity, and the silk
and knit goods mills about 70 per cent
of capacity.
Employment in the textile mills of
the district has dropped 12% per cent
in four months, and wage payments
have fallen off 13% per cent. The
drop in the woolen trades amounts to
28 2-10 per cent in wages.
At the same time wool has climbed
in price, with the result that women
are shifting from woolens and wor
steds to silks. Fewer women's suits
are being worn, and one-piece dresses
are the fashion.
The men in the textile trades expect
the slump to continue during the win
ter. More closed automobiles are be
ing used, while trains, street cars,
office buildings and homes are better
heated, making lighter clothing pop
ular.
Men's wear is also affected by the
changing condition, particularly cot
ton underwear, and lighter suits. The
shoe people say that the Oxford type
is becoming more general throughout
the year.
MACHINISTS WIN
ORGANIZING DRIVE
Washington. The International
Association of Machinists has receiv
ed information that the National
Automobile Dealers' Association has
created a defense fund to oppose the
efforts of the machinists to organize
employes of automobile garages and
service stations.
The organizing department of the
Machinists' Union interprets this
action as an acknowledgment that the
drive to unionize garage workers is
a success.
In localities where the anti-union
employers put up a fight, the union
machinists at once start co-operative
shops and compete successfully with
the anti-union bosses. Strikes in the
automobile branch of the Machinists'
Union do not cost the organization a
penny. The men either start a co
operative shop or get a job in shops
where experienced union automobile
mechanics are demanded.
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I 118 High Street telephone 4506
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By Staff Correspondent
International Labor News Service
New York City.—The general strike
of 40,000 cloakmakers has brought a
wave of strikes that recalls the hectic
1919 and 1920 period, one of the most
active in labor history when marine
workers, miners and railroad workers
went to the bat showing capital how
hard labor can hit when the occasion
warrants it.
With the city's most important in
dustry (the manufacture of women's
by a revolt of a company union, the
cloth hat and cap makers on a gen
eral strike, labor occupies the front
pages of the newspapers, giving way
only when the navy's biggest arsenal
blows up or President Coolidge
catches a fish.
Biggest Industry Idle
Not a wheel has turned in the bil
lion-dollar cloak industry since the
strike began. The march of the work
ers from the shops was an inspiration
in itself. The cloakmakers know
they have a long, obstinate struggle
ahead. The objectives are epochal—
the 40-hour, 5-day week, 36 weeks of
guaranteed employment in the year,
an increase in the basic wage and
unemployment insurance.
In the last five years the industry
has grown to be very prosperous,
union leaders point out, while the
workers have been pauperized by the
evastion of union standards through
the gaining of control by the jobber—
a new factor in the industry. The
farming out of work by the jobber
to hosts of small contractors has re
moved the control of labor conditions
from responsible organizations of
employers and labor and made a bit
ter struggle to reorganize the indus-
CHEAP-LABOR
HEADSTONES
Opposed For Graves of U. S.
Dead in France
Washington.—The phm of the
American Battle Monuments Commis
sion to purchase cheap-labor French
or Italian headstones for the 30,000
graves of American soldiers in France
brought a firm protest from Edgar
Wallace, legislative representative of
the American Federation of Labor, in
a hearing before Acting Secretary of
War MacNider.
The act of congress making appro
priations for the headstones did not
specify that they should be of Amer
ican manufacture. Taking advantage
of this unintentional omission, the
American Battle Monuments Commis
sion, of which General John J. Per
shing is chairman, called for inter
national bids for the work.
Mussolini's Fascist! contractors bid
$14.50 fer headstones of Cairrara
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Labor Upheavel in Gotham
Recalls Post-War Period
Makers of Women's Garments, Subway Workers
and Cap Makers Make Determined Fight for
Higher Pay and Better Working Conditions.
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HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1926
A Good Provider
Cloakmakers' Big Walkout Is Signal
For Wave of New York City Strikes
try, such as is now in progress, in
evitable.
Funds Are Contrasted
How different the struggle of the
cloakmakers, fortified by 25 years of
experience and millions in strike
funds, with the desperate stand of
the motormen and switchmen of the
subway system for a wage increase.
Browbeaten by the /nanagement for
ten years and chained to their com
pany union, they went on strike with
out preparation, without funds, with
out trained leaders. In a frantic re
volt at wages a common laborer
would scorn, these skilled men broke
the chains that held them docilely for
a decade and are now in conference
hoping to become members of ths
Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electrical Railway Employes of
Amei'ica, and bona fide members of
the American Federation of Labor.
They are writing also a chapter in
labor history, for it is the first strike
to secede from a company union. The
struggle dates back to 1916, with the
founding of the Interborough Broth
erhood or "sisterhood" as the strikers
call it, by the company to wean the
men from a real union.
Spies Constantly at Work
Having formed the company union,
every worker employed had to sign a
yellow dog contract renouncing all la
bor connections. Any objection to the
managements' will, any protest over
inadequate wages and resistance to
injustice under this contract was suf
ficient cause for dismissal. The men
were enslaved at a wage of $4.62 a
day for first year switchmen and but
$5.52 a day for first year motormen.
