The Connecticut labor news., January 26, 1924, Image 1

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

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UNITED STATES
I TO ORGANIZED LABOR
LABot?
pJtESS
a
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.
Meencciicd by k-
SOCIAL BtVtLOPMtlrt,
tapvpbiiuliel
' ""Busses
i
ASSOCIATION
VOLUME XI.. NUMBER 50.
Published weekly at 286-288 York St,
New Haven, Conn.
NEW HAVEN. COftN. SATURDAY. JANUARY 26. 1924.
Entered as second class matter at Post Office at New Haven, Conn,
under Act of March 3, 1879.
PRICE THREE CENTS
Call Special Convevtion of C.:Fo of L To Launch Bank
0
Conde Nast Strikers Win
Out in Contempt Case and
Agree To Being Enjoined
Bitterly Fought Case Ends Suddenly When
Printers' Employers Realize They Haven't a
Case and Agree to Withdraw
Charges Against Men.
Special to The Labor News)
Bridgeport, Jan. 26. After four days of bitter but ineffectual
attempts to put the striking printers in jail or under heavy bonds,
the Conde Nast Publishing company of Greenwich lost out in its
contempt charges in the Superior Court here Thursday and Judge
Arthur F. Ells agreed to a withdrawal of the charges. The with
drawal came after a lengthy conference following much testimony
that had been put on by the defense through Attorney Jacob B.
Klein and which was so conclusive that the Conde Nast people saw
they had no chance of winning so agreed to withdraw. The strikers
agreed to have the injunction made permanent as it wasn't bothering
them anyhow and the court so made it; citing only the Stamford
local union involved and 24 individual members as being enjoined.
Terrible tales of how they wereEr
abused , by the strikers were related
by severalpf those now employed in
the plant, but Judge Ells insisted on
specific instances being shown before
he would declare any striker in con
tempt of the temporary injunction.
Max Rosette, general manager of
the Conde Nast plant, declared he
had been made the butt of many slur
ring remarks and pointed out one of
the defendants as being responsible.
Then Rosette declared he wasn't sure
of the man's identity.
Benjamin Bogin, 90 Prospect Street,
Stamford, told of seeiner picketters
bearing signs , on the street and side
walks near the plant. . Lillian Bal
eau, 51 Suburban Avenue, - Stamford,
a proof reader, told of being annoyed
while riding on a trolley car. "Let's
get some cheese for the rat" she de
clared one striker said. Attorney Ja
cob Klein declared there was no harm
in such -e remark, and that it did not
necessarily apply to the company em
ployes. Lorraine Jackson, an employe of
the bindery department, testified that
on December 19, as she was leaving
the plant, James Shannon, one of the
striking tradesmen, approached and
grabbed her arm. -
"Be a sport," he is quoted as hav
ing said to her. "Give up your job
here and I'll give you $15 and get
you a job in New York that will
pay $25 a week." Shannon was a
foreman in. the plant before' the strike
and had hired Miss Jackson several
weeks before the incident. She re
fused his offer."
That was as far as they could go
and the Conde Nast rested its case
and the defense began with specially
hired counsel from New York ready
to buffet all the defense testimony.
A score of other witnesses were on
hand ready to testify but Attorney
Klein ne'eded to call but few of them
before it was seen by the "Open
Shop" element th?t its case had gonw
"flooey" and it was ready to quit. The
'conference was suggested and result
ed in the withdrawal of the charges,
the crowd taking that step rather than
absolute defeat, j
The court then ordered a perma
nent injunction against the Stamford
union and 24 individuals, dropping II
other unions and 24 individuals named
in the original complaint on which
Judge John W. Banks issued a tem
porary injunction in December.
Individuals named in the permanent
injunction as signed are: William
Hornbrook, J. J. McHugh, William
Hutchinson, Edward Sempey, Harold
Osgood, George Cchaeffer, Otto
Becker, Ernest Hall, Carl Phydell,
Julius Frank, Archibald Echerman,
likola Lopreste, Walter Henry,
Tames Shannon, Frank Fridell, Frank
Haviland, Michael Bowkowski, James
Mainz, Thomas O'Donnell, John De
vine, Thomas Frost, Alfred Wagner,
Richard Comerford, and Henry Lee.
