Page Four The World of Labor—lndustry and Agriculture ARRESTS CAUSE TAXICAB STRIKE TO FLARE ANEW Anti-Union Bosses In N. Y. Tammany Friends By LUDWELL DENNY. (Staff Correapondent of the Fed. Prese) NEW YORK. May 12.—New York’s taxi war has broken out again. After a speedy settlement on the first day of the strike, one group of employers had the union officials arrested and the largest anti-union company was shown to have special connections with Tammany, the city administra tion and police. So the strike is on again, with about 3500 drivers out, according to the Brotherhood of Taxi Chauffeurs of Greater New York. The Amalgamated Taxi Chauffeurs, 1400 drivers who own their cars, sup port the strikers. The Amalgamated and the union have revived charges that the Yellow thru Carroll Sinnott, a Yellow official and brother of Mayor Hylan’s secretary and son-in-law, gets special privileges and police strike breaking service. Yellow taxis are allowed to pass police lines closed to other cars at the theatres and base- 1 ball parks, are allowed to keep cars on park property for $2 while other companies have offered S2OO for the privilege and been refused. A long list of privileges are charged, which Yellow officials and the city admin istration cannot explain. Since the union succeeded in get ting 900 Yellow drivers to walk out, Yellow officials and the police have co-operated in slugging and strike breaking. “The cops have told us ‘We will be right with you, but you have got to keep away from the Yel lows,’ ” the pickets say. Meanwhile the union has struck the various fleet companies again follow ing the alleged frameup by the Mogul Checker Company. President Jules Martin and another were arrested and the next morning the others gave themselves up. All are out on bail, and the case is to be heard May 12. “They framed our leaders to break our union, but it won’t break,” read the banners carried by the 1000 strik ers who marched to the court house hearing. The police searched all the strikers in the court room until they came to the Millionaire Taxi Driver “Freddie” FrefiEB —and let him go. French, who is a striker, is the son *T*“ banker, Amos T. French and a cou sin of William H. Vanderbilt. A* MINERVA GIFT SHOP AND 11725 S. Michigan ! “If You Are Dressed Well You Feel Well” ; \ LOOK YOUR BEST, FEEL YOUR BEST—AND SAVE THE j REST FOR MEN’S FURNISHINGS THAT PLEASE ! j THE GOLDEN EAGLE j - Nat Pitzele, Proprietor. 11338 Michigan Ave. \ fear Are you self-conscious about the impression you make on peopleP PERSONAL appearance ha« a lot to do with the way you feel. Clothes count, of course. But still there is one thing so an any people overlook —something that at once brands them as either fastidious or careless —the treth. Notice today how you, yourself, watch another person's teeth when he or she is talking. If the teeth are not well kept they at ones become a liability. Llilrtim Tnlk F*Jl« clsant tntk a mm MS. AI Itm nr tkmiKt kart Ji icntrtA m gtlhkiiti intndlnt Ik*l mlly tlnm milk m trrmttklml tkr mamrt—a Alfinh pnkltm t—Uj ntmA. A large tube of Listcrine Tooth Paste is only 25 cents; at your drug gist’s.—LamUrt Pharmacol Co.,Saint Louit, U. S. A. GRIGER & NOVAK GENTS FURN SHING and MERCHANT TAILORS UNION MERCHANDISE 1934 W. CHICAGO AVENUE ,(Cor. Winchester) >« 'umboldt 2707 INDEPENDENT LABOR PARTY, POLITICAL APPLE OF BRITISH WORKERS’ EYE, CRUMBLING By EVELYN PRESTON, Federated Press Staff Correspondent. YORK, England.—A general agree ment not to embarrass the British La bor government marked the annual spring conference of the Independent Labor party at York. Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and five other cabinet members belong to the I. L. P., as do over half of the Labor mem bers of parliament. An instance of this desire not to embarrass was the decision to aban don the historic practice of preceding conferences of instructing the party members in parliament to vote against army and navy appropriations. This time they were left to vote as they please, while the party confined its anti-militaristic action to urging the government to start a disarma ment conference. Another instance was the toleration extended to MacDonald when he casu ally referred to Socialism as a “book ish term.” Only a few Scottish mem bers expressed a hushed dismay. The proceedings as a whole were marked by expert knowledge and con cise talks rather than by vague repe tition of formulas. Education from kindergarten to college, agriculture, health and finance were the chief topics. Premier MacDonald claimed as achievements of the Labor govern ment the recognition of Russia, with the conference over trade and credits now going on in London “between representatives of two great Labor governments of Europe,” the aban donment of the Singapore naval base which would have been a menace to other powers in the far east, better relations with the powers of western Europe and first steps in meeting the housing