The labor advocate., January 12, 1913, Image 1

About The labor advocate. (Providence, R.I.) 1912-1915

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PUBAISHED IN THE
INTEREST OF THE
WORKING CLASS
VOL. 1, NO. 20.
RENTS INCREASED
AT GREYSTONE
v
* -
Joseph Benn & Sons of Greystone,
who, owing to the firm stand tazcn by
their cnnl)‘loyes when they quit work a
few weeks ago, were forced to agree
to an increase of 7% per/cent. in wages,
have increased the rent of their tenants
about 13 per cent., according to reliable
information received by the Labor Ad
vocate. In addition to this, a consider
able number of employes have been dis
charged.
These tenements, which the company
has boasted of as “model workingmen'’s
homes,” consist of four rooms each,
and it is said the rent has been in
creased from $1.60 to $l.BO per week,
to take effect on the 18th.
This is no surprise to any one who
ESMOND WORKERS ORGANIZE
INDER BANNER OF | W
On Friday night, Jan. 3, a mass
meeting of the workers of the
Emond Mills met in Broley's Thea
tre, Centredale. The meeting was
addressupy Thomas Powers of the
I. W. W, and James P. Reid. Ef
forts had been made by an organizer
of the National Textile Workers to
get the Esmond workers to organ
ize, but the demand for the 1. W, W,
was so great among the Esmond
workers that those who were striv
ing to organize went to Textile Hall,
Olneyville square, and requested
that speakers be sent to their meet
ing. The above speakers responded,
with the result that 187 men and
SAMUEL GOMPERS ARRAIGNS “CONSCIENCELESS
TYRANNY” OF EMPLOYING CLAS:
President Samuel Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor ex
pressed himself this week on the trial
and conviction of the 33 unionists who
were found guilty in the “dynamite
conspiracy” cases at Indianapolis.
The occasion of Gompers’ remarks
was his appearance before the Senate
Judiciary Committee to urge the gn
actment of the Clayton bill, regulating
the issuance of injunctions.
“The conscienceless tyranny of those
controlling hours, wages and condi
tions of work and their absolute con
trol of legislative and judicial power,
drove the structural iron workers into
their terrible retaliation against so
ciety,” said Gompers.
“For six years the fight went on,” he
said, describing the fight of the iron
workers. “All of the %orces of orian
ized society were used against these
men; subtle minds were scheming and
plotting that legal authority and prac
tice might aid in their breaking. You
say these men resorted to forbidden
methods of violence, and even sacrificed
lives—you condemn their methods
of fighting as elemental, brutal. Of any
of those who are guilty, the condemna
tion is true, but I ask you—were the
methods used by the employers less
deadly to humanity and freedom? Do
you think that one side can play with
the forces of injustice and tyranny and
not lead to a defensive move on the
part of the other?
“I would have you ?onder how it is
that among people professing to believe
in the brotherhood of man and the gos
pel of love, men and American citizens,
come to look upon violence and dyna
mite terror as the only defence left
them against the conscienceless tyranny
of those controlling hours, wages, con
ditions of work. %hat is a terrible;
charge against society. ) l
“As to those who counsel harshness
and deny mercy—are they the men who
have fought the fight of the world of
man and conquered without blemish to
themselves Are they men who knew
the world of work and toil, who have
felt or knew the powers pitted against
the weaker elements, who have lc?t the
cruelty and heartlessness of the world
of profits, where men succeed by climb
ing over and standing upon those they
have struck down and defeated?
“Regardless of Judge Anderson’s as
sumption of impartiality, in declaring
that the trial of the dynamiters was
‘not the trial of organized labor, the
harpies who would snatch industrial
liberty from the hands of the toilers
took advantage of this sentiment they
had created, and, filled with a renewed
sense of virtue, again began the cry
against those ‘higher up.
“Though threats assaif us, though de
tectives may hound us, though cfiarges
and insinuations be hurled at us from
all sides, dyet will we fight on for the
liberty and betterment of those who do
the world’s work and pay the price of
our civilization with their blood and
bodies, yes, verily with the very souls.
