The Butler County press. [volume], July 24, 1931, Image 1

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

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VOL. XXXI. No. 15
MOONEY CASE
Assailed as "Shocking" By
Wickersham Commission
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—The
California law practice that prevented
the granting of a new trial to Tom
Mooney, convicted on perjured evi
dence of complicity in the Prepared
ness Day parade bombing of 1916, is
denounced as "shocking to one's sense
of justice," in a report on criminal
proceduie, made by the WickershaiM
law enforcement commission.
A complete report on the Mooney
case, which was made by agents of the
commission, has not been issued and
it is reported that it will not be. The
report was prepared for Judge W. S.
Kenyon's subcommittee on the "law
lessness of the law" and is said to
brand the imprisonment of Mooney
and Warren K. Billings, also con
victed of complicity in the Prepared
nsse Day parade bombing, as a glar
ing example of the corrupt use of le
gal machinery.
New Trial Motions Inadequate
The reference to the Mooney case
was brief, but to the point. It fol
lows:
"Motions for new trials upon the
ground of after discovered evidence,
or upon evidence of perjury commit
ted by material witnesses on the trial
discovered after judgment, in some
jurisdictions have been held inade
quate to prevent injustice.
"This was peculiarly manifest in
the famous Mooney case in Califor
nia, where, upon appeals to the su
preme court of the state from the
judgment of conviction of murder and
an order of the trial court denying
motion for a new trial, that court
held that a new trial could not be
granted upon matter not appearing in
the record, even thought the new mat
ter consisted of evidence charging
perjury on the part of a material wit
ness for the state, and although the
attorney general stipulated that the
motion might be granted.
"No Judicial Remedy Open"
"Further application made to the
trial court in the nature of an appli
cation for common law writ of coran
oram nobis, upon the ground that the
prosecuting attorney had been guilty
of fraud in withholding from the trial
court information impeaching the tes
timony of certain witnesses for the
state, also was denied upon the ground
that under the California practice the
court had no power to grant such a
motion.
"The supreme court of that state
held there was no judicial remedy
open in such case. The only remedy
Ambulance Service
Phone 35
R. R. Pay Slash Illegal
Emergency Board Rules
Attempted Reduction of Shopmen's Wages Below Prevail
ing Standards by Louisiana & Arkansas Line Held
Not Justified and Move Declared in Violation of
Terms of Railway Labor Act.
Washington, D* C. (ILNS)—Reduc
tion of wages without negotiation
with employes is branded as illegal,
when the railway company employer
is able to pay dividends, is the sub
stance of the decent statement of the
emergency board appointed by Presi
dent Hoover to settle the dispute be
tween the management and the em
ployes of the Louisiana & Arkansas
railway, contained in the report filed
in that matter. The first point is,
that reduction of wages of railway
shop crafts below the prevailing
standards is not justified when neces
sity does not exist and the second,
that promulgation of new rules and
changes in working conditions with
out notice is positively illegal under
the terms of the railway labor act.
"The emergency board, created by
the president last April, declared that
the road's financial condition was in
no manner worse than other carriers
which have maintained existing wage
ALL WOOL ALL $22.50
levels, and did not warrant the redue
tion in shop crafts wages. It call!
attention to the fact that the carrii
had fully met its obligations as to tin
payment of interest on its securities,
and had even paid out "substantial"
dividends to its stockholders.
The appointment of the emergency
board was according to the provision^
of the railway labor act, after the
road had refused the offer to have the
controversy arbitrated by the board
of mediation, following the reduction
of wages last February.
The emergency board said that it
could not urge the employes to accept
an arbitrary reduction of wages, si
that would be to place those who obey
the law at a disadvantage as against
those who violate it that an arbitrary
reduction of wages, made without
negotiation with the men, lacked all
the elements of a contract, in that it
was purely one-sided and that if tin
road was not offered arbitration, it
should seek it.
was the exercise of executive, clem
ency.
"Such a state of the law is shock
ing to one's sense of justice."
NAVY YARDS'PAY
SCALES TO STAND
FOR COMING YEAR
Present Rates, Affecting 30,
000 Workers, Wont Be
Changed in 1932, Acting
Secretary Announces.
