The Connecticut labor news., October 13, 1923, Image 1

About The Connecticut labor news. (New Haven, Conn.) 1921-1925

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
UNITED STATES
labo5Tpess
CftmtmmitV
TO ORGANIZED LABOR
THE LABOR NEWS is your
paper and its advertisers de
pend on your support. Tell
them you Saw It In The News
and everyone will be happy.
VOLUME XI, NUMBER 35.
mpioying
tor-
lUi
All
As Result of
Convention at Washington Called to Have ' Pub
lishers and Job Men Get Busy On Unions Al
leging Because One Craft Failed All "La- '
bor" Is Untrue to Its Contracts and
Pledges Hope Thereby to Finally Win
44-Hour Strike.
. "The organized printers, not the journeymen but the bosses-are
1 gonig after Organized Labor with a wallop at the convention of Em
ploying Printers Association of America to be held at Washington,
beginning October 25. They are to take the outlawed" pressmen's
strike in New York a stheir slogan to get after all Organized Labor
in the hope of finally beating the ""44-hour" strike and die circular
sent out this week leaves, no doubt 'about it. The circular in part
reads: . ., . ' ,-
"Star Shell Lights Bakle Front For
: , Publishers
"If the newspaper publishers of the
country needed any further portent of
what may be the outcome of the ef
forts of the printing trade unions to
strangle the American -press, .they
have it f in the strike of union press
men in New York City. This strike
affords conclusive proof of the risk ia
depending on ' labor unions, of , the
futility of trying to get along with
them,1 of the danger in having any-
thing to do with them, i If such a
strike had to' come to pass, it is per
haps fortunate that the outbreak oc
curred in a metropolis where it' served
as a star shell to warn all publishers
that if they expect to continue in
business they will 'have to? stand up
- -.1- . a it - - - 1. . -
iu iigiu tor ineir ngnxs.
"Will the illuminating example go I
heeded? Will npwcnanpre Vw
mmUmAA " xr:n v r j
uiiuvtutu; Vint UCWSUdUCrS UC lOIVCU
!ntn ti1l ,Ki...d,
the printing trade unions?? Or will,
the publishers stand up and fight for
v,:, a a- xr j v.
their , independence ? We do not be
lieve the publishers have lost all their
backbone. We Relieve the majority
have' the courage to . free themselves
from labor-union oppression. Four
years ago there were only two open
shop daily newspapers in the coun
try. Now there are 359 and within
another year, there will be at least 500
independent daily newspapers.
"The publishers of New York City
weathered the pressmen's strike in a
wayHhat no doubt surprised them
selves as well as other publishers with
'the evidence of their fighting ability.
But, having made a stand shoulder to
v shoulder, co-operatively issuing a
combined single paper morning and
evening, they should not for a mo
ment have considered any compro
mise leading ' to ,the continuance of
relations with any labor union.
"Though they win the fight ' they
will lose the fruits of victory through
having signed another labor-union
contract. They have simply hopped
out of the frying pan, into the fire.
"In the sudden emergency an ap
peal for assistance was made to our
organization. If it had been accom
panied by a decision of the publish
ers to renounce relations .with the
unions for all time, this association
would have done its utmost to help
keep the presses running. Lacking
such assurance. we could do nothing,
for it would be a waste of resources
to lend assistance to employers who
expected to put their heads right
back in the labor-union yoke as soon
as the trouble was over. '
"After ta few days jthe situation
looked so downright black that a plea
for, succor evidently was sent far
west to the super-supreme maharajah
of the labor union universe. Now the
maharajah detests, publicity just as
much as a kitten hates sweet cream;
in fact, he has grown fat on it and
owes to it his entire reputation as a
super-(mis))leader of labor. The
New York papers have helped to
'make him and they could just as
easily 'break him. So the pseudo
eminent . and impeccable poobah soon
had the wires crackling with a de
nunciation, of the striking pressmen,
and among other things his message
contained this cryptic question:
" "If, when plighted faith of organ
ized labor is given to anf agreement
with employers or while negotiations
to reach an agreement are impend
ing, the members will enter on a
strike, how can we expect any agree
ment to be reached between organ
ized labor and employers?' ;
"Well, we'll bite. How can we?
