V
VOL. XXVIII. No. 34
New Orleans, La. (I. L. N. S.)—
"Why did the Vestris go down and
why were so many lives lost?" An
drew Furuseth, veteran president of
the International Seamen's Union of
America, was asked. He put the
answer crisply:
"An incompetent crew and im
proper stowage of the cargo."
That answer is based upon the evi
dence at hand, as published in the
newspaper imports to date, of which
Furuseth has read all he could tret.
Not only was there an incompetent
crew aboard when the disaster came,
Furuseth declared, but the vessel had
for a long time been manned by in
competent crews. The unseaworthy
condition of the life boats and the
unworkable condition of the lowering
gear made it clear to the veteran
seamen's leader that able seamen had
not been aboard the ship for a long
period.
Bad Stowage Blamed
*The cause of the loss of the vessel
was bad stowage," Furuseth said.
"Vessels are no longer stowed or
operated at sea by seamen. The
power given the mate by tradition
and law to superintend stowage of
cargo has been taken away bv ship
owners, as a general proposition, and
turned over to stevedores who obey
instructions from the company'*
office."
Furuseth points out that when dis
asters come the public pays, through
insurance, and the ship owners lose
nothing. Landsmen have replaced
seamen as the makers of policy, and
seamen, in such cases as this, have
been replaced by landsmen in the han
dling of vessels at sea.
SOS Delayed Too Long
As to the captain Furuseth thinks
it clear that he delayed too long his
SO S., but he says that captains, too,
are victims of landsman rule. "The
captain is dead now and it is easy to
load the responsibility upon him. But
seamen know that the master has
been shorn not only of his power to
see that the vessel is properly stow
ed, but also of his power to see tjjat
the life-saving appliances and crew
are in fact seaworthy. A master that
will insist upon such things does not
remain master very long, unless he
happens to be the master in some
shipping corporation or company in
which there yet remains enough re
spect for the sea and its traditions
to permit him to exercise the power
that the law confers upon the master
and makes him responsible for cases
of disaster like this."
AVERAGE TEXTILE
WAGE RANGES
AROUND $25.34
Washington.—Can a textile worker
suppor a family and maintain
American living standards on $25.34
a week
This rate is the average earnings
fdr employes in woolen and worsted
goods manufacturing, according to
the United States Bureau of Labor
statistics.
Average hourly eranings this year
in individual occupations range for
mlaes for 28.4 cents for doffers to
60.5 cents for weavers. Average full
time hours per week of«male employ
es is 49.4.
There were 38,850 employes includ
ed in the bureau's study.
Ship Owners' Policy Bound
To Bring Disasters at Sea,
Seamen's Union Head Holds
SUIT
TOPCOAT
OR
OVERCOAT
235 Court Street
Furuseth looks for mors disasters,
because the policy responp'ble for the
loss of the Vestris is at work else
where and it must, sooner or later,
be followed by .like results.
Skill Still Vital
"The sea has not changed," he said,
"and it is not going to change, no
matter what the belief of landsmen
may be. Skill of officers and men is
as important as ever. The laws are
such that an American owner loses
nothing from such a loss. But the
English law, on the contrary, provides
for a liability of 15 pounds sterling
per registered ton, out of which dam
ages are paid. Of course those dam
aged, either personally or through
loss of relatives, in the Vestris dis
aster, will have sense enough to bring
suit in England."
So, it is another story of greed and
incompetence, as this veteran sea
men's leader sees it. And the crew,
picked by men who look first to the
company's ledgers, was, of course,
a non-union crew.
MOVING ALONG
Unions
Gradually
Subscribe for the Press.
Demand the United Garment
I Workers of America Label
When buying a suit, and we are headquarters for this Label in Hamilton.
Union Men, give us a trial on that next garment.
ALSO
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a A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A^a A^A A#A A4A A4A A^. A^
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.«
Forge
Ahead for Five-Day
Week
Washington. Considerable prog
ress in establishing the five-day week
has been made in the last two years,
according to a survey by the execu
tive council of the American Federa
tion of Labor.
"Reports from the international
unions show that in October, 1928,
twenty internationals have 514 local
unions working tthe five-day, forty
hour week," the survey states.
"These locals have a membership
of 164,479. In addition there are at
least 550 union members employed as
clerk,s secretaries, stenographers,
etc., in trade union offices who have
the five-day week, making a total
membership of 165,029 who are now
enjoying the five-day, forty-hour
work week.
"Winning the five-day work week
has been a gradual process, involving
continued emphasis in conferences
with employers, and careful adjust
ment of work. One international
states that its local unions have been
working for many years to establish
the five-day week, and in many hun
dreds of cases it has been discussed at
every meeting with the employers.
This has resulted in the gradual de
velopment of working agreements
and a large number of its members
have securde the five-day week. In
none of these cases has a strike been
reported to.
"Several internationals report that
tl.ey are now in negotiation for the
five-day week. The wood carvers have
already made an agreement for it,
and by March 31, 1929, they will have
210 members working the five-day
week. In New York most of the shops
employing their members and in Ro
chester the architectural shops have
it in the summer months. The mold
ers al stsoate that a number of their
locals in the stove industry have
worked the five-day week in the sum
mer months for several yeais."
