SOCIALIST APPEAL DECEMBER 7, 1940 Why The Farmers Voted NOTEBOOK Against Roosevelt Of an Agitator Act of varek, 9107. New York, under the The Draftees Health in an editorial in the same issue, deliberately supSOCIALIST APPEAL pressing the strikers. the true story of why they had to strike to get their raise, the New Leader VOL. IV No. 49 Saturday, December 7, 1940 says: Twelve days have been wasted at the Vultee plant. The increase of twenty five per cent in PubMehed Weekly by the basic wages could have been won without a day BOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ABB at 116 University Plaos, New York, stoppage. Such acts will not long be tolerated.
Telephone: AL conquin 354T What does the New Leader propose! The putting of all action affecting labor part in naUnion Boy Gets Raise They Repudiated The New Deal For the Same Reason Editorial Board: Under the heading of Trade Union Progress or tional defense into the hands of a single body, FELIX MORROW ALBERT GOLDMAN Benefits of Organized Labor we record the news similar to the War Labor Board set up in 1917. That They Voted Against Hoover In 1932 that brother William Green was granted a wage in General Manager: As to the anti labor record of that War Labor crease by the AFL Convention from 12, 000 to 20, 000 RUTH JEFFREY Board, we shall have plenty to say in the coming weeks. Today we hurry ahead to give you the By PETER GRAVES sociation became defunct. Wash thought it was smart politics to per annum and it is not Confederate money, either.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. In the ington continued to fear its re seek an alliance with the New Twenty grand is a nice piece of change any way you Subscriptions: 00 per year 00 for six months. pay off in that New Leader editorial, on how the recent elections the farmers des inal and extension.
Deal. Because such leaders were look at it, and the action of the convention shows Foreign. 00 per year. 50 for alx months. Bundle board will work: There are men who deserve and erted the New Deal in droves. Such measures as were won willing to sell out the principles what organized labor can do for a man who works orders: cents per copy in the United States: centa enjoy the confidence of the public and who, sitting bloc of seven Midwest farm were pitifully inadequate. The of the movement for temporary per copy in all foreign countries. Single coples: cents.
neither with hand nor brain but only with the larynx, with representatives of labor, of the employers, states voted against Roosevelt. relative stabilization of farm electoral successes, and received Brother Green is not the only union boy who got though the President had hoped prices through the AAA, the Com their just desserts by winding up and of the administration, can procure harmony Roentered as second class matter December 4, something in his stocking a month before Christmas.
his selection of Henry Wallace as modity Credit Corporation, etc. without even the electoral sucBrother Meany, Secretary Treasurer of the AFL, got 1939, at the post onco, at of action, not so much by mandatory action as by running mate would again bring were not giving farmers parity in cesses.
such faimess and intelligence as will make compulraised from 10, 000 to 18. 000. And that, as the saying in the farm vote. Minnesota re come to cover costs of production.
sion unnecessary.
mained in the Roosevelt column Farmers were still being forced STALINISTS SERVED goes, ain hay. Green and Meany are still trailing ROOSEVELT only because of the heavy vote be off the land because of low farm behind John Lewis who is sacrificing his life for What is the New Leader formula, but another FIGHT WITH THE received in the urban centers. prices. Technological advances These practical politicians, it 25, 000 per year from the coal miners. Lewis swears variation of that of the New York Times! The The election results came as a such as tractor improvements must be recalled, had as their al by the Bible, especially that page where it says The SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY policeman shouldn use his club to subdue his vicsurprise to Wallace and his combines and power machinery lies at that time the Communist laborer is worthy of his hire. and he is also strong tim except as it is necessary.
friends. Conservative farm lead generally, had actually made ne Party, then the most ardent sup for the other scriptural injunction, Thou shall not ON THE WAR FRONT: ers. including The New Leader is a little more brazen than many in the cessary larger farms for the most porters of the New Deal (this was muzzle the oz that treadeth out the corn. Lewis For: are the union leaders who finance it, but it speaks Grange and the Farm Bureau economical use of machinery. The prior to the Hitler Stalin pact. treads heavily, has big muz and a lot of Military training of workers, financed by the gov. their mind, a mind completely dominated by gedly individualistic farmers want ainst small operators intensifed pure of the politicians and the corn. But even he has been nosed out in the race ernment, under control of the trade unions. Washington. As the workers confront the employ to be left alone, that they do not this trend toward larger farmers, communist Party, the Farmer Lafor big money by Tobin who got raised from 20, 000 The establishment of special officers training ers, they would do well to guard themselves against want or need any help in solving thus forcing more farmers off the bor Party was tled, as we said to 30. 000 per year at the recent convention of the their problems.