Following the settlement Jacob
Klein, representing the strikers, de
clared the men had won a victory
because the' contempt proceedings
had been dismissed-
PRESSMEN MAKE GAINS.
Victoria, B. C, Jan. 26. A general
wage increase has been secured by the
printing pressmen in this city. Day
workers on newspapers will receive
an additional $4.50 a week, and the
night workers will secure propor
tional increases. Commercial shops
advance rates $1.50 to $2.40 and con
cede the 44-hour week.
BOILERMAKERS TO
. HOLD SPECIAL MEETING
Special meeting of the Elm Citv
Lodge of Boilermakers will be
held in Trades Council Hall, 215
Meadow street, Thursday, Jan. 31,
at 8 o'clock p. m. AH members
are earnestly requested to attend,
MINERS MEETING
UPSETS HOPES OF
TROUBLE MAKERS
Indianapolis, Jan. 26. With the eyes
of the country again on them and the
mine operators : hoping they will' start
something that will give them another
chance to gouge the public on the price
of coal, the 1,800 delegates to the sixth
biennial convention of the United Mine
Workers gathered here this week and
immediately began to blast. the hopes of
the mine owners and raise the hopes of
the consumer accordingly. For at the
outset President John L. Lewis made it
plain to ' the world that the miners are
not so much interested now in increased
wages as in steady work and thus went
the operators' hopes of starting a wage
war this spring. Not only that but the
convention when it got under way,
promntly sat on the attempts of "Reds"
to- start something and thus exploded
another hope of trouble makers.
Although production of coal for 1923
was approximately five hundred and
forty-five million tons, the miners in
the industry worked on an average not
to exceed half time. Lewis declared in
his report.
Renewal of the existing miners wage
contract with the operators for four
years, was the prospect placed " before
delegates at its opening sessions.
, Delivering his report, President Lew-
( Continued on Page Eight.)
M'LEAN DEFIES JACKSON AND
ALL HIS KIND AND DELIVERS
RINGING SPEECH FOR BONUS
Connecticut Senator Refuses to Be Coerced By
Veiled Threats and Tells the World U. S. Owes
Soldiers' Fair Play and Back Pay.
Defying the orders of John Day
Jackson, proprietor-publisher of the
New Haven Register, anti-bonus and
anti-everything else that hits Jackson
fn the pocketbook, Senator George P.
McLean of Connecticut, took the bull
by the horns and stood right up on
the boor of the Senate at Washing
ton and not only riddled all the anti
bonus arguments that Jackson and
his crowd have been putting out to
prevent the soldiers from getting
their just "adjusted compensation,"
but told the country it had a moral
and legal obligation to make such a
payment
Then the senator to show Mr. Jack
son just how much he thought about
his antiMbonus crusade and the
threats made of dire things to hap
pen to those senators who voted for
it, sent the speech on to The Reg
ister with a request, that was practi
cally a dare, to print it. The Regis
ter was backed against the wall and
had to make public the speech or be
accused out and out of blatant un
fairness so the speech was published,
but with so little of it displayed that
it really reached very few people.
Senator McLean didn't mince words
he never does when he tackles a
proposition and this speech is well
worth reading especially by Labor
men who in the vast majority believe
the soldier should get the bonus due
him. It is as follows:
Mr. McLean. Mr. President, I have
received a good many communica
tions from my constituents for and
against the 'so-called bonus. I now
desire in the interest of time and con
venience to put into the Record a
very brief statement of my views up
on that question.
' Mr. President, if we look for the
origin of the idea that we shall com
mercialize patriotism if we pay out
ex-service men $2 , a, daye instead of
LETTER CARRIERS
WIN FIGHT FOR
OVERTIME PAY
Washington at Last Orders Postmen
Paid For Work Over
Eight Hours.
The postmaster-general is deter
mined that all local mail carriers re
ceive the overtime pay for deliveries
which take more than the1 specified
eight-hour day. To this end, all pos
tal officials of the country have, been
instructed in a communication to rec
ord all such overtime service and
make payment in full.
"It has been brought to the atten
tion of the department," the commu
nication says, "that some postmasters
are requiring their letter carriers to
complete deliveries daily, but are not
paying them for all overtime service.