“If ever the time shall come when
government bf' dynamite shall be at
tempted (and let us hope and work that
it never shall come), it will have as its
main cause the theory and policy upon
which is based government by injunc
tion—personal government foisted upon
lour People instead of a government by
aw,’
~ Gompers declared that organized la
bor would not repudiate the structural
iron workers’ unions “and leave them
he Labor Advocate [
” R Sk
has studied the history of the so-called
“increases” which mill owners have
either voluntarily or under compulsion
given to their employes. Every in
crease in wages which the workers re
ceive is paid for by the workers, either
directly or indirectly. In the case of
the Lawrence strike, the working class
as a whole paid the increased wages
through the higher price charged for
the cloth. In Greystone the employes
themselves will pay the increase in the
form of increased rents.
If Mr. Benn imagines the working
men and women of Greystone will
tamely submit to this sort of trickery,
he will sooner or later have a ru?'e
awakening.
women workers of that plant en
rolled. The superintendent of the
plant was prowling around outside
the hall and evidently was impressed.
He called some of t{e boys into the
office the next day and told them
that he did not ohject to organizing,
but they should keep away from the
I. W. W.. The following day notice
was posted of a raise from 5 to 10
per cent, v
Not bad, for a start, say the boys,
but we are going to have one big
union in Esmond. ;
On Friday, Jan. 17, another meet
ing will be held to perfect organiza
tion, at which an Italian speaker
from Lawrence will talk.
helpless and at the mercy of organized
capital and insatiable, uncurbed greed
for profits.”
“Though all ceranrs those whom men
may deem guilty of dynamite con
spiracy, none feels the terrible conse
quences of the Indianapolis trial more
keenly than the men of organized
labor, There have been added heart
ache and sorrow to our already heavy
burdens. The men accused and sen
tenced cannot suffer the penalties alone
—upon them and all workingmen fall
the suffering and penalty.
“But what of the conspiracy of or
ganized capital—the conspiracy to mur
der the liberty of the toilers, to tear
from them the means of protection by
which they have bettered their condi
tion, to leave them bare and defencg'ess
in the competitive struggle? Is not such
a conspiracy sufficiently dastardly to in
cur some odium? Should the conspira
tors with their hands stained witn life
blood of men's ambition, happiness,
liberty, be accorded nothing but honor,
power, respectability? Should they be
allowed to continue to manipulate the
powers of government, the admiaistra
tion of justice, until tfie oppressed find
the burden intolerable? ¢
“More wise it is to seek social justice
while yet we may. The judge who pre
sided at the trial realized t%rat one of
the issues—government by injunction,
lawless, autocratic, irresponsible exer
cise of governmental authority, acc.ya
ing privileges to the strong and deny
ing justice to the weak.”
GROWTH OF THE SOCIAL.
IST PARTY.
The Socialist Party was * or
ganized early in August, x?ox.
The records are too incomplete
to detérmine just how many
members we had in the years
xgox and 1902. The member
ship for each year since then
~vas as follows:
1003 .......
3004 o 0
B ix ik dsos
R
1”7 3% e
xms = L
lm k. e
1910 ..
() § SAPIP
B v
BRANCH ¢ LECTURES
FOR JANUARY, 1913.
- Club Rooms, 259 Amherst St,
Wednesday, Jan, 15—“ How I Be
came a Socialist,” Harry Farmer,
Pawtucket, R, 1.
Wednesday, Jan, 22—“ Women and
the Labor Movement,” Miss Qlelen
Dougherty,
Wednesday, Jan. 20.—Subject an
nounced later, Joseph McDonald,
Cumberland, R, I,
Meetings start at 8 p. m. Take
Manton avenue cars and get off at
Steere avenue,
Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth and falsehood,
For the good or evil side~Lowell.
The crowning fact, the kin,liest act
Of freedom is the Freeman’s Vote.
. —Whittier.