problem in Great Britain. Clifford Allen, chairman of the par ty, struck the keynote with his asser tion that the business of the delegates was to confer on how to construct Socialism rather than destroy capital ism. The I. L. P. was organized 33 years ago by Keir Hardie as an organiza tion for spreading Socialist ideas. It was then a small courageous groap of pioneers. Today it numbers 70,000 members and is the driving core of the heterogeneous British Labor party. SCRANTON, Pa. A victorious strike has won the Scranton bricklay ers union an increase of 15 cents giv ing them $1.50 an hour. The men have been out since May 1. RUBBER STAMPS § AND SEALS 1 IN ENGLISH AND IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES RgSsEsS INK. TADS, DATERS. RUBBER TYPE,Etc. NOBLER STAMP & SEAL CO, Phone Wabash 6680 CHICAGO MAIL ORDERS PROMPTLY CI.L g— I ATTENDED TO Improve Your Property Damaged Buildings Restored LOANS TO IMPROVE New Floors, Fronts, Shelving MID-CITY CARPENTER SHOP 508 3. Irving Ave. Seeley 1883 PITTSBURGH, PA. DR. RASNICK DENTIST Rendering Expert Dental Service for 20 Years 641> SMITHFIKLD 8T„ Near 7th Ave. 1627 CENTER AVE., Cor. Arthur St. i'hunc .SpuulilliiK 4670 ABHER B. PORTNOY A CO. Painters and Decorators PAINTERB' SUPPLIES Estimate# on New and old Work 261!* AIII.WAI'IsKE AVK„ CHICAGO Every new aubeoriber Inereaaea the influenea of tha DAILY WORKER. Greek Workers In Huge May Day , Mass Demonstration (Special to The Daily Worker) Seventeen killed and injured. Whole sale arrests. Water drenched ranks of marching workers. That was the ] May Day toll in Greece. , Workers of Greece celebrated May . Day in spite of orders from the , “democratic” militaristic clique now ] in-control of the government forbid- ding the workers to assemble or to make any demonstrations. Gathering , in hordes in the many squares of ( Athens, and led by Communists, the | workers defied the government-sent ( “regiment of engineers,” instructed to ( extinguish the revolutionary fire by ( turning on the water hose. The celebrating masses really got a , shower. But not a bit daunted they ■ kept on marching in unbroken file. < The militia was then called and blood , began to flow. Communist papers have laid the , blame squarely on the shoulders of ' the government, and are calling on the proletariat to close ranks for a general strike, which may be called any day to free the political prisoners. " Farmers Hammer Plot To Deliver Shoals To Ford (Special to The Daily Worker) MT. VERNON, Wash., May 12. Denunciation of the politicians who plan to pay a political debt to Henry Ford by turning over to him the im mensely valuable public water power resources at Muscle Shoals is con tained in a resolution passed by Bak ers’ Heights Local No. 13 of the West ern Progressive Farmers, Skagit county. The resolution demands that these public water power resources be pub licly developed for the benefit of the people and not for the benefit of cap italists. The resolution is signed by Mrs. Fred D. Wood, secretary. Skagit county is the scene of gigan tic power developments of its own, and the Washington ■workers and farmers have had disastrous experi ences of private exploitation of their resources in the past. The Western Progressive Farmers’ organization is enrolling the intelli gent dirt farmers of Washington state, and is working hand in hand with the Federated Farmer-Labor party and other forces behind the June convention at St. Paul. AID UNEMPLOYED, ASKS FALL RIVER LABOR COUNCIL FALL RIVER, Mass., May 12. ; Relief for the unemployed is sought ! by the Textile Council and the Cen tral Labor Union. An appeal was issued soliciting funds to aid the hundreds of idle workers. It states that organized labor has aided 429 individuals in two weeks. Os those, 106 were adults and 323 were child | ren. Food has been provided for j 160 families, 260 pairs of shoes given ■ away, and 80 families given articles , of clothing. Any contributions should be sent to the Central Labor Union Relief Committee, Martin J. Walsh, treasu rer, 58 Pleasant street, Fall Itiver, | Mass. I i Unemployed Beg Aid NEW BEDFORD, Mass., May 12. Unemployment here is so acute that the city’s Poor Department is swamp ed with applications for relief. Hundreds of Portugese workers with large families have asked aid. The labor co-operative bakery offered to supply about 30 unemployed families with free bread and received scores of applications. The manager of the bakery, Benjamin Levine, was forced to remark, that he had not seen a more pitiful sight In years. Venezuela Where Unions Are Banned. WASHINGTON.