They got small increases with each
year's service but never reached the
marble French contractors offered
French white stone for $19. Ameri
can contractors put in a bid of $35
for marble headstones.
Acting under the spell of the ad
ministration's economy program, Gen
eral Pershing's commission recom
mended the Italian Fascisti head
stones primarily because of their
cheapness.
The representative of the American
Federation of Labor declared it was
unthinkable that the men who died to
save democracy should lie beneatn
headstones made under the conditions
of industrial servitude superinduced
by the political autocracy now ruling
Italy. American graveyards in
France, he said, are part of America.
If our dead had been brought here
there could be no question but that
their graves would be marked with
American headstones. The questi&n
of cheapness was not considered when
our soldiers were sent across the
ocean and should not now be the main
objective in a recognition of their sac
rifice.
The delegation included 30 senators,
representatives and. others interested
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amount paid even the unskilled union
workmen. They work seven days a
week also and any day off is taken at
their own expense. They earned so
little that few ever took a day off.
The company union was never al
lowed to raise a penny for defense
Nevertheless the most vital men in
the service, the motormen, now aidec
Why Accidents Occur On
Strike-Bound Subways
A prison-like structure, barri
caded, with armed guards on
watch. Inside the scourings of
the nation's strikebreakers,
cruited to run
re­
the
New York sub­
ways. The usual
greeting
to
the
newcomer is:
"Hello, Bo! When did you get
out?"
The most of them are jailbirds.
Finks, they art known by the
workers. They are a profession
al army maintained by the trac
tion companies to break strikes
anywhere in the nation. These
men in New York are marshalled
by a Mr. Buck. More than 500
have been brought in from Phil
adelphia, Chicago, Detroit and
New Orleans.
As the result of their employ
ment as "experienced motormen,"
there have been two wrecks. So
far no one has been killed.
y the power house assitants, are on
strike. They hope to kill the com
pany union and be free men again
All Cap Makers Out
The third important strike is of
2,000 cap makers, controlling nearly
all factories making cloth hats and
caps. These cap makers are out for
a substantial wage increase and also
for the 40-hour week. A number of
settlements have been sanctioned and
these point to the establishment of
the shorter work week of 40 hours
by July, 1927.
Neither the cloakmakers or cap
makens are botjhered by non-union
workers, but the subway strikers are
confronted with an army of thugs
recruited by the company from the
entire country. They are housed in
a steel barricaded fort on 147th street
and Seventh avenue. One-half works
running trains while the other half
sleeps under guard.
CANCER
Brings Death to Cotton
Spinners
London, Eng.—Mule spinners' can
cer, an occupational disease afflicting
cotton mule spinners between the age
of 45 and 55 sixty times, and between
the ages of 55 and 75 a hundred times
as great as that in the general popu
lation, according to a report of a
committee appointed by the home sec
retary.
The disease also attacks the work
ers engaged in the distillation of coal
tar, manufacture of patent fuels, and
in other occupations where "soot, cer
tain tars, pitch, and some mineral
oils" are the "exciting cause."
In the case of the cotton spinners
the committee concludes that the dis
ease is due to the "prolonged action of
mineral oils, used in oiling the spin
dies of the mules, which get onto
the men's clothing."
in the granite and marble industry
the United States/
of
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PRESS
-wi- ,»»k _______ .,'
By International Labor News Service.
Indianapolis, Ind.—Non-union work
men in western Kentucky coal mines
have at last realized that the non
union operators are long on promises
and short on fulfillment. Coal com
panies of this section of District 23
told their employes that if they would
desert the union and accept the 1917
wage scale they would have steady
employment and prosperity would
again prevail.
Some of the miners were foolish
enough to accept the company's word
on the subject only to find out later
they had been sadly duped. These
companies told their men that the
•Jacksonville scale kept the mines
from running full time and that if the
917 scale was accepted the mines
would keep up a steady employment.
However, the mines did not operate
any more days than usual. Dozens
of mines in western Kentucky are
now idle, according to reports receiv-
R. R. WIRE TICKERS
Credit Organization For
Good Working Con
tions
St. Louis, Mo.—The Order of Rail
way Telegraphers was established in
1886—forty years ago.
"Prior to 1886, conditions of tele
graphic service were chaotic," de
clares the Railroad Telegrapher, offi
cial organ of the Order of Railroad
Telegraphers, in recounting the im
provement trade unionism has brought
about in the conditions of the railroad
telegraphers since the order was
founded. "Any number of hours of
employment could be required and
any type of laborious duty assigned.
"Our organization now numbers
65,000 members. Hours of labor are
reduced to eight per day. Through its
mutual benefit department it protects
the widows and orphans. Nearly
$3,000,000 has been expended in mor
tuary relief. It is the owner of its
owns headquarters in the most desir
able part of St. Louis.
"The grand division and certain
subordinate divisions and individual
members own and operate the Tele
graphers' National Bank of St. Louis,
with resources of more than $6,000,
000.