W
civve. 15,075
veve.. 20,763
ceve.. 23,337
ceve.. 26,784
cereeaee. 30,270
cevereee. 41,751
veevenens 43,479
cieeesa.. 58011
seeseos L LTEH
ceeeee. 117,084
PROVIDENCE, R. L.,- JANUARY 12, 1913.
MORGAN AND THE MONEY MONOPOLY
By FRED HURST.
(Continued from last week.)
A nation which labors and takes care of the fruits of labor would
be rich and happy, though there were no gold in the universe.—Ruskin.
But without gold in the world we would still have our Aldrich,
our Belmonts, Morgans, et al. We would also have money and
chicanery to control it, and with it the means of life. Bonds could
remain at the same old stand and with the same results as now.
Thomas W. Lawson, who is not a Socialist, says in_Everybody’s
Magazine for November, 1912:
“The wealth of the country forty years ago was twenty-five billion
dollars. To-day it is one hundred and thirty-one billion dollars,
“This hundred and thirty-one billion is not in the possession of the
whole people, the ones who produced it and who now number one hun
dred million of people; but over three-fourths of it is possessed by ten
thousand of the one hundred millions of people.
“Sixty billion dollars of the nation's wealth is represented in stocks
and bonds. Over forty billions of the sixty billions of the stocks and
bonds capital is counterfeit. This over forty billions represented when
issued no accumulated labor—it represented nothing but a trick, and this
forty billions fictitious capital is largely owned by ten thousand people
who every year receive 2,000 million dollars interest for it.
“To-({ay, when prices are made up for the American people, there is
added to the raw material, labor, incidentals and profit chargcs another
charge, 3,000 millions of dollars. - O
“The owners of sixty billions of stocks and bonds take each year,
throu%h the cost of the people’s living, 2,000 millions.
“The problem of high-cost living centers in this sixty billion dollars
of cagjtal stocks and bonds.
“The annual payment the people make to the ten thousand holders
of this forty billions of counterfeit capital will in time eat yp the wealth
of the people, and they will then be slaves, because they will be able to
exist only by the sufferance of ten thousand owners of two-thirds of the
nation’'s stocks and bonds.”
Forty billion dollars’ worth of fictitious capital, says Mr, Law
son, which leaves only twenty billion dollars’ worth of real labor
value. How could they get it? ILet us consider one case to illus
trate the principle.
3 : “THE ALTON STEAL”
“The capital stock of the Alton Railroad was $33,951,407. Mr. Har
riman increased it to $114,610,937; he put about $18,000,000 into improve
ments, leaving $62,660,000 without any value behind it; ‘water.”
Mr. Lawson calls this water counterfeit as “representing noth
ing but a trick.,” But the next trick is to sell them, so B. B. Odell,
ex-Governor of New York, “pushed” a bill through the New York
State Legislature, making those “watered” stocks lawful invest
ments for savings banks, etc. Theodore Roosevelt, then Governor
of New York, signed the bill and opened the market for those
“watered” stocks, thus Mr. Harriman and his political pals worked
the confidence game with big profits for the “captains of finance.”
The average man may not see-how it hits him, but if IHarriman
gets, by a trick, something which he did not earn, someone loses
something by that trick which they do earn. _
A corporation exists by legal permit, with legal rights and legal
protection. Harriman got a legal permit to issue and sell those
bonds, and people ¥ho buy them will have legal protection in charg
ing freight and passenger rates high enough to make profit on the
entire one hundred and fourteen million dollars’ worth.
Ten per cent. profit on that sixty-two million dollars’ worth of
fraudulent paper equals a yearly income of six million two hundred
thousand dollars. With that amount they could increase the wages
of 49,600 men from $2.00 per day to $2.40 per day, or it would pay
(Continued on Page 4.)
DON'T FORGET
THE SATURDAY
NIGHT SOCIAL
A genuine treat is in store for those
who attend the Saturday Night Social
in the party headquarters on Jan. 11,
according to the committee in charge.