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—Pres
ent wage scales of civilian workers
at navy yards throughout the nation
will be maintained during 1932, as the
Result of an order issued by Ernest
Lee Jahncke, acting secretary of the
navy. About 30,000 workers are
affected.
The announcement said that due to
the present economic situation, the
local wage boards, which usually are
summoned to meet in August, will
not be convened this year.
The wage boards collect data on
wages in their respective commu
nities and this material is forwarded
to Washington to be studied by the
department wage board which ad
vises the secretary of the navy on
the scale the service should pay in
its industrial plants over the country.
The continuance of the present
schedule is in accordance with the ad
ministration's action of November,
1929, for the relief of unemployment
and stabilization of labor conditions
throughout the country, without re
duction of wages, Mr. Jahncke said
Action is taken at this time in order
to save the employes and the govern
ment the expense incident to the col
lection of wage data, he explained.
Similar action was taken last year
by the navy department. The navy
makes up its new wage schedule in
ordinary times, to take effect on Jan
uary 1, each year.
WHATNEXT?
Wood gas as a substitute for gaso
line has been tested some time on an
omnibus in Montevideo, Uraguay. The
company says it is satisfied and will
equip all of its buses with the device.
It says the fuel costs $1.80 daily per
bus, compared with $9 to $10 daily
for gasoline, and that buses using it
require new lubrication only once
monthly instead of weekly. The wood
gas is produced in a large, rather
unwieldy tank equipment which is
carried at the rear of the vehicle.
W. GATH CO. I
Funeral Directors
Chairs and Tables Rented
17 So. Street
MORE QUALITY
RICHMAN'S CLOTHES
Hamilton, Ohio
Look for i 128 High Street Opposite
the Number OPEN UNTIL 9 P. M. SATURDAY Court House
Q[
V0660Kt\Tf
CALLING
New York City (ILNS)—With
"Fight" ringing through every sen
tence, President William Green, of
the American Federation of Labor,
electrified the convention of the Long
shoremen's International Union here
this week with his most pronounced
declaration against wage reductions
and unemployment.
Visioning the social unrest, the
armed clashes reported from several
directions, looking ahead to the third
winter of unemployment, the leader
of American organized workers de
clared there must be remedy.
Drawing on history, he declared,
hunger lies at the basis of world
revolution."
Again, he said: "It is not good for
a republic when its citizens clash with
the police and armed forces of the
nation."
On the direct issue of wage cutting
he laid down the proposition, flat and
definite: "Here we stand like the
Greeks at Thermoplae. We refuse to
budge. The American Federation of
Labor will not stand a reduction of
wages, and we are going to oppose it
with all our might and vigor."
Ovation Greets Militant Words
Here the delegates broke into an
ovation—a storm of determination to
stand by the declaration of war
against wage reductions.
Senator Robert F. Wagner joined
in the denunciation. He declared his
impatience with "the smug belief that
we do not need and cannot find the
remedies," and he declared an em
ployer can be guilty of "no more vio
lent act of industrial sabotage than
by instituting a policy of wage de
flation."
"We have reached a point in Amer
ica," said Mr. Green, "where unem
ployment has brought on a serious
condition of social unrest and indus
trial discontent. We find it in the
coal fields and textile centers. It is
not good for a republic when its citi
zens clash with the police and armed
forces of the nation.
"We are facing the third winter of
unemployment. Our nation has never
been put to that test before. While
we wait and refuse to grapple with
the problem, men go hungry and so
cial unrest develops. The history of
he world shows that hunger lies at
he basis of world revolution."
We Refuse to Budge, His Defi
Democracy in Danger When Troops and Citizens Fight,
A. F, of L. President Tells Longshoremen's Conven
tion in Militant Address
Challenge to "Sit Still" Idea
"What are we going to do about
it he continued. "The situation is
more serious than it appears on the
surface and for some reason those in
authority refuse to act. In the name
of God, are we to sit still and do
nothing? There are those who think
that a reduction of wages is neces
ury and that it is time to lower the
tandard of living among working
en and women.