Such interpretation is not permissible
as the law requiring payment for
overtime service is mandatory."
It is further said that where the use
of overtime is necessary to cdmplete
deliveries and ' the allowance of the
amount equal to $2.50 a carrier is in
sufficient, a careful estimate should be
made of the additional amount re
quired and application submitted for
the necessary authorization. .
It has also been brought to the at
tention of the department that com
pensation has not always been grant
ed for service performed on Sundays
or holidays. On the other hand, in
some cases postal employes have been
required to .. take compensatory time
on two or more days for service per
formed on any Sunday or holiday. It
is therefore desired, the communica
tion states, that careful attention be
given to See that compensatory time
is allowed to all employes for service
performed on Sundays or holidays,
and that such time be granted on a
day in the following week or month,
as the case may be, and not distribut
ed over two or more days.
TIMBERS WORKERS' WAGES
CUT
Marshfield, Ore., Jan. 26. Unor
ganized timber workers in this sec
tion have suffered wage cuts. These
workers are members of a company
"union" known as the loyal legion of
loggers and lumbermen.
$1, we shall easily find that it is a
very old inheritance, a tradition, a
habit, and a. habit that is not justified
under existing conditions. The
th oughtful person knows that our po
litical, religious, and economic views
are largely formed and fastened by
heredity and environment. During
untold centuries war was the normal
state of society. The Army was the
only profession worthy of a gerjftfe
man. It was the only road to fame
and fortune, the only ladder upon
which the common man could climb
to noble heights and take his famiTy
with him. As the warrior who could
slay with battle ax or spear the
greatest number of his fellow men
represented the highest type of citi
zenship, the men whom he slew and
upon whose dead bodies he walked to
position and power were entitled to
an appreciation of a sort that would
keep thir courage to the sticking
point, otherwise the glorious profes
sion of arms would become unpopu
lar. The idea that no higher honors
and no greater happiness could come
to a man than that found in death on
the battle field was born about the
time that our ancestors worshipped
the god of war as the only true one
and sacrificed human beings to pro
pitiate him.
I am happy to say that our con
ceptions of the blessings and benefits
resulting from wars have changed
somewhat in recent times. In these
days men fought for the sake of the
fight; that is all the real gentlemen.
Now, they are supposed to fight in
defense of the right only; and the
right, of course, is their country. The
idea that a man should be quick to
defend his country in time of danger
and patiently suffer all the sacrifices
which may be necessary is as sound
(Continued on Page Six.)
DEPT. OF JUSTICE
BALKS "REIT" .PJLOT
TO KILL GOMPERS
Wachincrtnn. Ian.' 26. Samuel
mrsiident of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, has been
marked for death by Communists.
I A letter from the 'state deraartr
ment, disclosing how department
of justice agent9 irustratea at
temrtts hv Communists to kill
Gompers was read before a meet
ing of the central laDor union
here Tuesday by Edward F. Mc-
Grady, an ofhciai ot - tne union.
Twn aterrmts on Gomoers were
ma At in Portland. Ore.. McGradv
said. Federal agents prevented
t. " a uSh ' S"
tne LOmmumsis gcuuig near vrora
pers. i
McGradv said Kussian Commun
ists raised a fund of $300,000 for
propaganda in Italy, England and
America. Gompers ; was to be
rremoved" because he opopsed the
Communists in the United States.
Gompers declined 4 to comment
ton the matter. He will attend the
Russian investigation being con-
iducted by the Senate foreign rela
kions committee, and may be a wit-
mess. -
MERIDEN C. L U. .
ELECTS OFFICERS
FOR COMING YEAR
John H. Lappert,, President, and
Henry Geis, Secretary, Again.
Treasurer Put Off.
Meriden, Jan. 26.- The election of
officers for . the Meriden Central
Labor Union this week resulted as
follows: i ' .
President John H... Lappert, Local
60, Bakery Workers; 1 vice-president,
James Murtagh, Local 350, I. A. T. S.
- r
X
JOHN H. LAPPERT,
President, Meriden C. L. U.