The lady members promise to give us
the best entertainment of the series on
this occasion, and every member who
fails to attend will surely miss a good
time. A piano has been installed in the
rooms, tgrough the courtesy of the
Gansert Piano Co., 872 Westminster
street, and this fact will doubtless add
much to the enjoyment of the occa
sion. Everybody on deck, now. It will
help the Advocate and be an evening’s
pleasure to you.
MRS. G. B. HUNT
SPEAKS TO TEACHERS
OF WOONSOCKET
The second meeting of the Forum
will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30
p. m. Comrade Neister will open the
discussion, the subject being “Free
Speech.” :
The question of having the Lyceum
Llecture Course has not yet been
finally settled, and it is possible
Woonsocket may have it yet,
Mrs, Gertrude Breslan Hunt, a late
national organizer and lecturer for
the Socialist Party, lectured on Mon
day evening in Eureka Hall, under the
auspices of the Woonsocket Teach
ers’ Association, on “Woman and So
cial Progress.” She gave an interest
ing account of the evolution of so
ciety from primitive times. Previous
to the discovery of fire the sexes ac
cording to scientific research were
nearly equal in physical stature and
mental capacity, and were engaged in
same pursuits, but after that came a
division of labor, the men being en
gaged in hunting and the women stai'-
ing around the camp fires. She told
of the civil disabilities of women as
regards the ownership of property
and having no legal right to the con
trol of her children, and how she was
handicapped industrially by being
paid lower wages for the same
amount of work as men, and dealt at
length with the present social status.
The lecture was delivered in an elo
quent manner and at the conclusion
Mrs Hunt was loudly applauded.
They are slaves who dare not be
In t¥n right with two or three.
- —LOWC"
Little things are little things;
But faithfulness in little things
Is something great.—St, Augustine.
LABOR TEMPLE
FOR PROVIDENCE
IS PROPOSED
President Roderick McGarry of the
Central Federated Union of Provi
dence, advocated the erection of a
Labor Temple by that body, follow
ing his installation for another term,
at the meeting of the union Sunday
afternoon,
Before the installation took place
other matters of business were taken
up, including the settlement of the
tie that existed between Michael
Hawkins and Samuel Macready for a
place on the adjustment committee.
Mr. Macready said that, in view of
the fact that he had been elected to
several other offices, he wished to
withdraw from the contest, if the
union would allow him to. The
secretary was instructed to cast one
ballot for Mr. Hawkins, who was de
clared elected to the place on the
committee,
Thomas Gamble of the Musicians’
Union was appointed the installing
officer, and he proceeded to install
the following officers: President,
Roderick A, McGarry; First Vice-
President, B. J. O'Connor; Second
Vice-President, S, R, Macready; Cor
responding Secretary, L. A. Grace;
Financial Secretary and Treasurer
Patrick Barry; Trustees, Cornelius
Dunn, M. Hawkins; Legislative Com
mittee, L. A. Grace, Philip Agnew,
S. R. Macready, R. A, McGarry;
Executive Board, William Garrity, T.
F, McCarthy, Philip Agnew, G. Med
rose, C. Shugarman, William Cleve
land, Edmund Cullen, John Davey,
R. A, McGarry, L. A. Grace, T. l?‘
Smith, Philip Agnew, Michael Haw
kins; Label Committee, R. A, Mec-
Garry, Joseph Medrose, 1.. A. Grace,
Philip Agnew, C. Dunn, L.. Hersey, S.
R. Mcready, M, Hawkins, William
Garrity; Delegates to Rhode Island
State Branch of A. F. of L, L. A.
Grace and R. A, McGarry, 3
After the installation ceremonies
were finished, President McGarry
made a speech, in which he promised
to give to the members of the Fed
eration Union even better service
than he had given in his previous
tenure of office and finished by mak
ing the recommendation that the
Central Union take up the matter of
building a Labor Temple.
