The Butler County press. [volume], May 25, 1928, Image 1

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

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VOL. XXVIII. No. 7
Two Important Labor Bills
May Pass Before Present
Session of Congress
By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—Two bills of
great importance to American labor
may be reported out and acted upon
before this session of Congress ends
There is hope for success in both
cases.
One is the Hawes-Cooper prison la
bor bill, which would permit states
to legislate against prison-made goods
from other states and which would
soon smash the vicious contract la
bor system. This bill passed the
House May 15, by a vote of 289 to 40.
The other is the Bacon bill, import
ant to building trades. Under this
bill all contractors having government
work would be compelled to give pref
erence to citizens of the state, war
veterans coming first and then other
citizens. This would stop the present
practice among many contractors of
taking with them crews of workers
employed at less than the rate pre
vailing where the work is done.
If these two bills are adopted labor
OUR EXPENSIVE WAR
By FRANKLIN E. WOLFE
According to official figures sup
plied to the United States Senate by
Secretary Wilbur, the cost of main
taining the marines in Nicaragua
from May 4, 1927, to April 16, 1928,
was $3,530,170 more than if the force
had been retained at home stations.
But that is but a small part of the
expense. The incalculable debt we
must pay for loss of standing and
prestige with Latin America is not
reckoned in dollar marks and figures.
Again, we pay a price in the lives
and health of the American youth who
are down in tropical jungles fighting
blindly without the slightest idea that
they are making the sacrifice for dol
lars and cents of American money
kings who care not whether they live
or die so long as their opportunity for
exploitation continues.
Native Nicaraguans are paying the
price, too. A war of invasion always
falls as a terrible burden on any coun
try. The men fighting our marines be
lieve they are doing their patriotic
duty in resisting the encroachments of
American capitalists. They have no
personal enmity for our boys there,
but believe they are defending the
very liberty of their nation.
There are many thoughtful Amer
icans, honest and patriotic, who do
against the Central American Repub
not endorse the policy of the admin
istration in this undeclared war
lie. Many of them are in the United
States Senate and House of Congress.
There are many of us who believe
there should be no war conducted
anywhere without observation of the
constitutional provisions and that
Congress alone should have the pow
ers conferred by the founders of this
Republic. Some of us are even radical
enough to believe that war-making
power should never, under any cir
cumstances, be left to the bankers and
money monarchs of Wall street.
62,896 PAINTERS
TO HAVE 5-DAY
WEEK BY JUNE 1
Lafayette, Ind., (I. L. N. S.).—
Clarence E. Swick, general secretary
treasurer of the International Broth
erhood of Painters, Decorators and
Paperhangers of America, announces
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will have won on issues long fought
In addition to these two bills of na
tional importance, Congress has at
last approved a bill to provide work
men's compensation for the District
of Columbia. The bill extends to work
ers privately employed the same pro
tection as that afforded longshoremen
by Federal statute.
On the injunction bill there is no
hope for action in this session, but,
it is reported, there is hope for action
early in the fall session. Senator Cur
tis, handling the bill in Senate, ap
pears disinclined to seek to pass the
bill in the last hours of the session,
preferring to take the time to whip
the report into the best possible shape.
He takes this view, it is said, solely
because it is realized that action in
the House can not be had in this ses
sion. Senators and counsel are now
hard at work in the formulation of
a report, seeking a draft upon which
the Senate committee and representa
tives of labor can agree.
in the May number of the Painter and
Decorator, official organ of the broth
erhood, that by June 1, there will be
62,896 members of local unions of the
organization enjoying the five-day
working week. The Painter and Deco
rator carries a list of the unions
which have made five-day agreements
with employei-s.
"Beginning with a mere handful of
members affiliated with the brother
hood asking for the shorter work
week," the announcement says, "that
not only better healthful conditions
under which work is performed, and,
as a consequence, the possibility for
a steadier flow of employment, the
number of men going on the 40-hour
week has steadily increased until more
than half the entire membership is
tiow in a position to reap the reward
for their ceaseless efforts in bringing
into reality the improved conditions."