E.; financial secretary, John Wess
man, Local 920, Carpenters and Join
ers; sergeant at arms, Samuel Kelly,
Local 685, Painters; recording secre
tary, H. A. G. Geis, Local 642, Elec
trical Workers; trustees, O. Davies,
Ldcal 685, Painters, A. M. Dupuis,
Local 484, Cigarmakers.
The election of treasurer was laid
over to the next meeting, when the
various committees will also be ap
pointed. An invitation to attend the next
meeting of the C. L. U. was sent to
an out-of-town organization in re
gards to why the organized workers
were ignored by them.
Certain violations of the internal
revenue law were spoken of, the ef
fort to have them enforced and the
result obtained was brought out.
The library is receiving the copies
of the Congressional Record as is
sued. . It is enlightening to read of
the strenuous effort being made by
the Chambers of Commerce, sundry
citizens, etc., in behalf of the 'ipoor
working man," in their effort to have
the Mellon plan put across.
On February 29 all building trade
mechanics are advised that a meet
ing will be held in the council's hall,
29 Colony street, at 8 p. m.
OLDEST MUSICIAN
IN COUNTRY DIES
Bridgeport, Jan. 26. George Sanger,
said to have been the oldest active mu
sician in the country, died this week
at his home, 49 Jane Street, at the age
of 78 years . He was a member of the
Wheeler and Wilson band, Pequonnoek
lodge I. O. O. F., and the G. A. R. He
was a Civil War veteran, and a member
of the G. A. R., being past commander
of the local post, and lately aide-decamp
to the national commander, with
rank of colonel.
Besides his wife he is survived by
a son, Albert Sanger, and a daughter,
Ella Esmond, of Stratford; one sister,
Mrs. Anna J. George, of Jamaica, L. I.,
and four brothers, Joseph and Garrie of
Bridgeport, John of Jamaica, and Jacob
of Waterbury.
The funeral was held Thursday after-
General Meeting In New Haven
On March 2, To Put Labor' Into
Financial Field In Connecticut
BOSSES TO GIVE
HARTFORD PAINTERS
HGHTON WAGES
Employers Association, Mainly
Manufacturers, Butts In to De
feat Labor Men.
Hartford, Jan. 26. At a meeting of
the Employers' association of Hart
ford county held Monday the senti
ment was expressed that the wage de
mand of painters for an increase of
$1 a day is unwarranted and should
not be granted. The attitude - of this
orgnization, representing approxi
mately 300 manufacturing an business
firms, "was expressed in the following
minute - adopted to-day:
"The painters of Hartford are mak
ing demands for an increase in wages
from .$9 a day to $10 together with a
five-day work week of 40 hours in
the face of existing peak building
costs, high rents and sub-normal busi
ness conditions, so said the employ
ers. "Uneconomic wages coupled with
reduced productivity in the building
and allied, trades will again set in mo
tion, the vicious cycle of wage inua
tion with, serious economic conse
quences; it will also be provacative of
an unfavorable public reaction, which
will manifest itself in contract can
cellations and the abandonment of
projected improvements because of
excessive cost.
"Obviously the demand of the
painters is but a prelude to a general
wapre increase agitation in all branches
of building construction in "Hartford
and vicinity, therefore this association
earnestly urges contractors, in the
public interest and the protection of
their own business to refuse these de
mands." AW of which doesn't worry the
painters. The demand still holds.
ENGINEERS WIN
RAISE ON N. Y. C.
OTHERVROADS HIT
Agreement Big Surprise and Will Act
as Lever on More Niggardly
Lines.
New York, Jan. 26. Announcement
was made this week by the manage
ment of the New York Central rail
road that an agreement has been
reached with the engineers and fire
men on practically alt divisions and
subsidiary lines of the road on wages
and working conditions, and that the
agreement provides for an increase in
wages of approximately 5 per cent,
and certain changes in working con
ditions. This is the first settlement
of the controversy which started with
the demand of the Big Four Brother
hoods for the restoration of the peak
wages of 1920. The demand of the
brotherhoods was made on the ex
piration of old labor contracts on
September 30 last.
