THE MILITANT Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition Vol 111, No. 6, Telephone: DRYdock 1656 NEW YORK, Y, Saturday, February 8, 1930 PRICE CENTE WHAT HAPPENED TO BLUMKIN?
Let Stalin and the American Party Leaders Answer. Schlesinger and Bosses Cooperate Dress Strike on Enormous Profits in Steel City of Chicago Goes Bankrupt The Parls organ of Millukov, Latest he was never removed by his chiefs, News prints the following telegram. Menzhinsky and Trillisser, despite the BLUMKIN IS SHOT fact that they knew him to be supLeft Wing Can Win Workers by Quitting its Isolationist Attitude COLOGNE, December 28. The porter of the Leninist Opposition from The long awaited dressmakers strike it, and draw them into one organization Moscow correspondent of the Col. the very beginning. That he continued of the Right wing union, the International freed of all militant elements. The bosset ogne Journal telegraphs. These to maintain relations with comrades of Ladies Garment Workers, has finally been want the elimination of the Left wing from days, there was arrested upon the his viewpoint was his right and duty, called with the approval of the dress man the industry because the red trouble.
order of the the notorious and a tribute to his devotion to the prinufacturers. Thousands of workers have makers defend the interests of the work.
Blumkin, murderer of Mirbach ciples of the revolution, Information that we have received quit their shops. The dressmakers strike, Blumkin was accused of maintaining ers and carry out a policy of class struggle like that of the cloakmakers which took instead of class collaboration. They theresecret relations with Trotsky. AC leads us to believe now that Blumkin place last year, is pretty unique in labor fore hope that the present strike of the cording to the sentence of the has simply been assassinated by Stalin history. It was not called until a virtual dressmakers will Isolate the Left wing Blumkin was shot.
for adhering to the Opposition. But the agreement had been reached between the and reduce it to an inconsequential tacThis telegram has been reprinted formal certainty is not yet established.
in many other papers, but up to the time we therefore demand of Foster, BeRight wing union leaders and what the tor in the industry.
New York Times calls the better element this is written the entire Stalinist dacht and the others, of the leadership Workers Need Left Wing of the manufacturers. press has maintained an ominous silence: of the Communist Party of the United weakening of the Left wing in the So far as the union leaders are conthe story has neither been denied nor States, which supports the present represent struggle would be a heavy blow afirmed.
gime in the Russian Communist Party: cerned, the main purpose of the strike is to the needle trades workers. It is Blg.
Is this horrifying report true? If the report of Blumkin killing to demonstrate to the bosses that the Right nificant that at the head of the Right wing When the Bolshevik revolution is false, then make a public declaration wing is able to rally the workers behind unton strike committee are to be found broke out, Blumkin was one of the to that effect in the Party Dress!
the same ultra reactionary forces Schlesleaders of the Left Social Revolution If the abominable crime has really singer, Nadler, Hochman, Dubinsky, etc.
aries. He did indeed kill the German been comitted, do you take responsithat dragged the formerly powerful organiambassador, Count Mirbach. But imme bility for it before the revolutionary zation into the deepest swamps of peace diately thereafter he joined the Bolshevik working class together with Stalin?
with the bosses at the expense of the party and played a heroic part in the If you assume font responsibility workers, of class collaboration, the lowcivil war. For a while he worked in the for the assassination, will you make a ering of living standards the abolition military secretariat of comrade Trotsky corresponding statement in the Party of union control and continual defeats, and helped edit some of his military press?
The leadership of the Right wing today works. For some time, in the last per Wc await the reply of the leaders Every possessor of 6, 000 of watered is the same outfit that split the old U, Steel stock made as much money iod, he has been carrying on work of a of the Party, fer there is much to be expelling militant members by highly important character, from which said yet about this frightful deed!
through that ownership in 1929 as the the thousands in order to prevent Left average Steel worker got out of an wing leadership, which had the support entire year employement. The owner of of the mass of the membership, from dithe 60 shares of golden stoel stock got recting the activities of the organization. 1, 270. 80 for the year which is the average To place the fate of the dressmakers wage the steel trust payes the producers into the hands of this discreditable crew of the basic industrial metal.
would be to surrender the interests of the The net profits of U, Steel for the workers into the tender mercies of the Chicago, tho great metropolis of the ployed. The city government is short of year were 197, 531, 000, all available for manufacturers.
Middle West, 1s in a financial dilemma. Ac funds because the large property cwners, the dividends. Only half of the last quarter The bosses realize that they have tually the city government, and the county big corporations have paid no taxes for 1928 earnings were paid out in dividends, the nothing to lose by a victory of Schlessingovernment, too, have gone bankrupt, of and 1929, awaiting a reassessment of tax rest going into the surplus fund which for ger and Co. and a lot to lose by a victory course, without any official declaration be valuation. The city government in its the year totals 108, 003, 000. It is all the of the workers, the rank and fille, The ing made. With thousands of workers tramninch is peddling tax anticipation warrants propery however of the stockholders who various bosses associations have already ping the streets in vain search for work to such bankers and corporations willing have the right to vote themselves the en given a virtual endorsement to the strike.