There surely is no .reason why em
ployers should attach any value to
such agreements. For many years,
from coast to coast, it has been the
custom of labor unions to violate such
agreements and . evade responsibility
for their pledges; in fact, they are
largely immune from , legal liability
for their acts.v So how can we ex
pect employers to want to enter into
(Continued on Page Four.)
Published weekly at 286-288
New Haven, Conn.
A
n
D
eciares
Priii
ters
Or
ganize
N
Maine Voters to : ),
Decide 8-Hour Day
For Women
A- special election, called by the
governor-, will be held on Monday in
the State of Maine to decide whethei
enactment of an initiated law estab
lishing the eigh-hour day and 48
hour week' for, women and children
in industry shall.be' made a legisla
tive duty. More than 12,000 voters
signed the petition for a special elec
tion, and an active campaign is being
conducted throughout the. state, in
, V t i3 Pa"' rrp0rlS
indicate that . the measure will carry
- - i - .1 n j , t ' ,
r . . t - J J
f the voters. Can be induced to go to
n1? ,u' a c 3
. UndfrJh? inktiatlve and referendum
law. of Maine an initiated measure
must Be suomittea to a reterenaum ot
the voters unless it is .passed by the
legislature without change. When the
bill was 'submitted to the last legisla
ture that body took no action except
to pass a resolve referring ' it to the
people. Hence the movement for a
special election. v
Danish Emigration to
Canada
It is officially announced at Copen
hagen that two Danish farming ex
perts, at the invitation of the Cana
dian government and the Canadian
Pacific Railway , Company, and with
the approval of the Danish govern
ment, are to make a journey to Can
ad. -with, the object of obtaining in
formation as to the , possibilities for
Danish emigration to 'Canada.
BRITISH LABORITES FEAR
UNEMPLOYMENT MAY HURT
ORGANIZED TRADE UNIONS
Is Strongest Weapon in Hands of Antagonists
y and Is Being Used to the Limit.
London,, Oct. 13, Will unemployment kill trade unionism in
England) That is a question that many serious-minded Labor lead
ers are asking themselves. ; -
"Thepresence of a large number of unemployed is, in the em
ployers' hands, the strongest weapon to weaken the position of men
who work," warns J. R- Clynes, Labor M. P. ,'
Clyhes declares that unless the Labor organizations grid their
loins and take serious and definite steps to aid in bringing about an
end to unemployment, that employers can undermine the power of
unions and bring workers into an entirely submissive frame of mind,
through sheer fear of lack of employment.
The Labor Party is inclined to blame unemployment upon the
Government and its foreign policy, maintaining that the policy which
the Government has followed has not made possible. the restoration
of normal pre-war trade relations between the European nations.
"Until Labor's policy,' -determines
foreign policy, and until foreign
policy is brought Mnto harmony
with Labor gospel, industrial pros
perity will not appear," ' Clynes de
clared. "International harmony must
precede the return to such conditions
of ' work as we desire to see in indus
trial Britain."
The Labor Party maintains that
pendin gthe absorption of Britain's
processes of economic trade, the
government must provide suitable
and profitable work for those thrown
out of the normal means of earning
a livelihood. " . ,
Clynes bitterly attacked the gov
ernment's "fruitless excursions" into
the question of unemployment and
charged that what the government
gives out with one hand in 'doles it
York St.,
espomsiiojie w or
A
1-4
o
Going
d Labor
. Y. Press Strike
17 NEW STRIKES
GIVE U. S. LABOR
MEN A BUSY TIME
T
Conciliators, However, Manage
Adjust Most "of Them When
Both Sides Meet
to
After two months of comparative
idleness, conciliators of the United
States Department of Labor were
given much to do last week, when 17
strikes and controversies developed
This is the largest number of dis
putes in any week since last spring.
the new cases ' involved miners,
loom fixers, mattress, workers, engi
neers,' weavers, cement workers, shop
men, bricklayers, painters, box mak
ers, elevator operators, bakers, iron
workers and stone cutters. j.