—At last the revo lution which has been due in Vene zuela since the Castro dictatorship was supplanted by the Gomez dicta torship, Is reported to have started. A party of Venezuelan liberals has been In Washington to get the truth to the American people. The revolu tionary forces feel that Secretary Hughes Is about to apply the same ' crushing rule to the Venezuelans as to the Cubans —that the power of the United States will be thrown behind an oppressive government which makes trade unions Illegal. Labor Woman to Europe. SAN FRANCISCO. Caroline Schleff. member, committee on educa tion, California State Federation of Labor, has been awarded a scholar ship by the Amerlcan-Scandinavlan foundation to study housing condi tions in Sweden. Miss Schleff will start for Europe Immediately for a year's study. THE DAILY WORKER PEORIA WHERE > MINERS MEET IS OPEN SHOP TOWN Workers And Farmers Are Disorganized By J. A. HAMILTON. If the Illinois miners, in Peoria as their 1924 convention city, where they will convene May 13, had in mind the doing of some missionary work for the general laoor move ment, they could hardly have chosen a better meeting place. There are thousands of unorganized workers in the manufacturing plants of Peoria and vicinity, and they have been among the worst exploited in the country. For some years Peoria had the reputation of being the second city in the United States in respect to the amount and value per worker added in the process of manufacture. This was largely because of being one of the leading cities in the manufac ture of agricultural implements, rank ing first in diversity of output, and third in aggregate value of product. The implement business for a time was one of the most profitable, the workers being paid exceptionally low wages at one end, and the farmer be ing charged excessive prices at the other. However, the financial pirates of Wall Street, who, of course, have an interest indirect or direct in the im plement business, overreached them selves in their efforts to exploit the farmers, and have seriously injured the golden egg laying ability of the farm implement goose. So many farmers have gone bankrupt, or near ly so, that they cannot stand any fur ther cash or credit burden for ma chinery. They have seen that merely to increase the product by machinery often puts them in a worse position by putting so much foodstuff on the market that the price drops and they are worse off with big crops than small ones. Hence the number of farm implements and machines bought by the farmers in 1922 are shown by reports to have been only about half of the number bought in 1914. This conditon of poor business re sulted in the bankruptcy recently of the Avery company, one of the lead ing farm machinery manufacturers in Peoria, and of course the workers in the implement factories will suffer from low wages and unemployment. Peoria is pretty much an open shop city. The street ’car employes are said to have an open shop agreement, which gives them from 47 cents to 52 cents per hour, the combined conduc tor-motorman on the one-man cars getting 65 cents per hour, according to reports. The factories and mills are unorganized. An employee of the Keystone Steel and Wire company re ported that in a seven-day week, work ing 12 hours night turn, he was able to “earn” the large sum of $36. Peoria has in the past seen stir ring events in the labor movement. In 1919 the employes of the Keystone Steel and Wire company and other plants in Peoria and nearby cities conducted a strike involving some 3,000 men, and lasting for months. The strikers were blacklisted when they tried to get work in plants not included in the strike, and as a result a general strike was called which brought out a very large percentage of all the workers in Peoria, and cul minated in a monster parade on the day before Labor day. Even the street car service stopped, it is said, all day. One thing which handicaps the la bor movement in Peoria is the extent of the commercial business, both in the hog trade, of which this is a great center, and in general wholesale lines. Some $30,000,000 wholesale business is said to be done annually, and about 3,500 traveling salesmen to have their homes in Peoria. The workers in the industry of trade are notoriously back ward toward organization to better their conditon. Gompers May Lose His Love For Atlantic City If Beauty Shows Stop ATLANTIC CITY, N. J„ May 12. "Unscrupulous exploitation of young womanhood in beauty shows, pag eants and revues" was declared In a resolution adopted by the thirtieth an nual convention of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs here. “These unspoiled flowers are at tracted as butterflies to the light,” Mrs. Sophie Irene Loeb, chairman of the National Child Labor association, said in speaking of girls who partici pate In such competitions. Th resolution described the beauty contests as a "menace to the highest ideals of the nation." Old Bcala Adopted. ALLIANCE, Ohio, May 12.