SANTA
CLAW, YES
TINE. THkNK VDU
HOW ARE.YOU?
THAIS'
By CHESTER M. WRIGHT
New Orleans, La. I. L. N. S4«—
The close of the first week of the
American Federation of Labor con
vention found constructive policies
and achievements of vast importance
written into the record by the action
of the delegates.
No issue before the convention has
so fired the imagination and aioused
the energies here as has the issue of
machine displacement am! unemploy
ment. To this challenge of the ma
chine the convention has said that
there must be wages that will sustain
the buying power of'the masses, hours
cf leisure that will permit use of in
dustry's products, and a public pol
icy that will release funds for publii
works ahead of unemployment crises.
Stands on Labor Program
Of historic importance was the fact
that Gov. Ralph O.Brewster, of
Maine, delivered to the conference of
governors—the chief executives of
thirty states—meeting here at the
same time—a message telegraphed
by authority of President-elect
Hoover, in which the next national
administration takes its stand upon
that program first laid down by labor.
Perhaps no program ever evolved by
labor in any country has ever received
such positive and quiek ratification
v such overwhelming governmental
Union Tailored
To Measure
Perfect
Satisfaction
Hamilton's Leading Tailors 25 Years
Y
Y
Y
*r*H -itf
THE BUTLER COUNTY PRESS.
I ADVISE
(•''OOO
yoo
to 6£T ywR-
(7RDERS" IN EARLY
Workers, State and Washington
Unite on Constructive Program
American Federation of Labor Convention at New
Orleans
Hears
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1928
HELLO, HELLO THI5 ft MISTER ClAUS CALLING,"
CLAOS/NO NO NO, C- L-— A- L)
With Enthusiasm of Proposals Sup
ported by Next National Administration for Stabil
ization of Employment and Prosperity.
4^,.
Hoover and Governors Back
Labor's Employment Remedy
i
power as this, for not only does the
next president make the program his
own, but the governors of a majority
ci the states made it clear that they
make it likewise theirs. The key to
the value of public expenditures in
this program is the -ever more nearly
accurate index which sees unemploy
ment coming and enables release of
public funds in time to head off its
i.r rival.
Under the proposal public authori
ties would store up a reserve of con
struction projects equal in cost to two
years' normal expenditure on im
ployment and release this reserve at
times of unemployment. Such a
fund, Governor Brewster said, would
be one of the best forms of insurance
against national panics.
Rig Fund is Proposed
The project contemplates the cre
ation of a $3,000,000,000 state and
federal construction fund to do for
labor and industry what the federal
reserve system has done for finance.
Governor Brewster told the confer
ence of governors that he offered the
plan at the request of President-elect
Hoover as a part of his program for
the reduction of unemployment.
The A. F. of L. convention gav£
time with enthusiasm to a i-ecital of
the dramatic coincidence of events by
which the trio of great social, eco
nomic and political forces—labor, the
states and Washington—were put in
unison in support of labor's program
for solution of the most pressing issue
of modern industrial life.
John P. Frey, secretary o fthe metal
trades department, brought the facts
to the convention, presenting a state
ment of the developments and assert
ing that he had made assurance of
the accuracy of his statements doubly
sure by submitting to Governor
Brewster for approval his statement
ot the convention and that the ap
proval had been given.
"IF" A BIG WORD
IN ELECTIONS
Urbana, 111.—A change of half a
million votes in closely contested
states could elect Smith, according to
Prof. Frank G. Dickensen, of the Uni
versity of Illinois, originator of the
Dickenson football rating system.
"If 500,000 or 1M per cent, of the
voters in the closely contested states
had voted democratic instead of re
publican, Smith would be the next
president," said Prof. Dickensen,
New York. "If" flgurers are
showing what would happen providing
a small fraction of voters acted dif
ferently in the last election. One
statistician shows how easily Smith
could be elected, while another "iffer"
shows that a shift of 150,000 votes
would give Presdient-elect Hoover all
of the 48 states.
"UNIVERSAL" DRAFT
Favored Bv Legion Opposed
By A. F. of L.
Washington.—The American Le
gion will urge congress to approve its
so-called "universal" draft for war
times. This proposed legislation
known as the Johnson-Capper bill has
been before congress since 1922. The
president would be authorized, in the
event of war, or when he believes war
is imminent, to determine the mate
rial resources, industrial organiza
tions and services over which gov
ernment control is necessary and "to
take such steps as may be necessary
to stabilize prices of services and of
all commodities."
The president would also be author
ized to conscrcipt all persons within
the ages of 21 and 30, as such other
lmiits as he may fix.
The bill is opposed by the Amer
ican Federation of Labor. Advocates
of the measure refer to it as a draft
of "capital and labor" and they would
create the impression that the plan
will destroy all profit in war.
Control of the workers under this
bill is not denied. The president
could draft them into the army or
into any industrial occupation, and
set their wages. The would be un
der the same discipline as uniformed
soldiers.