Two strikes and two controversies
were adjusted by federal conciliators
during the week. Strikes of anthra
cite miners at Hazletoh and Ed
wardsville, Pa.,, over conditions, were
returned to the district board for ad
justment,, pending which, the men are
back at work. A teamsters strike at
Cedar Rapids, Iowa,' was adjusted by
the discharge of non-union workers,
wniie a jurisdictional uLspuie m uit
same city between iron workers and
carpenters was settled by recognizing
the claims - of the7 carpenters. '
The two most important of recent
strikes involve 0,000 box makers and
6.000 bakers' at New York City. Fed
era! conciliators state that the situa
tion is favorable for early settle
ments. . '
Loom hxers at Clinton, Mass., are
striking for improved conditions, and
mattress ; makers at New York City
for an increase of 10 cents an hour.
, ivntimeers employed by the Hnk
Engineering Company at Dayton,
Ohio, are asking increased wages, and
improved conditions. .
Nearly 3.000 cement workers of ithe
Lehigh Portland Cement Company, at
Newcastle, Pa,, seek a wage increase,
as do employes of the Shetucket Wor
sted Mills at Baltic, Conn. 1 -
A strike of shop employes of the
Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis
railroad is pending at Washington.
Other recent strikes include brick
layers at Dayton, Ohio; painters at
Newark, 'N. J.; elevator operators at
New York City ; miners of the .Stan
ton Company, at Wilkes-Barre, Pa.,
and stone cutters employed by. the
G. A." Fuller Construction Company
at Baltimore. ; . t
- 1
takes in with the other hand in taxes.
He pointed out that in two years the
state has paid out in unemployment
relief only one cent in every eight
cents it has collected for beer taxes
and beer taxes are paid by the work
ing men.
Further charges are made by Clynes
that the government has created such
rules and reglatoins for drawing un
employment relief that it has actually
deprived many of the benefits to
which they were rightfuly entitled.
Clynes and other Labor leaders are
diligently striving to arouse the rank
and file of the working classes to a
demand for a more active effort on
the part of the government to end
unemployment, for they fear that un
less unemployment is ended iit may
end trade unionism and the Labor
movement.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1923.
f
am
A. F. of L. Plans Big
Campaign tolOrganize
All Women Workers
Portland, Ore Oct. 1 3.-
The American . Federation of
Labor enthusiastically adopted
a committee report authorizing
a conference . of international
unions having women in their
membership, : forthe " purpose
of a national campaign for or
ganization of women.
The conventiojn . fixed its
purpose in adopting' the report
of the : executive council, de
claring ' that if Avoraen wage
earners ate to receive fair com
pensation the only1 recourse is
the 1 complete organization'
the women i wage earners
America. ' J '
of
of
LIBRARIAN TO
TAIIl
OF TRADES BODY
New Haven Council to Hear Things
. of Interest at I Meeting '
. Thursday. " 7
j ' , '--'.' J
In line with the policy adopted
some couple of years, ago of having
a speaker talk on topics of v local in
terest the New - Haven' Trades poun
cil at its next-meeting on Thursday
night next will hear L. - Lindsay
Brown, assistant librarian' of the New
Haven public libraries, .talk on the
advantages . the workers v and ' their
families can , get if writhe use of the
library facilities.- "Mr."-, Brown is well
versed in his subject having been
picked for the post he now Holds
from a long list of candidates because
of his especial ability to get down
among the people "and show them
things. . r
Being the second meeting of the
month the routine business will ac-
cupy but little time and therefore the
delegates Willi not be detained over
bedtime to listen to the address. Mr.
Brown's, talk should be of sufficient
interest to ensure a full attendance
not only of regular delegates to ' the
council but of all union men, the doors
being open as usual. Every delegate
and every union man is urged to at
tend and listen in one some thing
that will surely be of benefit to him
and his little ones
BUILDING TRADES
TO KEEP UP WAGE
AND TEACH YOUTH
Convention at Portland Shows Great
Strides Made Already and
More Coming Soon.