DOOMED TO DEATH
Five Young Women Told
Radium Sipped From
Brushes Marked Them for
Grave.
Newark, N. J. (I. L. N. S.)—Five
young women, healthy as far as ap
pearances go, stood in chancery court
here and heard scientists pronounce
them victims of an incurable malady
sentenced to die.
The young women had been employ
ed in painting luminous figures on
watch dials, using radium paint.
They were poisoned by wetting the
tiny paint brushes between their lips
so as to draw the tips to a fine point,
not knowing, so they assert, that by
so doing they were taking a fatal
poison into their systems.
The young women—Miss {Catherine
Schaub, Mrs. Edna Hussman, Mrs.
Quinta McDonald, Mrs. Albina Laris
and Mrs. Grace Fryer—were in chan
cery court to get an order permitting
them to sue the United States Radium
Corporation for a total of $1,250,000.
They contend the corporation is re
sponsible for the creeping death that
doctors testified soon will send them
to their graves.
The case has been adjourned to Sep
tember 24, without defense testi
mony having thus far been offered.
Thrift Shoe Basement
Gives you the Best Shoe Values
In Town
Look At These Bargains
THE NEWEST
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SHOES
All heels red, green,
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i Thrift Shoe Basement
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By International Labor News Service.
Washington, D. C.—The United
Mine Workers of America are highly
gratified by the progress made at the
bituminous coal hearings before the
Senate Committee on Interstate Com
merce. When the Johnson resolution
was adopted and the hearings began
the miners' union filed with the com
mittee a long list of grave charges
against non-union coal companies and
important railroads. They charged
that many of the coal companies arbi
trarily violated and repudiated their
wage contracts with the union men
and then went on a non-union basis
and reduced the wages of their em
ployes. It was alleged that this con
tract-breaking policy of the operatoi's
was responsible for the present cha
otic condition in the industry. Impor
tation of strike-breakers from the
slums of the great cities and South
ern cotton fields employment of hun
dreds of armed gunmen who were
turned loose upon peaceable commu
nities hundred of evictions of union
miners and their families were some
of the startling charges made by the
miners' union.
Further, it was charged that a num
ber of the great railroads were en
gaged in a conspiracy to help the op
erators to destroy the United Mine
Workers of America by refusing to
MEN'S
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E BUTLER COUNT Y PRESS.
HAMILTON, OfflO, FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1928
Memorial Day
Senate Hearings Prove All
Charges Made
Testimony Reveals Brutality
As Settled Policy Followed
By Non-Union Coal Operators
Investigation Has Shown Public and Congress Urgent
Need of Legislation to Correct Terrible Evils of Bi
tuminous Industry—Bill Now Being Drafted.
buy union-mined coal and shifting
their purchases to non-union fields of
the south.
Every charge made by the United
Mine Workers of America was proved
by plenty of evidence at the hearings.
Conditions of brutality, terrorism and
degradation were uncovered by the
testimony that are almost unbelieve
able. The American public stands
aghast at these revelations. Intimi
dation, oppression and the wiping out
of all civil rights of mine workers
were brought vividly to the attention
of the Senate committee and the pub
lic. All of these terrors were dis
closed as a part of the policy of non
union coal companies.
Two outstanding results have been
obtained from the investigation. First,
it is doubtful if any previous case of
this character ever received the aston
ishing amount of newspaper publicity
that was given to this inquiry. News
papers all over the country devoted
column after column to the coal situ
ation day after day for weeks. And
it is significant that nearly every one
of these stories in the papers tended
to create public sentiment in favor of
the miners. People who never knew
anything about or paid any attention
to the coal industry learned that there
is something radically wrong with it.
They learned things that they had
never dreamed of.