His suggestion was received with
applause, and the following were ap
pointed a committee to make plans
for raising money to build the tem
ple: President McGarry, Samuel Ma
cready of the Typographical Union,
Secretary Grace, Treasurer Agnew,
Thomas O’Neil of the Painters’
Union and Michael Hawking of the
Brewery Workers' Union,
MASS CONVENTION
OF R. |. SOCIALISTS
BIGGESTON RECORD
The largest, most enthusiastic and
most interesting convention of the
Socialisy party of Rhode Island was
that last Sunday afternoon. Members
were present irom every local and
branch in the State, and on all sides
were heard encouraging remarks
concerning the future of the party in
Rhode Island. The remarkable in
crease in the Socialist vote all over
the country was the subject of gen
ecral comment before and after the
meeting and each and every com
rade seemed imbued with a deter
mination to so increase the Socialist
strength during the next two years as
to make all past efforts seem small in
comparison
The large attendance of ladies pres
ent showed the interest the women
of the working class are at present
taking in the Socialist movement, and
was one of the most hopeful features
of a decidedly optimistic gathering,
It was realized for weeks before
the convention that the party would
nog be nearly large enough to ac
commodate the number who would
attend the meeting, and it was decided
to engage the large hall, of the Ma
chinists’ Union. This proved to be a
wise move, for at the time appointed
for the opening of the meeting the
hall was taxed to its utmost capacity.
Owing to the fact that the newly
elected State Secretary, James P,
Reid, was unavoidably detained, the
convention was called to order by the
retiring secretary, I'red Hurst. Nom
inations for chairman were called for,
and Samuel H. Fassell was nominated
and elected. The report of the State
Secretary was the first business taken
up. The report showed the finances
of the organization to be in good
shape and the membership of the
party to be increasing at a lively
rate. The report was received and
ordered printed. It will be published
in next week's issue of the Labor
Advocate.
The report of the campaign com
mittee was received and ordered
pringed. The report of the cemmittee
on Real Issues was also presented
and the same was received.
Comrade Hurst next reported on
his work as propagandist and gave
an interesting account of his various
trips throughout the State during
the campaign. He said he felt that
by his distribution of party literature
and personal conversations with men
in all walks of life a great deal of
good had been accomplished. His
observations had shown him, he said,
that the subject of Socialism was
more widely and more favorably dis
cussed today than ever before.
| The report of the press committee,
‘prcscntc«l by Comrade Hunt, was
enthusiastically received, the en-
Ccouraging points in the report being
received with prolonged applause.
)Thc report was in part as follows:
“In behalf of the Press Committee,
f I desire that we come before the con
vention today with a clean slate—
~with all bills paid up to date., At
the time of the last mass convention
of the party a voluntary press com
mittee was organized, and to the
carnest and conscientious work of
this committee, the success of the
Advocate is due, I wish to state
| : . .
personally, and 1 believe 1 voice the
‘sentiment of the other members of
the committee, that T feel at the
present time more confident of the
success of our party organ than at
any time since its inception. We
have succeeded in securing an un
expectedly large number of adver
tisers, and it is but fair to state that
this encouraging condition of affairs
is due mainly to the energetic work
of the treasurer of the committee,
Comrade Fried, Valuable assistance
has been rendered in this line by
Comrade Schmidt, who has been in
strumental in securing financial aid
from various organizations with
which he is connected. Comrade
Schmidt has not been content with
merely asking for this assistance, but
has personally seen to it that the re
quest was complied with. Others who
have assisted in the work of securing
ads are Comrades Foulkes, Walsh,
-and Wilson. | feel assured that
most of the advertisers will stay with
us, because we know that many of
‘them are receiving unexpectedly
'good returns Several have volun
tered the remark that it is the best
advertising they have ever done,
and when an advertiser voluntarily
makes this admission you may rest
asimred that he is getting some re
sults.
“I wish again to remind the com
rades that it is the duty of every
party member to patronize those who
advertise with us, and, above all, to
let the advertiser know that you are
dealing with him because of his ad in
the Labor Advocate. g
“The circulation of the paper has
shown a steady increase, and is
gaining week by week. The most
pressing need at the present time is
a steady dependable source of income
~one on which we can rely each
week, With the end in view of over
coming all uncertainty, we have de
vised a card and stamp system,
whereby every member wgo can do
so will be requested to pledge a
certain amount each week, the
ONE CENT—SO CENTS PER
pledges to be redeemed by the pur
chase of stamps. These stamps are
issued in denominations of 5, 10 and 25
cents, and of course can be multiplied
to- make up any larger amount de
sired, A committee has been appoint
ed, consisting of Comrades é)mith.