There is no likelihood of reduc
tions in the cost ;of building labor in
the immediate future, according to a
survey of the labor situation in the
building industry made public this
week. . The survey was compiled " by
S. W. Straus & Co. based on data
gathered at the convention of the
Building trades Uepartment 01 the
American Federation of Labor at
Portland, Ore., at which 850,000 or
ganized building craftsmen of the
country were represented. '
"The "attitude of labor as it was ex
pressed at the Building Trades De-s
partment convention and in reports
and statements by the leaders of or
ganized labor indicated that in some
trades stilr higher scales can be ex
pected with a continuation of present
activities, the survey states. ATI
building labor is employed at the
present time, according to the reports
of union officials.
"The number of apprentices is in
creasing rapidly, it was announced
and the attitude of the majority of
organizations was indicated as being
avorable to the removal of all re
strictions. The advent ot these ap
prentices is expected by labor leaders
to be a factor in stabilizing wages
within the next two or -three years.
"Stabilization of the industry to
mitigate the evils of labor migration
and seasonable employment was
urged at the convention.
It also was urged that, in the in
terest of the entire industry, building
activities should be kept going nor
mally rather than to endeavor to
make up the present building short
age through abnormal activities over
short period. The hope was ex
pressed in this connection that con
struction work on types ot buildings
not immediately necessary particu
, , , , , t. 1 1
lariy puDUC DUllaingS, uc icinporaniy
deferred and that the efforts of the
, (Continued on "Page Eight.)
Entered aa
Ueemploymeiiilt
ORGANIZED LABOR AND PRICE
WARCAU
GOMPERS FLAYS RED
AND PINK RADICALS
IN ROUSING SPEECH
A. F. of L. President Makes the
Welkin .Ring Round the World
With Blunt. Defy to Inner Circled
Portland, Ore , Oct. 13. "The vari
ous types pink ,red, garnet, blue, the
57 varieties" cime in fof a scorch
ing at the hands of President Samuel
. Gompers at the A. F. of L. conven-
lion wnen tne presiaent responaea to
the address' of the . British fraternal
delegates. They were ' branded as
"serpents" arid strikebreakers"
Mr. Gompers had been comparing
the British and American political
systems and the difference in the
methods of the red' assailants of the
trade union movement.
"The character of the activities of
this species of the, human - in your
country (England) and that of the
same species in our America are as
wide apart as it is possible for hu
mans to be, said -Mr. Gompers.
"Their attempt at acedemic . impres
sion upon the labor movement of
England is one thincr, and the strike
breaking tendencies and activities of
that species human in the United
States. and Canada are of, a different
type.
"The Seamen and 'the Railroad
Shopmen in their recent controversies
to protect themselves and their fel
lows, they could a tale unfold that
would make the hair stand upon your
heads like the quills of , the fretful
porcupine. If these people (the reds)
were paid by the concentrated inter
ests of the employers of America
thej' could not do their; job-half as
well as they are doing, it now.
I desire to submit this thought
No one knows very mucl better than
1 do the effect of laws passed by
Congress or the legislature ' of the
.states; but we are wage earners and
we. sometimes feel the injustice of the
laws passed by these political agen
cies of state and federal governrrrent
I want to ask you men of labor' to
turn over jn your minds whether it is
not a fact that the laws call them
regulations .or rules, if you'pleaser -T.
preter to can them laws enacted mJ
the' offices of our employers do not
affect us as wage earners more than
any of the laws of the state or of the
nation ? '. '
"To have a dominating influence in
determining what the laws emanating
from the employer's office shall be is.
of greater' importance to the men
and women of toil than any law which
can be - passed by Coqgress or the
legislatures 6f the various states." We
have not failed in developing- the men
of labor who can hold their own in
any conference, whether it be econ
omic, political or sociological. In
our movement of America we make
(Continued on Page Four.)