"Well, the American Federation of
1 abor has challenged that sort of eco
nomic philosophy. It has stood like a
one wall against the demands of
i mployers that wages be reduced. Is
there any reason why the millions of
working men and women should make
an additional sacrifice which would be
required by a horizontal reduction In
The Call of the Great Outdoors
Green, Fighting Wage Cuts,
Warns of Social Unrest Menace
their earnings? Have we not suf
fered enough Shall we cut the wages
of those few of us left who have
work?
Wage Reductions "Not Debatable"
"This subject is not debatable with
the American Federation of Labor.
We are not even open-minded about
it. Our minds are closed because we
have thought it over thoroughly and
constructively. The employers would
destroy their own market, but we will
save it.
"Here we stand like the Greeks at
Thermopylae. We refuse to budge.
The American Federation of Labor
will not stand a reduction of wages,
and we are going to oppose it with
all our might and vigor.
"How dramatic, how electrifying,
how heroic .-.would be a declaration
going out to the people of our nation
that industry is going to meet its ob
ligations that we are not going to
add to the burdens of the cities and
towns this winter that we are not
going to turn adrift those who served
us so faithfully and so well, to be
come objects of charity, led by citi
zen's committees and taxpayers of our
municipalities.
Reduce Days and Hours of Work
"There must be no further addi
tions to the army of unemployed. We
must assume our obligations and
maintain every man now employed,
and find jobs as soon as possible for
those unemployed. Perhaps a reduc
tion of days or hours is necessary to
give every man a share of the woi'k
that is available. I would rather have
100,000,000 employed five days
week than 60,000,000 employed six
days, with 40,000,000 idle.
"These economic and industrial ad
justments must be made. We are
faced with the inevitable facts and
that is what I think an industrial con
ference called by the president should
consider. No social order should deny
a willing man the opportunity to
work. Every worker has a claim to
his share of work.
Social Sanctions Are Threatened
"Our financial institutions, indus
try and the government itself rest on
social sanctions, and those social
sanctions are threatened when we
create in a republic an army of unem
ployed and the conditions that now
exist. Those in authority have re
fused to respond favorably to our sug
gestion and we appeal in the name of
labor and humanity for a favorable
response to the suggestion that a con
ference be called and that it be sup
plemented by legislative action.
"I can't understand why millions
should be appropriated in war, and
yet at a time like this, more danger
ous and even more menacing to the
institutions of our country than war
there should be any hesitancy on the
part of the government to appropriate
money for constructive enterprises to
provide millions of unemployed with
work."
Subscribe for the Press*
HAMILTON, OHIO, FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1931 ONE DOLLAR
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PAY SCALES MUST
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COPELAND SAYS
New York Senator Tells
Longshoremen's Conven
tion High Labor Stand
ards Are "Very Essence
of Civilization."
New York City (ILNS)—Vigorous
opposition to wage cuts was voiced
by Senator Royal S. Copeland, of
New York, in addressing the conven
tion of the International Longshore
men's Association here. Copeland
urged that present wage scales be
maintained and told the convention
he would fight any measure to cut
wages during the depression.
Senator Copeland said that Soviet
Russia is a menace and declared that
"we don't want our labor to compete
with serf and slave labor over there."
The "very essence of civilization," he
added, "is in a maintenance of labor
standards."
Representative John J. Boylan said
that while business was passing
through an economic cycle of distress,
"we have had these things before, and
we are going to rally again." He
urged the delegates not to be pessi
mistic.
Peter J. Brady, president of the
Federation Bank and Trust Company,
told of his institution's operation and
success despite the business depres
sion, during which, he said, the bank
had earned its dividends, met its over
head and built up substantial reserves.
T. V. O'Connor, chairman of the
United States Shipping Board, was
less sanguine in his view of future
business conditions. He said the
.Great Lakes region was most affected
by the depression.
James C. Quinn, secretary of the
Central Trades and Labor Council,
welcomed the delegates, as did Wai
ter B. Holt, president of the New
York District Council of the Long
shoremen's Association. Joseph
Ryan, president of the association,
who presided, emphasized the impor
tance of maintaining the wage scale,
reminding the delegates that the or
ganization had not pressed employers
for wage increases.