"The Order of Railroad Telegraph
ers intimately touches the lives and
well-being of persons everywhere in
the station, tower and telegraph serv
ice on all railroads."
SOUTH BEND PLANS
BIG UBOR DAY
By International Labor News Service.
Indianapolis, Ind.—The biggest La
bor Day celebration in the history of
northern Indiana trade unions is
planned for next Labor Day by trade
unionists of South Bend. Speakers
of prominence will be present. A
huge parade will be one of the feat
ures.
CLOSE MINES
That Don't Pay, Advises
British Miners' Chief
Swallownest, Eng.—"I will never
sign any paper which takes you back
for more than a 7-hour day," declared
Hebert Smith, president of the Min
ers' Federation, in discussing the
mining lockout before a large gather
ing of miners.
"Our people are down as far as
they can go," he said, "and the next
move must be upward."
He held that the pits which did not
pay should be closed down and a
board of six, consisting of two min
ers, two owners and two representa
tives of the public should fix an eco
nomic price for the sale of inland
coal.
He expressed himself strongly op
posed to any family allowance
scheme, claiming that under private
enterprise the owners would naturally
take men with small families.
CHILD LABOR LAWS
FOES ASSAILED
Philadelphia.—The motives of man
ufacturers' associations and big busi
ness men in their opposition to child
labor laws were questioned by Miss
Grace Abbott, chief of the children's
bureau of the United States depart
ment of labor, in an address here be
fore the annual convention of the Na
tional Education Association.
Miss Abbott charged that when
manufacturers' associations and other
big business organizations could not
find any other reason for opposing
Child labor laws they spread the idea
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6NE DOLLAR PER YEAR
Kentucky Non-Union Miners v
Find Wage Cuts Don't Bring
Prosperity and Steady Jobs
ed at the headquarters of the United
Mine Workers here. Dozens of others
are only working two days a week
at the starvation wage rate. Load
ers receive as little as 30 cents a
ton and outside and day men receive
32 cents an hour, working one or
two days a week.
Wages, in other words, have gone
far below the 1917 wage scale and
there is nothing to prevent the com
panies from making further reduc
tions. The Pacific Coal Company was
one of, the concerns that boasted
loudly as to what it would be able to
do if the 1917 scale was only in effect.
This company has posted notices mak
ing drastic reductions in wages. A
cut of 10 cents an hour from the 1917
scale was made affecting men get
ting more than the scale. Men get
ting less than the scale were cut 5
cents an hour.
Miners are beginning to know that
the old hokum about lower wages
meaning more work is really hokum.
that poor boys and girls should not
be sent to school past the lower
grades.
"This propaganda," declared the
speaker, "has convinced many parents
that they are over-educating their
children.
"Back of this opposition is the de
sire of the manufacturers and big
business men to get poor boys and
girls into their kitchens and factories.
"They always evade the issue. They
never plead industry's cause.
"If the child labor measure is a
national bill, they stick up for state
rights. If it is a proposed state law,
they base their opposition on the con
tention that the rights of communi
ties would be outraged."
LA FOLLETTE
Asks Ban on Buying U. S*
Senate Seats
Washington.—A person elected to
the United States senate will be de
barred from a seat in that body if the
expenses of his primary campaign for
nomination are in excess of $25,000,
according to a resolution introduced
by Senator La Follette, of Wisconsin,
a member of the senate committee
investigating the Pennsylvania pri
mary.
In the Newberry case the United
States supreme court declared that
congress does not have the power to
enact legislation limiting expenditures
in connection with primary elections.
Since that decision there has been
no federal legislation on the matter
and many states have failed to enact
adequate corrup practices acts.
Senator La Follette points out that
the supreme court decision and the
delinquency of state legislatures
affords an opportunity "for wealthy
candidates or those backed by rich
and powerful interests to attempt to
buy their seats in the senate by the
use of huge slush funds in the pri
mary campaigns.
"In Pennsylvania alone the ascer
tained expenditures for the various
candidates have already reached the
staggering total of between $2,000,
000,000 and $3,000,000.
"Such debauchery of the electorate
means the eventual destruction of
representative government in the
United States."
The Wisconsin senator's resolution
would have the senate itself meet the
emergency by the enactment of a sen
ate rule barring from that body any
individual whose primary campaign
expenses exceed $25,00. The resolu
tion is based on the section of the
United States constitution which pro
vides that each house shall be the
judge of the elections, returns, and
qualifications of its own members.
RADIO LICENSE
Is Finally Granted Chicago
Federation
Washington. The department of
commerce has finally issued a broad
casting license to the Chicago Federa
tion of Labor for a radio station es
tablished in a tower of the municipal
pier in Chicago.
The Federation has been carrying
on its fight for some time for the
right to broadcast, the department
having at first expressed a disincli
nation to grant the license. The fed
eration wins its case.
ANTI-UNIONISTS FAIL
Charleston, W. Va.—The anti-union'
campaign of the General Contractors'
Association has collapsed. It started
with the usual bally-hooing about
"liberty" and the "open" shop, but
the building workers held their lines.
All that is left of the association is
a talkative president and a few con
tractteas contractors.-v ,- &
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