FORD, OF ANTI-STRIKE BILJ.
FAME, AGAIN SLATED TO RUN
. r, -
Republican Nominee of
Soundly Trounced Because of His Anti-Labor
Attitude Due to Receive Nomination
Again, Is Report.
:- ; '
Frederick L. Ford, once representative from New Haven in the
Legislature and while such one of the most ardent advocates of the
"anti 'strike' bill and afterward a soundly thrashed candidate for
mayor of New Haven on the republican ticket, is to be the nominee
Tf the New Haven republicans for mayor again this year, according
to the decision of a "secret" council. of so called republican leaders
held this week. , Ford ran against Mayor Fitzgerald two years ago
and never was a candidate so splendidy repudiated at the polls. Ma
yor Fitzgerald's election being almost unanimous.
The Labor men had a lot to do
with that defeat and it behooves them
now to get busy again and either stop
Ford before he is nominated or to
line up at the polls and giye him an
other trimming. Ford is now In
business for himself and has plenty of
time for politics and office holding,
especially in the winter when the
road work in which he is principally
engaged ; is slack. When he was rep
resentative he was a member of the
National Pavement Company, a
branch of the asphalt trust, and acted
accordingly on every bill that came
before the legislature that might
benefit the workers.
' n
second class matter at Post Office at New Haven,
under Act of March 3, 1879.
micaoe
When Speculators Fall Out in Their Drives
Against the Workers Payroll Then Somebody.
Has Got to Suffer and the Worker Is as
Usual the Goat Business Cycle Keeps
Going: Round Just the Same. . , J r" I
,1 -. 'Portland, Ore., Oct. 13. Emphasizing the fact that the most
potent factor in guarding against unemployment is resistance to wage
reductions, the A. F.o f L. convention has adopted a keen analysis -cf
the business cycle and the report thereon made by the committee
appointed by the federal unemployment conference. '
In adopting the report, the A. F. of. L. declares that the fault
of business Jies within itself and not elsewhere.' The consistent oppo
sition of American labor to the dole 'system so generally adopted by
European nations is noted with deep satisfaction in the report.
Shopmen Gaining
Extra Pay For
Sunday Work
Direct Negotiation Proves Effective
in Restoring Conditions, Taken
- Away by Rail Board.
Chicago,' Oct. 13. Notwithstanding
the United States Railroad 'Labor
Board, in a decision rendered in 1021
eliminated price and one-half for Sun
day and holiday work -performed by
running repair snop torces, carriers
with "more than one-fourth the mile
age in the United States have since
conceded this- pay to the men thoifrgh
direct ' negotiation... f -vr' ' f
A recent tabulation of reports re
ceived at offices here of the Railway
Employes' Department shows that 39
railroads with a total trackage of
3i990 miles are now paying price and
one-half for Sunday and holiday work
in running repair shops. ;
It is further'disclosed that 76, rail
roads operating a total mileage of
170,783 miles have granted wages to
shopmen in excess of the rates fixed
by the Railroad Labor Board as "just
and reasonable.
The federated committee on the
Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul rail
road after several weeks' negotiations
with the management, ; has concluded
an agreement providing for. an , in
crease . of two cents an, hour for all
shopmen, helpers' and apprentices, ef
fective October 1. An agreement re
storing time and one-half for Sundays
and holidays was reached ," some
months ago.
tjnemployment at Cadiz
Unemployment at Cadiz, Spain, has
reached a serious state, due to the
extremely depressed conditions in the
smpDiuiiang ana nsnmg industries
To add to this unfavorable conditionj
over 2,500 farm laborers took part in
the demonstration at Jerez de la
Frontera in connection with the strike
in that vicinity. -
FOR MAYOR OF NEW HAVEN
, - , - ;- - - .
Two Years Ago Who Was
With House Leader John Buckley,
Fred L.i Petry, also representative
from New Haven, he lined up on the
side of Capital in trying to enslave
the wprkers by passing the anti-strike
bill. Ford and Perry not only voted
for it but urged it although both knew
the sentiment of New Haven citizens
was against any such measure.
