June 1, 1929 THE MILITANT Page The Building Trades Situation comparative figures Fight for Mooney and Billings conditions.
hammer down the wages of the workers, to increase their hours, despite the fact that the profits are the largest ever. The conscious rank and file in the building trades must enA sharp decline in building totals for the for such works through taxation. But the deavor more systematically and patiently than first quarter of 1929 in the metropolitan area practical result usually is that capital is mereever to draw the mass of the building trades of New York and the 37 states east of the ly shifted from other capital investments, inworkers to fight for a program to include Rocky Mountains is reported by Thomas dustries and manufacture, and other groups among other points, the following: six hour Holden, vice president of the. Dodge feel the sharp whip of unemployment. Under day and a five day week, with no reduction in Corporation. This is a report of the building such conditions, capital often holds off from wages. Amalgamation of the building trades condition committee of the New York Building going industries or does not develop new eninto one industrial union to effect a stronger Congress and constitutes a survey of building terprises.
fighting front against the bosses; establishconstruction for the periods of the first three months of 1928 and 1929. The The building trades workers yet retain ment of unemployment insurance to be paid are 254, 933, 000 for the 1929 quarter these illusions and many more, and pride by the employers and the government and adthemselves as aristocrats of labor. But if they ministered by local trade union committees and 378, 280, 800 for the 1928 quarter.
While the fakers of the building trades will not learn from other workers in America elected by the membership; And, then, the and other countries, they will nevertheless membership must begin to think in terms of unions say everything is yet jake in the have to concern themselves with growing prob struggle as a working class against the capbuilding industry, building is on the increase, lems arising out of their industry. The build italist class in a struggle for political power.
of this report show something else. Building ing trade employers are certain to attempt to totals declined for the period given a total of 33 for the New York Metropolitan area and a decline of 15 is noted for the 37 states. This in fact means a decline of such proportions for the entire United States, since 91 of Recent months have seen exposure piled on serve to weaken the movement. It was these building in the United States is carried on in these Eastern states.
exposure of all the sordid details of the framesame respectable gentlemen who split the up which sent Tom Mooney and Warren Sacco Vanzetti movement, who turned back to Reasons for Decline Billings to the Penitentiary for Life terms, their own class when the working class began To an extent this decline for the first quarter From the perjury of the notorious cattleman to move into the streets and demand the libis explained by the increase in money rates Frank Oxman to the lying evidence of Estelle eration of the Massachusetts martyrs in plain in this period thru the orgy of gambling or Smith, the long list of witnesses who passed language.
speculation in recent weeks in the stock market through the court to put a noose around the The opportunity is still at hand for the workwhen call money reached astounding propor necks of the two California labor fighters have tions. The building trades industry requires ing class elements, particularly its advanced been revealed as a troop of bribed characters to organize, strengthen and lead the of large outlays terials, etc. and swift and large credit facilities.
among whom prostitutes, pimps, gamblers, liberation movement. The International Labor But the tightening of cash and credit facilities moved in court in tune with the money paid them out of the funds of California business auspices last year, has fumbled the opportunity for the moment. The faction agents of sharp slump in the first quarter of 1929 over men. Rarely, if the same period a year ago. The tre polackened at all, has there been so ever Stalin who were recently foisted upon the bald and outrageous an instance of class jus are interested primarily their revolting committee attributes the slump tice inflicted upon workers.
factional demand and unsettled credit and only secondarily in jockeying, In Twelve Years in Prison the class war fighters in prison. The reestabthis time, industrial and commercial building Mooney and Billings have been imprisoned lishment of the basic principles upon which the gained, while public works and utilities con now for almost twelve years. Their case has was organized and built up is immetracts decreased over the whole country, ex served not only to blacken the already reaction diately necessary. The defense work of the cept in New York where educational buildings ind the movement cannot be a hunting preserve of increased. The report notes the trend of dewhole machinery of justice in this country. Party factionalists.
creasing residential building throughout the It has also served as a black mark against the movement hent for Mooney and Billings must country.
The decline reflects itself in the increase of be revived on a national scale, with the suplabor movement of the United States. The labor misleaders at the head of the trade union port of every worker and every working class organization in the country. The prison gates 6, Sent or part time work among the moment in this country, had they been any genuine desires to obtain the in some localities. The officials of of must be forced open and the two fighters be the prisoners, returned to the ranks of the working class from the building trades unions hide their heads in lished this long ago. But their only inter which they were torn by our class enemies.
sands and content themselves with the for liberation has always heen teatta prospects of huge projects of public utilities to attack and seek to www and governmental building on national, state ous working class movement organized to free the victims of the frame up system. From the In Jewish local scales. They accept Hooverian prosperity and promises, but take no steps to days of the fight of the International Workers strengthen the fighting qualities of the unions the time approaching when the buildCoast by the radicals, to the time last yearin a concerted manner for lower wage scales, The Real Situation in contractors will push systematically and opened the national agitation for the two men, the role longer hours and the of production. The re of bureaucrats has actionary union of this contenting itself been that of persistent Russia For our part, we are for the release of sabotage.
that the building corporations and cont and Billings in the interests of the contractors By TROTSKY will stop at efforts to credit facilworking class, and NOT for the purpose of ities. but will intensify even more the rationawhitewashing the corrupt judicial institutions This edition of the book which has sold ization process in the building industry. Maof capitalism WHOSE BASIC PURPOSE is in thousands of copies in the United States the frame up and imprisonment of the Moon in the English translation, and has apcision and speed into all trades of the industry, Malkins, MacNamaras, and the scores of preeys, Billingses, Barnetts, Lambs, McInerneys, peared in all the chief European languages, bringing with them the concomitant of unemis now available for the first time in the ployment first, and next, demands by the emJewish language.
PURPOSE is the legal murder of the Joe Hills, ployers for It contains: reductions, Building trades workers are especially affecwage longer hours, etc.
the Saccos and the Vanzettis. The Mooney The Platform of the Bolshevik Lented with the illusions of public works and Billings case is part and parcel of he essential and inevitable work of the capitalist courts, utilities construction by the government when inists (Opposition)
times are hard. There is need for these to be and those who seek to free Mooney and BillHow Stalin Falsifies the History of broken down among them and all workers, and ings by erasing the discredit on the whole the Russian Party and the October Revolution instead preparations made for forthcoming are preparing the ground for the commission system of justice. that is, apitalist justicestruggles: strikes, lockouts, etc.
The Testament of Lenin of new Mooney Billings frame ups, new SaccoThe Public Works Illusion Vanzetti murders.
And other important material Prosperity reserve is the name given to the Only the Workers Can Free Them Only a Limited Edition at Hand illusion of public works construction in times When Mooney and Billings are liberated it Cloth Bound Only of depression. On occasion capitalism utilizes will be due only to the organized demand of Single Copy such and similar projects as stop gaps. They the American workers and the labor movement 2, 00 Each offer no permanent solution to the unemploy of the rest of the world. It is good that nuFive or more copies 75 Kach ment problem which grows constantly and merous public men not associated with the Order Now From maintains its permanent character.
labor movement have demanded their release.
THE MILITANT Capitalism cannot ever stop unemployment, This demonstrates further the obviousness of Box 120, Madison Square Station but only increase and aggravate the situation. the prisoners innocence. But to leave the libNew York, The federal or state governments may provide eration movement in their hands alone would The release ners, could have accompaim the in the fight pt now Mooney not