The "drafting of capital," however,
would merely consist of regulating
their profits, such as is now done
with the rialroads. Profits would be
confined to "a fair return," after
interest, depreciation, replacement,
sinking fund and other charges are
met.
The bill is in no sense "conscrip
tion of capital and labor." The prop
er term would be conscription of la
bor and an extension of the regula
tion of the profits of capital.
STRONGBOXES
No
Longer Adequate
It is estimated that the steel trust
has more than $2,000,000,000 in prop
erty, Standard Oil upward of $1,000,
000,000, while General Motors and
Ford have extensive holdings.
The strong boxes of these concerns
are bulging with cash, and large
amounts are loaned to Wall street
on solid security for speculative pur
poses. This money is referred to as
"bootleg" loans, becausef it is beyond
the control of government or bankers
and can be withdrawn at will. In
such an event, conservative financiers
piont out that they can not supply
funds and a crash in the stock mar
ket would be a possibility.
The situation is of interest to work
ers because it is an indication of
profits held by the comparative few,
and which shoul be diffused through
out the country in the form of higher
wages.
OIL WORKERS GAIN
Austin, Texas.—The Humble Oil
Company has placed drillers on a six
day week basis.
New Orleans, La. (I. L. N. S.)—
When the National Association of
Manufacturers, in its recent conven
tion, declared the American Federa
tion of Labor un-American it threw
burning brand that has landed here
and that will be fanned with fresh
and vivid oratory in the convention of
the American Federation of Labor
now in full swing.
President William Green is waiting
for the complete and official text of
the employers' hostile declaration be
fore turning the guns on what is re
garded as the most hostile and preju
diced declaration to emanate from
any responsible source in a long time.
Not only did the N. A. M. declare
the federation "un-American" in so
many words, but they declared that
labor's hostility to the communists
was in effect a smoke screen and that
the federation was making a big noise
about the reds to cover up its own
activities.
Advance reports of what the manu
facturers had to say have bred a re
sentment here that is red hot. The
prospect is that when the firing be
gins the National Association of Man
ufacturers will be subjected to the
hottest arraignment since the old days
of the Buck Stove and Range case
and the days of Parry. Post and Van
Cleve.
high officials."
The chancellor, who holds a ticket
signed by the general secretary, de
clares he is "not at all disposed to
accept expulsion."
Ath
For
Holding Corporation
Profits
New York.—Profits of industrial
corporations are so large that these
concerns are investing their surplus
in real estate.
Wtricoffer
rH
Resentment Burns Red Hot
In A. F. of L. Convention at
Slanderous N. A. M. Attack
Not only will organized non-
BRICKLAYERS'
Union Won't Admit Church
ill
London (1. L. N. S.)—The Herald,
labor organ, announces that the ex
ecutive committee of the Bricklay
ers' Union has decided that Winston
Churchill, chancellor of the exche
quer, is not eligible
to membership
in
the organization.
Churchill was admitted to member
ship in October. The committee de
cided that he was technically not a
member because his admission appli
cation was not in order and because
he did not intend to earn his living
as a bricklayer or to play any part in
the affairs of the union.
Churchill issued an emphatic pro
test against being expelled from the
union "after having been invited and
inducted into the
union
by
one of
labor
its
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union employers be arraigned for
their misrepresentation of labor, but
if documents known to be in the
possession of one of the delegations
are brought into the debate it will
be shown that certain employers have
joined with the reds in the use of
private detectives to help the so
called "united front" campaign of the
reds and the destruction of legitimate
unions. There is at least a promise
that this will be the outstanding sen
sation of the convention.
URGE CAUTION IN
LABOR BANKS
Washington.—An admonition for
conservatism in connection with labor
banks is contained in the annual re
port of the executive council of the
Amercian Federatino of Labor.
."For several years we have called
attention to labor banking as a de
velopment of the labor movement to
be most carefully watched and safe
guarded," warns the council.
"A bank is one of the most sensi
tive of economic agencies. Unions
engaging in banking enterprises
should assure themselves by every
precaution possible of the competency
and dependability of their technical
advisors. They should avail them
selves of all the supervision and coun
sel obtainable and the federal reserve
system. Such precautions meet with
corresponding reward in public con
fidence and lie safety of the bank
itself.
"A number of labor banks are
de
veloping sound and wise policies and
are a credit to our labor movement.
Labor banking, however, is as yet in
the experimental stage and should
be
accordingly safeguarded, and we urge
gr.ate caution upon all those con
nected
with them. Our action is
based upon our realization of the
close connection between these banks
and the
movement."
GUST. ANDERSON WINS
Washington.—Gust. Anderson, sec
retary of the Central Labor Council.
Portland, Ore., received a wire from
his home town that he was elected to
the state legislature. He was sec
ond
in 13
successful candidates who
will represent: that county. Mr. An
derson is
on
the A. F. of L. auditing
committee, which
will
report to the
New Orleans convention of the A.
F. of L.
BSbduri 40ubu*trCEM»
ttwehtyang sud 6
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tabm
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satisfied owners who will
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We invite you to try
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Or a phone call will bring
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a free demonstration.
S 10
DOWN
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TERMS
A. K.
SPEAKER
Court