this bankruptcy becomes but one more evid to take them over receiving an interest of tire sum They want to drive the workers into the ence of growing inability of capitalism to percent. This interest paid by the city now The 1929 earnings were twice those of Right wing camp, under rigid Schlessingovern society.
amounts to 36, 000 per day. Even at this the bonanza year of 1928 and focus attenger control, in order to wean them away Much excitement was stirred up through handsome return the corporations have been tion on the steel trust as a main benefifrom any Left wing influence, to which out the city when by a majority vote the very unwilling to buy. But now ray of ciary in this country of low wages and they correctly attribute all their difficul.
city council passed upon the 1930 budget hope appears. The Down Town Property high taris. In 1927 the company made ties.
calling for an expenditure of 55, 000, 000. Owners Association has declared its wil: 114, 000, 000 clear, turned into dividends This attitude is taken not only by the dress bosses, but by the New York This was 1 million below the last two lingness to take over 10, 000, 000 worth of and plant.
employing class as a whole, which speaks years budget but claimed to be within the such warrants, to be returned in tax pay The traveler entering Pittsburg along of the strike through the New York Times.
revenue of the city which has suffered an ments when the reassessment some day the Ohio, Alleghany or Monongahela would This paper is notorlously an enemy of the indebtedness of 13, 000, 000 during these shall be completed. Meanwhile they collect little imagine that he was entering the workers, and of all strikes for the imlast two years. Twice the mayor, the tam percent on thelr own tax payments they territory of one of the world wealthiest provement of thel conditions. But it ous Big Bill Thompson, vetoed this budget are thus withholding.
corporations. Drab, smoke grimed shacks designates the present strike as the secmerely to have it pass as often in a slightly As an example of tax valuation line the river banks for long miles. Badly ond step in the reconstruction of the amended form. But then the cuts necessitain Chicago, it suffices to mention a couple clothed children play in muddy, rutted garment Industry (2 1930) and points ted layoffs. The first to come under the of instances not, however, those of work streets, their only playgrounds. Houses are out that the better element among manaxe were 473 policemen. The excitement beers who happen to own a shack, and are long rows of dilapidated shacks and the ufacturers, Jobbers and contractors 18 in came a panic among the better citizong.
assessed up to the hilt. The Union Stock horizon is relieved only by the tall stacks sympathy with the step taken by the garVarious rescue Citizens Committees. with year company is assessed, upon its proper of mills and spires of Catholic churches, ment union.
which Chicago has been so much blessed ty covering 135 acres, a valuation of 11, The average weekly wage in these What the bosses and their press enin the past were again formed.
dorse, the workers must be wary of. The 000 per acre, making a total of less than a steel mill towns is 31. 63 but tens of thouThe Poor Polleemen dressmakers must understand that the esmillion and a halt for taxation. The com sands according to federal labor statistics Some of the very best citizens even sential purpose of the strike is to wipe pany own appraisals, filed by the Depart get under 25. Laborers wages and labthought it a damnable outrage that these out the Left wing, the main defense of ment of Agriculture, shows a claimed val orers are more and more typical of the alderman had voted a sum of 45, 000 in the uation of 130, 000 per acre, amounting to a steel industry as mechanization throws out the workers in the trade. If the Left wing budget for their own automobile maintainmakes the mistake of isolating itself from total of 18, 000, 000. The Stevens Hotel skilled workers get from 20. 38 in the ance but would not appropriate enough to the main mass of the workers on strike, clafmed a property valuation of thirty one puddling mills to 27. 03 in the tinplate pay these poor policemen and thereby demillion dollars for bonding purposes; on mills. The maximum wage in the blast it will only fall in unconclously with the plans of the bosses and their union agents liberately throw the city into darkness and the tax books it stands at a valuation of furnaces is 31. 90 a week.
crime.
That is precisely why the present policy Last year by their own efforts eleven million. These are but two examFor 373, 000 workers whose earnings these best citizens had succeeded in adding ples.
were tabulated by the federal bureau of of the Left wing is so dangerous for it 750 huskles to the city force, and nowfuture and for the interests of the workTax Valuation Cut labor statistics, wages averaged 31. 63.
ers.
that seemed to have been all in vain who With 40 weeke work during 1929, the steel would protect their property?
in 1926 and 1927 a big campaign star worker got 1, 264, or the same as the Left Wing Errors Meanwhile, 40, 000 city employees are ted in the city, supported by the of holders of 6, 000 stock in his company It is wrong for the Lot wing union running far behind in wages. County em for a reassessment of tax valuation to earned during the same period.
to keep its members at work during the ployees have been voted a cut of 10 months catch these big tax dodgers. reassess If a common laborer in the blast fur strike in the shops where it has a sacpay for one years work. These are the ment was finally granted, and although not nace could have worked the 62 hours a red contract with handful of cockwhite collar workers being hit. In addition yet completed, has already resulted in week he is credited with by the federal. roach manufacturers. This will onls many white collar workers and regular city stead of catching any dodgers, in further figures for 52 solid weeks of 1929, he strengthen the hypocritical position of the and county maintainance workers have been cutting tax valuations from 1927 to 1928 would have earned about 30 more than Right wing bureaucrats, The Left wing laid off, increasing the ranks of the unem(Continued on Page 2)
the holder of the 6, 000 Steel stock. Continued on Page