When Ford was nominated for
mayor by the machine in spite of his
stand Labor got busy and showed him
where he got off. There is some talk
of dissension now in democratic ranks
and the "inside" believes that they can
put Ford over. If it can and does,
then Organized Labor in New Haven
isn't what it should be.
glRCiALOOTwmaiT
ASSOCIATION
Conn,
PRICE THREE CENTS
; "Conditions within business " itself . ra--r
ther than remote, outside considerations
are the primary cause of the business,
cycle," says the convention's declaration.
"Past cycles have shown certain com- -raon
tendencies. During the up grade or1
period of business revival,, we see a rise
in ' the volume of manufacturing, "in
stock 1 exchange . prices, in commodity
prices, and in demand for credit by
business men and speculators. Then
follow stiffening money rates, and the '
.ResoMtioinis
gradual straining of credit, with pos- '
sible curtailment to speculators. At
this point, we are just ready for the
change. It is heralded by falling of
stock exchange prices, while business . ..
wavers or continues to " rise unevenly,
and transportation ; facilities are over-
burdened and deliveries delayed and the" " :
apparent shortage of goods is intensl-
fied by speculative buying and duplica- ;
tion of orders. Credit expansion nears
its limit ; public confidence: is shaken ; '
orders are cancelled ruthlessly; quick ' '
liquidation of inventories ; sharp and "
irregular fall of prices; workers are
layed off. The cycle ending in the de
pression of 1921 was unusual in the ex-
tent of the preceeding expansion, in the
severity of, the depression, and in the. ' -amount
of unemployment.- During' its
deepest slump as many as four or five
million of America's wage earners were '
nuemployed. j;
I "Consideration 'of past dangers and
disasters is worth while .principally .for
the knowledge it gives, enabling us to '
read and interpret future danger sig
nals. , .- - .' (
'"Three of the ten recommendations of
the committee . are ; concerned with the
need for knowledge as ' a guide to busi-
enss policies. An, increase in the facili
etis of the Department of Commerce is .
also recommended and a greater degree .
of cooperation . with that department in.
coordinating and extending business in-j-
tormation. l ne coramiuec aiso unuex-fv
scores the need for expansion and stau-. .
dardization of .statistics' by the Dffri'1' "
ment of Labor. It urges especially pi .
iodic and prompt publication of. the
facts about, the following key industries;.
Raw wool and woolen textiles, raw cot- '
ton and , cotton textiles, . hides and lea- :
ther and shoes, iron and steel and lead
itis fabricated . products of each: zinc,.
lead and copper and leading products of
each, and bituminous coaL .
'A - section . of . great practical value
discusses the use of construction work
as a balance wneel tor business. 11 ait -
rbanches of our public works and the
construction work "of our utilities-tbe
aril ways, telephones, and others could
systematically put aside financial reserv- -es
to be provided in times of prosperity -
for the deliberate purpose of improve
ment and expansion times of depression, -
we should not only decrease the depth . '
of depressions but we should at the
asme time diminish the height of booms.
"This utilization of . government pro
jects as an employment reserve, so far
as possible by which demand for labor
and materials may be stimulated during
depression, is now being made a part of
the governments policy. To continue
the investigation to find the, principles
and the information necessary to stabi-
lze employment, studies will be made
of some of the seasonal industries. In
the first of these the construction in-,
dustry the committee has already been
organized upon which labor is represen
ted by John , Don! in, president of the
Building Tirades Department.
We recommend and urge, therefore,
the A. F. of L. actively participate in .
all endeavors now . in ' progress and de
veloping from them. To facilitate this
plan the Federation should have avail
able tiie thought and information of all
labor ' organizations upon regularization
of employment and allied problems. We
recommend that provision be made for
this work and all wage earners be urged
to send to headquarters suggestions, cri
ticism and information which will be
helpful in developing a constructive la
bor policy on the reduction or the eli
mination of unemployment.'' -
0n other pages of . the Labor News
will be formed complete, report of the
convention doings to date.
1