Hung and Yanyar to take charge of
these stamps, and it is the desire of
the press committee that the various
branches appoint some member who
will sell the stamps to the members
ol his branch and bring the amount
secured each week, to the committee
in charge. We ask the mass con
vention to endorse this scheme, as we
believe it will put us on a sound
hasis, It will not only enable us
to keep the paper going in its resent
form, but will eventually be the
means of aiding us in publishing a
better paper, :
"I wish to call attention to the fact
that for some reason or another
some of the branches have not as yet
torwarded their donations to the
paper and we would urge upon them
the necessity of doing so at once.
“Attention is called to the work of
Comrade Grimshaw of Woonsocket,
who has each week sent in a few
items of iterest from his local, There
is no doubt that every branch in the
State could do the same thing and
would be of great aid in making the
paper interesting to party members
Any paper, and especially a party
paper, is what its supporters make
it, and 1 believe the members of the
Socialist Party of Rhode Island can
make this one of the best little
Socialist papers in the country by
sending in party news and by writing
letters to the editor on various mat
ters of interest to the working class
in general and the Socialist party in
particular,
“The Socialist Party of Rhode Is
land has made a long stride forward
in its support of the {a'bor Advocate.
It appeared to be a big undertaking
at first, but 1 believe the results
achieved have more than repaid us
for the time and money expended.
The value of the paper Xoe. IoL con
sist entirely in its ability to publish
party news and propaganda matter.
It is a powerful weapon to have at
hand when the enemies of Socialism
are engaged in disseminating lies,
false statements and misrepresenta
tions about our candidates and our
principles. This was very well ex
emplified during the last campaign,
when a correspondent of a grovi
dence newspaper, who knows abso
lutely nothing of Socialism: filled his
columns night after night with un
truthful statements regarding Com.
rade Reid and the party in general.
These lies, as well as the equally un
truthful and even more %icious at
tacks of the Providence Visitor, were
[ believe more effectively answered
through the columns of the Labor
Advocate than could have been done
‘n any other way. The Labor Advo
cate was extensively circulated
throughout Comrade Reids district
cach week, and | believe the remark
able increase in the straight Socialist
vote and in the party membership in
that district is due to the efforts of
the Labor Advocate in placing the
truth before the voterg as well as to
Comrade Reid's magnificent cam
paign, g
“Comrades, we appeal to each one
of you to do your utmost in support
of our party organ. You have made
an <-xvohcnt start and the future ben.
chits which we will secure through
conscientious work in this direction
cannot be overestimated.
“Help us in this work and you may
rest assured that every quarter, every
dime and every nickel you con
tribute will bring us one step nearer
that goal for which we are all striv
ing, the emancipation of the working
(‘l:ls.\."
Comrade Foulkes made an earnest
wnd eloquent plea in support of the
(Continued on Page 4.)
GRACE ATTACKS
STATISTICS OF
GEO. H. WEBB
Secretary Lawrence A, Grace of
the Central Federated Union of
Providence condemns the statistics
issued by Commissioner Webb last
weck in regard to the union workers
in Rhode Island. He declares that
there are more than 9o per cent, of
the union workers of the State
affiliated with the American Federa
timl Of L.abor.
He promised to give out some
statistics that would show the exact
status of the unions affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
and which would show that they had
more than 18,000 members in this
state.
The figures given out by Mr. Webb
were published in the Labor Advo.
cate last week, but it is believed that
Mr. Grace knows whereof he speaks
when he declares them inaccurate.
Mr. Grace is very well informed as
to labor matters in Rhode Island and
his promised statement will doubtless
shed new light on the labor situation
in this state.