Remedial Legislation Demanded
As a result, there is today in Amer
ica a public demand for remedial leg
islation that will rescue the coal busi
ness from total destruction. The de
moralized condition of coal reflects it
self in all other industries, because
coal is a fundamentally necessary
commodity. Hundreds of newspapers
have demanded editorially that some
thing be done to cure the ills of coal.
Second, the Senate inquiry has
opened the eyes of both branches of
Congress to the necessity for govern
mental action. Heretofore Congress
has paid little attention to the coal
question. Numerous members have
made strong speeches on the subject,
all urging governmental attention,
and many more are preparing to do
likewise.
Bill Being Formulated
The Senate committee has received
many suggestions and recommenda
tions for legislation. A sub-commit
tee is now engaged in an effort to for
mulate a bill, and there are hopes that
the bill may be introduced at the
present session. There does not ap
pear to be any question that, since the
inquiry brought to light the appalling
facts, Congress will undertake to en
act legislation to salvage the coal in
dustry and at the same time protect
the interests of the workers employed
in it.
Read the Press.
a
by Minen
OHIO SCHOOLS
Reached by Utilities in Fight
on Public Ownership
Washington.—The Ohio public utili
ties have perfected the art of molding
public opinion, according to testimony
before the Federal Trade Commission.
The commission is probing these util
ities under order of the Senate.
Fred J. Bollmeyer, director of the
Ohio utilities publicity bureau, said
that a text book entitled "Aladdins of
Industry" has been placed in the class
rooms of high schools and colleges
throughout the state. A report on the
publicity bureau's work described this
distribution as the "outstanding ac
complishment of 1926."
The bureau conducted a survey of
the text-books used in Ohio schools,
opposed a $1,000,000 bond issue pro
posed in 1925 for the Cleveland mu
nicipal power plant, secured pubilicity
in 625 Ohio newspapers, organized
women and arranged for speeches in
opposition to municipal ownership.
The Ohio bureau made an especi.
effort to interest schools and worm
in opposition to public ownersh
ownership movements.
Bollmeyer testified that his buret
spent $12,000 to assist the State Fe
eration of Women's Clubs in conduc
ing an essay contest among student
It was stated that the Ohio Cham
ber of Commerce employed S. S. Wy
to write a pamphlet in opposition
Boulder Dam. Wyer came into pror
inence a few years ago when he a
tacked the Ontario hydro-electric un
dertaking and let it be understood 1,.
represented the Smithsonian Instit
tion at Washington.
STREET CARS NO
LONGER NEEDED?
Baltimore.—Street cars are no long
er necessary, according to Raymond
Williams, special counsel for the pui
lie service commission, in an answer
to a court petition of the local street
car company that the commission's
ruling against a straight 10-cent fare
be set aside. The commission fixed
the fare at three tokens for a quar
ter, or 9 cents straight.
If the street car system were aban
doned because of physical or financial
catastrophe, Mr. Williams said, there
would be no duplication or reconstruc
tion. People are using the automobile,
he said.
As a result, he argued, what the
company regards as a demand for its
services is actually only the effect of
its monopoly. If the monopoly were
abandoned, he declared, transporta
tion by bus would be substituted by
capitalists of today. The attorney cit
ed the traffic on Fleet street, in Lon
don, where, he pointed out, the street
is narrow, yet bus transportation, the
only kind available, carries the heav
iest traffic on any street comparable
in the world.
BAKERS RAISE WAGES
Spokane.—Organized bakers are en
forcing a wage increase of $3 to $6
a week. The largest baking concern
in this city has accepted the new
rates.
New Bedford, Mass. (I. L. N. S.).—
The strike in the cotton mills here has
brought back to the United Textile
Workers and the American Federation
of Labor the 30,000 mill workers of
this great textile center.
The eight locals formerly affiliated
with the American Federation of Tex
tile Operatives, a dual union whose
strongholds have been this city and
Fall River, voted to join the United
Textile Workers an agreement be
tween their council and the emergency
board of the U. T. W. has been signed,
and the A. F. of L. union is preparing
the charters for its new membership
—-or rather, old membership returned.