—Stark electric street car strike here ended last night, when the old wage scale was adopted for another year. The men suspended operations May 1, re fusing to accept a four-cent-an-hour pay slash. The company was given the right to operate one-man cars and to use two men on freight trains in the yard limits here. DELIBERATE OVERPRODUCTION HAS INTENSIFIED TRADE SLUMP, PRELUDE TO MASSED ATTACK ON WAGE SCALES Over-production deliberately fostered by the masters of American finance has intensified the present trade slump and opened the way for a general wage reduction movement. At least 2,500,000 wage earners are out of a job with every indica tion that more will join their ranks. The surplus which workers produced during recent months will enable employers to sit tight until conditions which they consider* essential to success in world competi tion are accepted. The artificial expansion of business which preceded this situation was re cently exposed by a well known in vestors’ service which held that dur ing the Autumn industrial leaders made a deliberate effort to manufac ture prosperity. The resulting col lapse was termed an illustration of the fact that without a solid founda tion no prosperity could be produced. According to the New York Times, “to many minds it was quite clear that an artificial stimulant was be ing administered to business last autumn and early winter.” U. S. Steel. With unfilled orders running far be hind 1923 the captains of industry speeded up production in basic in dustries until it exceeded the high mark of a year ago. In March the U. S. Steel corporation maintained the highest rate of production on record, altho its output was run ning more than 10 per cent ahead of orders. As a result its unfilled orders fell off 130,094 tons to 4,782,807 tons as compared with 7,403,332 tons on the books a year ago and production in April was sharply curtailed. The widespread unemployment which has developed tends to curtail consumption and to prolong the de pression. Since a year ago the num ber of workers employed in mining, manufacture and transportation has fallen 720,000 according to the con servative index of the department of labor. But to absorb the increased number of productive workers due to the normal growth of population the number on the payrolls should have increased by at least 700,000. The steady drift from the farms to the cities means that this entire number can be added to the number of city workers looking for jobs. This means 1,420,000 looking for work in addition to the "normal” margin of about 1,- 000,000 unemployed present even in times of prosperity. Wage Cuts Threaten As a result a wage reduction move ment is being anticipated by financial editors in paragraphs which might have been clipped from their sheets in late 1920. The N. Y. Times sets July 1 as the probable date for the start. “Altho revisions of wage sched ules,” writes one, “are not a gen eral thing as yet, it is evident that industrial leaders have some plans along this line under considera tion.” Another writes “It would not surprise shrewd trade observers if this year showed the turn of the tide from the constantly increasing labor costs which are now gravely affecting production and distribution. The entering wedge so far as wage reduc tion is concerned seems likely to ap pear in the textile trades. They are in a comparatively weak condition, etc.” In the steel industry, says the Journal of Commerce, “the lead in reduction of wages is expected to be taken by the Republic Iron and Steel . Co. and the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co.” The industries in this country have been expanded to the point where huge foreign markets are required to maintain full industrial activity and the United States cannot hope to capture these markets in the face of British, French, Italian and German competition, (to quote Vice-pres. Fred. I. Kent, Bankers Trust Co. of New York), on the basis of the present cost of production. He wants lower wages. ■ i Miner’s Rogues Gallery MIDDLEGROVE, 111.—For taking mine cars Intended for his fellow union miners and for loading cars with dirt and putting coal on top—to ithe detriment of his fellows—Joe Gas jarovich has been expelled from the miners’ union for 99 years. Local 2840, United Mine Workers, which expelled him, describes him as 28 years old, 5 ft. 10 in. high, 165 lbs., brown hair and blue eyes, Croatian who can talk good English. Barbara and Carmen Win Raise EAST ST. LOUIS, lll.,—Union barbers here have won their strike, called a week ago, for an increase of wages. Thirteen shops were affected. The union won its demands in full, and hereafter the men will receive 70 percent of receipts Instead of the former 65 percent. Efforts to replace the strikers failed. • • • Union streetcarmen employed by East St. Louis Suburban Railways and subsidiary lines, have voted to ac cept a wage increase of 2 1-2 cents and 3 cents an hour offered by the company. The new scale la 47 l-2c an hour for men in service 21 months or less and 59 cents an hour there after. How many of your shop-mates raad THE DAILY WORKER. Qet one of them to aubserlba today. Producing Theatre Managers Scrap Over Equity Recognition (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK.—The anticipated split in the Producing Managers’ associa tion has occurred, and the bosses’ hope for victory in a proposed June 1 lockout against the actors’ Union has gone glimmering. The Shubert-Sel wyn group, controlling 74 per cent of current theatrical productions, have replied to the P. M. A. anti-union stand by forming the Managers’ Pro tective association, pledged to sign the new contract with the Actors’ Equity association, American Federa tion of Labor. The union haters, who control 18 theaters in New York, against 45 con trolled by the pro-union group, say they will stage the lockout on the is sue of an Equity shop. There is apt to be a fight between the two groups for the SIOO,OOO in the P. M. A. treas ury, raised by weekly assessments on the managers to fight possible strikes. The new peace pact protects the Fi delity league (a small company union), which has been covered in all the negotiations with Equity. Teachers* Union Making Drive In Eastern States NEW YORK, May 12.—According to a statement issued by the secretary of the Eastern States Federation of Teachers, an educational campaign is now under way among non-union teachers’ organizations thruout the east. Literature from the national of fice of the American Federation of Teachers, as well as illustrative ma terial from active teachers’ union lo cals, has been sent out. It is expect ed that there will be a considerable revival of interest in the teachers’ union movement thruout the eastern states as a result of this campaign. Local unions, as well as individual members of the American Federation of Teachers, can help in this cam paign, by getting in touch with ad jacent teachers’ organizations, send ing them union literature and, if pos sible, union speakers. Literature may be obtained from the office of the American Federation of Teachers, 327 South LaSalle street, Chicago, or the Eastern States federation, 70 Fifth avenue. New York city. WANTED!!! IK Live Young Militant (Man or Woman) to fill an important position in a radical organization. Must be an experienced Stenographer. An excellent opportunity to perform most necessary work for the militant movement and an extremely interesting job awaits the one who can qualify. State qualifications and give your labor movement connec tions in first letter. Write BOX B, No. 1, care THE DAILY WORKER. J. R. Schmidt & Sons Dealers In HARDWARE Paints, Radio Supplies, Screen Wire, Fencing, Garden Tools and Seeds 10407 Michigan Ave. Phone Pullman 4213 CHICAGO OVER GLOBE SHOE STORE j 11138 S. Michigan Ave. Roseland, 111. I SHOES MADE BY EXPERIENCED UNION LABOR ; Shoes for men, women and children manufactured by the ' Bridgewater Workers' Co-Operative Assn. \ Tuesday, May 13, 1924 NEEDLESSLY Kill 339 COALMINERS DURING MARCH 750 Slaughtered In 3 Months In U. S. (Special to The Dally Worker) WASHINGTON, May 12.—President | j which are largely preventable caused h the death of 339 coal miners during March, according to the monthly re port of the U. S. bureau of mines. This II brings the total killed for the first quarter of the year to 750 in contrast ; with 692 killed during the same perf d ' of 1923. L Coal dust explosions accounted "r , 196 out of the total killed in M 'tih and 286 of the total during theTfjtst three months of the year. During the same period a year ago 164 miners f were killed by such explosions. The death rate per million tons mined rose sharply from 4.19 during the first quarter of 1923 to 4.68 during the same period of 1924. The number of miners killed by gas and coal dust explosions per million tons nearly doubled, rising from .994 in 1923 to 1.786 in 1924. Action to lower the present high death rate in the coal mines of the country was urged in the house of representatives by Robinson of Ken tucky, chairman of the House commit tee on mines and mining. He called attention to the major disasters in the last 9 months. Os the eight which oc curred in that period, he said, all but one were due to coal dust explosions. He referred to the recommendations of the U. S. bureau of mines that all dusty mines should be “stone dusted” and suggested that Congress provide more funds for the bureau. Capitalist Reporter Admits ‘Citizens* Driven From Moscow Thievery NEW YORK.— The New Yoiif Times publishes the following Thun Walter Duranty, its Moscow corres pondent: "It is true that many ap parently prosperous citizens have been expelled from the capital (Mos cow) in the past two months, but in vestigation shows that, with extreme ly rare exceptions the said citizens were either frankly parasites, gam blers, bootleggers and worse, or mid dlemen and agents of government trust who made illicit profits but couldn’t be convicted of definite crimes. In the case of foreigners one generally finds that either the aggrieved firms were not really reputable, were trying to obtain advantages not specified in their agreements or that their agents here acted in a tactless or unscrupu lous manner.”