A settlement without an increase in
wages was confidently predicted in
railroad circles up to a few days ago,
and it was believed the plan of the
New York Central would be followed
by all the railroads throughout the
country. The fact that an increase
has been allowed is expected to cause
surprise, and it is certain that several
lines will refuse to follow the lead
of the New York Central and will
proceed to conference determined not
to concede an increase.
The engineers, efirmen, hostlers and
hostlers' helpers, will receive the fol-j
lowing increases: Passenger service,
24 cents per 100 miles; freight serv
ice, 36 cents for 100 miles; yard serv
ice, 32 cents per 100 miles; hostler
service, 32 cents per 100 miles.
The settlement provides for modi
fying certain rules in the existing
schedules, the more important of
which permit the discontinuance,
when stoker fired locomotives are
provided, of the requirement that men
in freight service between Albany and
Syracuse be relieved at Little Falls
and between Syracuse and Buffalo be
relieved at Wayneport; the discon
tinuance of the arbitrary mileage al
lowances on the Pennsylvania divis
ion, and the modification of arbitrary
reporting time on the Boston, Albany,
Pitsburgh & Lake Erie, and Cleve
land, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis
railways.
uioii at 2 f 'clock from his home. Rev
( i. M. Seisel will officiate Interment will
tc at conveniece of the family. Th
allhearers will be three member of
Peqnonnork od?e and three member?
f the Wheeler and Wilson tand There
will also be services by the G. A. R.
A special convention of the Connecticut Federation of Labor
was called this week by the Executive Council to tak e formal action
upon the institution of a Labor Bank in Connecticut, the bank to be
owned and conducted by Organized Labor combined and the benefits
that accrue distributed among Labor men in the state as is now being
done by the many successful Labor Banks throughout the country.
The convention will be held in Trades Council hall, New Haven, on
Sunday, March 2, beginning at 11 a. m., and it is expected that when
it adjourns the bank will have been launched.
MARK DALY, ARCH
ANTI-LABOR SNOB,
MEETSWATERLOO
Manufacturers "$17000 Plus" Agent
Makes Fool of Himself
Before His Bosses.
Albany, Jan. 26. Confounded not
by his enemies but his own employ
ers', Mark A. Daly, arch' conspirator
against Organized Labor not only in
this state but all over the country,
carm? to grief this week when he at
tempted to . upset the state labor de
partment but got upset himself. If
he doesn't lose his job after the fiasco,
then his employers are more easy
than the worker already believes for
he summoned '40 of them to Albany
to testify and each and every one had
to admit- he didn't know anything
about what'Daly was talking of. The
result was complete vindication of
the Labor Department and a - call
down' for Daly by Governor Al.
Smith. , ,
Daly made charges in the name of
the Associated Industries of New
York, Inc., the most powerful combi
nation of employers in ' the State,
against the State Department of La
bor and the State Insurance Fund.
Officers and directors of-the asso
ciation went on the witness stand only
to declare they signed a complaint to
the governor on the unsupported as
sertion of Daly, secretary and legis
lative agent of their organization, and
that they knew nothing of the con
ditions, of which they complained.
Daly, one of the best known lobby
ists in Albany, made a poor showiny
on the stand: He admitted he had re
ported to his employers, the Labor
Department was run inefficiently and
that it was honeycombed with poli
tics, but he did not present a single
fact to substantiate the charge.
He was ill at ease under the ques
tions put to him by the governor, and
said finally the only facts he had to
bear out some of his assertions had
been put-in his possession by a man
whom he refused to name, because to
do so would "seriously embarrass'his
informant.
The busines men summoned here
by the governor . appeared embar-
(Contidued on Page Eight.)
WINSTED THEATER
UNIONS ELECT
Stage glands and Movie Operatorsa
n.njoy bpread Atter the Meeting. '
Winsted, Jan. 26. At the meeting
of Local 402, International Alliance of
Theatrical Stage Employes and Mov
ing picture Machine Operators of the
United States and Canada, affiliated
with the American Federation of La
bor, held in Union Hall Sunday, offi
cers were ejected and installed by
James Corrigan of Waterbury. The
following were elected: President and
business agent, J. Myron Stacker of
Winsted; vice-president, Ralph C.
Nettleton of Colebrook River; treas
urer, Michael Scanlon; secretary and
assistant business agent, William B.