On its side the U. T. W. has thrown
all its resources behind the New Bed
ford workers' fight against a 10 per
cent reduction in wages, which was
accepted by the dual union in Fall
ONION LABOR LIFE
GAINS SUPPORTERS
IN BUSINESS RANKS
Washington, D. C. (I. L. N. S.).—
While progress in the organization
of agencies goes forward at scheuled
pace or better, support is coming to
the Union Labor Life Insurance Com
juny from many quarters not connect
1 with the trade union world in which
the company was organized to func
tion and to serve.
The company's remarkable record
as revealed in the president's first an
nual report, has brought forth con
tinuous friendly comment. One of the
most recent important indications of
this support, gratifying to the com
pany and its great body of trade union
stockholders, is from Walter S. Fad
dis, president of the Caldwell-Wingate
Company, builders, 101 Park Avenue,
New York City. Writing to President
Woll, Mr. Faddis says:
"Dear Mr. Woll: I am in receipt of
your letter of May 7th concerning the
Union Labor Life Insurance Company
of which you are the president.
"I am very happy indeed to know of
this fine company. Organizations such
as this and the splendid efficiency of
the labor banks do more to stabilize
and instruct your men than any
amount of talk and agitation.
"Personally, I regret that I can not
participate on account of age limit,
but if I can be of any assistance
among the men employed by this com
pany I shall deem it a privilege 1o use
my best efforts."
Third
Funeral Service
We render an intelligent, sympathetic service, never slight
ing on quality however, we do render a service that is
within reach of all.
The price is the patron's to determine, nevertheless we be
lieve in true economy, and particularly guard them from
overbuying.
Our beautiful Funeral Home is always at your disposal.
Burial Garments designed for each individual case and made
in our own establishment.
Edgar K. Wagner
Funeral Director
Including Brackets and Pull
Here is lasting beauty for your windows—at
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These shades are the famous long-wearing
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Thirty Thousand Strikers
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In Stronghold of Dual Union
V"?W^ 4f
River. William E. G. Batty, secretary
of the New Bedford Textile Council
and a leader in the amalgamation
move, appeared before the convention
in Boston of the International Ladies'
Garment Workers' Union to ask for
aid, and similar appeals will go out to
the whole labor movement of the
United States.
Thomas F. McMahon, president of
the U. T. W., has telegraphed Frank
Morrison, secretary of the A. F. of L.,
asking him to notify unions in all the
eastern states of the action taken by
the New Bedford unions.
The strike has kept 26 mills closed
for a month. Police are on guard at
the gates, where picketing goes on
daily. Merchants of the city, hard hit
by the closing down of the city's chief
industry, are seeking to mediate be
tween the strikers and the mills.
Responding to Mr. Faddis, Presi
dent Woll said:
"I was extremely delighted in read
ing your very encouraging letter of
May 10th relating to the Union Labor
Life Insurance Company.
"While I, too, regret your inability
to become personally one of our pol
icyholders, your assurance of coopera
tion and assistance among men em
ployed by your company and among
your friends and acquaintances is of
the utmost help. Indeed it is such en
couragement that inspires me to do
whatever I am capable of in further
ing good and understanding among
employers and workers, and in ad
vancing the economic and social inter
est of all."
PAINTERS RAISE WAGES
Baltimore. Organized painters
have raised wages 10 per cent.
PRINTERS RAISE WAGES
Denver.—Newspaper printers were
awarded a 44-hour week and a wage
increase of $1.75 a week by the in
ternational Board of Arbitration that
has been set up by the International
Typographical Union and publishers.
Both parties objected to a local
award that called for no wage increase
and a reduction of one hour in the
work week. The employers insisted
on wage cuts. The international
award is a pronounced victory for the
workers.
BUTCHER WORKMEN UNITE
•Jackson, Mich.—Butcher workmen
in this city have organized. The new
local is chartered by the Amalgamated
Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen.
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