PRINTERS VOTING
ON RELIEF RIND
Boston (ILNS) Boston Typo
graphical Union No. 13 is taking a
referendum vote on whether the spe
cial assessment levied for the past
six months will be increased from 1
to 2 per cent. The assessment was
instituted to provide a fund out of
which weekly payments would be
made to those members of the local
who are totally out of work, or who
have been unable to get more than
two days' woi'k in a week. Prefer
ence is given to married men and
those with families of dependent
children.
Conditions are believed to be the
worst in the history of the printing
industry in Boston, and there are
numerous newspaper and job compos
itors who have been unable to get
even one day's work for several
months. Only those who are steadily
employed are liable to the levy.
By CHESTER M. WRIGHT
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—Letters
made public by the Pan-American
Federation of Labor in which fresh
and bitter complaint is made of the
barbarities of the Cuban dictatorship
rest upon a record that reeks as
trongly today as it did four years
ago when the doings of the Machado
cyranny was news to a shocked world.
The letters received from Cuban
:rade union leaders by the Pan-Amer
can Federation of Labor plead for a
'civil intervention" and declare that
:oday "no guarantees exist." It is
moreover set forth that Machado has
lot lived up to the reform promises
le made, which no informed person
xpected him to do.
"This is the time to do something,"
says one letter. The same letter says,
the working men of Cuba are dying
of hunger."
"EASY MARKS"
Are Newspaper Editors, Say
Utility Propagandists
Washington, D. C. (ILNS)—The
xtent to which propaganda for pri
vate gas and electric utility com
panies gets published as "news" is re
ealed by a report filed before the
federal trade commission in the form
of evidence of one of its attorneys.
The report included a chart compiled
from reports of the utility "public in
formation bureaus," showing the
number of columns of free publicity
ecured by the various bureaus of the
utility organizations. One of the
utility associations described the pub
icity bureau as the "keystone of our
public system," and no part of the
country is exempt from the influence
of these publicity sponges.
The Rocky mountain utility com
mittee bragged that it had sceured
literally "miles of favorable public
ity," free of charge. From New Eng
land to Texas, the editors of the
news papers seem to have used this
kind of copy for feature, news and
editorial matter and even Nebraska,
n*
Cuban Workers Starving
To Death, Leaders Say
Letters Received Here Beg for "Civil Intervention," De
claring Barbarities of Machado Dictatorship Con
tinue, While Hunger Harries Toilers, Bringing Riots
and Disorders.
PER YEAH
"Do Something'- Is Plea
"Iri the name of humanity, do some
thing for the poor people of Cuba,"
says another letter.
From an entirely non-labor source
comes confirmation of the charges
made by Cuban, unions regarding eco
nomic conditions. The U. S. state de
partment, on information from As
sistant Commercial Attache Albert
Nufer, at Havana, last week issued a
statement containing the following
revealing paragraph:
"Numerous indices show the in
creasing stagnation in commercial and
industrial activities throughout the
island. The number of unemployed,
already large, is rapidly increasing
and unemployment riots are reported
to have occurred in several interior
towns. Political unrest continues and
it is generally felt locally that a re
turn to political tranquility will be a
necessary factor in bringing about an
ecenomic upturn."
the home of Senator George Norris,
reported that in 1921 more than 400
of the 500 papers in the state had
used this utility publicity copy at va
lious times.
The New England committee re
ported, "One of the most favorable
Jesuits obtained was the number of
editorials published in many of the
leading newspapers where committee
material has been directly reprinted
in editorial columns or taken as a text
for favorable comment on the public
utilities' problems."
Oil Companies Sack
Yugoslavian Workers
Belgrade, Yugoslavia.—The Stand
ard Oil Company of New York and the
Royal Dutch Shell Company have
thrown large numbers of workers into
the army of the unemployed by shut
ting down their big oil refineries in
Yugoslavia. The executives of the oil
companies closed their plants because
the government of Yugoslavia cancell
ed a law enacted some years ago al
lowing crude oil to enter duty free.
Read the Press.
,H"H,4,4"M,4,4,W,4i4,W,H4,4,4,,M,MMm'4,+4,4,++4"H,++++++++++
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