Ingoldsby; trustee for two years, John
Delaney. Following the installation
an excellent dinner was served by
Caterer Jack Miran. Local 4O2 was
granted a provisional charter Feb. 19,
1915, and a direct charter Nov. 21,
1915. It has working agreements with
all playhouses in Winsted and Tor
rington. The regular meetings are
held on the third Sunday of each
month. The roll of honor of Local
402 follows: Russell A. Cook, J. H.
Landrigan, G. F. Brento, A. D'Angelo,
A. Ellis and N. Tedesco.
BILL POSTERS STRIKE.
Seattle, Jan. 26. Bill posters in this
city suspended work to enforce a
wage increase of $1 a day for them
selves and helpers. The present rate
is $44 and $40 for a 44-hour wek.
PRINTERS RAISE WAGES.
Reno, Nev., Jan. 26. The Typo
graphical Union has secured a $3
weekly wage increase. The new rates
are $45 and $48 and date back to De
cember I last The 44-hour week. will
prevail in commercial shops.
The executive board met in the Ho
tel Garde, New Haven, on Sunday,
last, with the special committee ap
pointed by the convention last June
to study the possibilities of instituting
a Labor bank. . The committee and
the Executive Council canvassed the
situation thoroughly and it was unani
mously agreed that the matter had
proceeded far enough and with such
bright prospects as to warrant the
calling of the special convention nec
essary to formally endorse and start
the project.
Informal ' inquiry had been made
among the several affiliated state
branch bodies,' the individual unions .
and individual members and sufficient
support was assured to warrant the
bank starting off on a solid founda
tion. All these details were whipped
into snape ana win De reaay ior pres
entation to the convention when it
meets inMarch.
The system of representation will
be identically thc same as that fof
regular state Federation conventions
so, that each and every union will
have equal opportunity to get in on
the ground floor in the stock dis
tributin according to its memberships
Just as it has 'a proportionate voice
in mapping out all policies of the Fed-
M.t T .1 - C 1 t '
Cf4UQn)in mc case 01 ouicr wuur
banks the stock has - been over-subscribed,
so it behooves each union in
terested to see that its delegation is
present at the meeting.
The executive board and special
bank committee "are enthusiastic over
the outlook for the bank. Every
member was present except Vice
President Cooney of Hartford, who
was unable to attend due to an injury
sustained while at his work as a
plumber in Hartford last weejc
Aside from the bank matter the ex
ecutive board disposed of the routine
affairs for the quarter and will also
be able to make a preliminary report
to the special convention as . to the
general situation in Connecticut.
TRADES UNIONS
MAY ENTER FIELD
OF JSURANCE
Co-operative Idea May Spread From
Banking to Other Financial
. , Matters.
Chicago, Jan. 26. Life insurance
controlled - by organized labor is a
near probability, according to George
W. Perkins, president of the Cigar
makers' International Union. At the
last A. F. of L. convention, President
Gompers was authorized to appoint
a committee to make a survey of the
various life insurance systems.
"Billions of dollars are invested in
the insurance business," says Presi
dent Perkins. "There is no reason
why tse unions affiliated to . the
A. F. of L. should not jointly control
the insurance for their members.
Such a company could be conducted
on co-operatjve, non-profit-bearing
lines. The overhead cost would be
greatly reduced, and if only one-half
of the workers now organized joined
in such a movement it would make
the largest and most powerful insur
ance company m the whole world .
and would be the cheapest and the
safest.
"Such a concern, when formed,
would necessarily, under the insur
ance laws, have to maintain a speci
fied reserve fund. This fund could
be used for home building purposes
for our members and for any other
legitimate proper purpose that owuld
add to the comfort and well-being of
the wage-earning masses.
HEAVY TAXES PAID.
Washington, Jan. 26. An average
of $68.37 for every man, woman and
child in the United States was col
lected in taxes in 1922 by the na
tional, state, county and city govern
ments and all other civil divisions
having power to levy and collect
taxes.
On the basis of four to a family,
this will total $273.48 for the year.
IRON WORKERS GAIN.
Everett, Wash., Jan. 2 w Iron
molders have negotiated a new agree
ment. Rates are increased to $3 a
day. The old wage was $7.