a stiletto in the back from these labor leaders land to eke out a dreadful exist at that time, like a little dog to big hearted teamsters.
camps, financed by the government and controlled the New Deal. But farmers and Others like Thatcher (De ence on WPA in the villages.
and their friends. Indeed, one can put it more by the trade unions, to train workers to become Topping them all, is brother Jimny Petrillo, head mocratic Party lobbyist in Farm Yes, the vote in the farm states workers were already then becomplainly: the workers will win their battles and exofficers.
ers Unton ranks) scurry about indicates that the farmers are in the New Deal they wanted a ing disguated with the inadequacy of the Musicians, who doubles up on two jobs, drawing down 20, 000 as president of the Chicago local Confiscation of all war profits all company books tend their gains in the coming period only to the seeking scapegoat. Interested a deep crisis and want to move and 15, 000 as International President a total of 85 to be open for trade union inspection.
extent that the traitors within the labor movement, in protecting Roosevelt at all towards a solution of their probREAL program of concrete planks that would answer the most ur.
costs, these people insist that lems.
grand, and this of course doesn include expenses Expropriation of all war industries and their typified by the New Leader, are exposed for what somebody must have been disloyal. HOLIDAY COMMITTEES Gent of their immediate needs.
and birthday presents. These are only a few who operation under workers control.
they are and rendered incapable of stabbing the In an Open Letter to Governor WHY FARMERS SHIFTED workers in the back.
POINTED THE WAY Benson, issued before the 1938 stand out conspicuously by the extraordinary size of Trade union wages for all workers drafted into the their honoraria. The unions are lousy with run ofAll such explanations are false. If farm leaders had the courageclections, the Socialist Workers army.
The true explanation is simple and the sense to tell the truth, Party pointed out such facts as the mill labor skates who struggle along on ten grand Full equality for Negroes in the armed forces and exactly what it appears to be the farmers would as they must these. We pleaded with the Parm or so in regular salaries. Sidney Hillman, for exDown with Jim Crowism.
the farmers have repudiated the eventually. realize that there is er Laborites that the party must ample, puts up a poor mouth and does the best he An end to secret diplomacy, New Deal because the New Deal only one way in which they can be armed with a program that can on 12, 500 per annum.
Army officials and the capitalist press are sur was not solving the farmers prob. find any answer to their problems. would inspire the party and its peoples referendum on any and all wars.
Who against these wage scales which enable tho prised, unable to understand and disapointed lems, because the New Deal was That answer was pointed out followers to the utmost efforts.
labor leaders to keep body and soul together and have at the exceptionally high number of rejections for not doing enough for the farmers years ago by the old Holiday com This advice was ignored and the a little spending money in their pockets at all times?
AT HOME: or was not doing the right things. mittees: a militant program of or. FLP was defeated.
physical disabilities which the draft doctors have It is necessary to recall the re gandzert struggle, carried out to In the 1940 elections the SoMany appealing arguments can be made and have been For: been compelled to issue during examination of the cent political shifts in the farm gether with the exploited workers cialist Workers Party, under made for providing the labor leaders with a standard job and decent living for every worker.
first batch of draftees.
vote. In 1932 the farmers really of the cities, against the common of living to which the rank and file are not ac the campaign name of the started hunting for a program to enemy. Thirty thirty 30 weekly minimum wage 30 customed: The figures are certainly startling enough. On Trotskyist Anti war Party, ran relieve their acute distress. They Such a program will require a its own candidate for united (1) It gives the workers a sense of vicarious sathour weekly maximum for all workers on all jobs. the basis of previous experience, particularly durdeserted Hoover and the Repub clean sharp break with both the States Senator in Minnesota.
isfaction to see their servants living on the fat of 30 weekly old age and disability pension. ing the World War draft, rejections should have licans, their traditional party, be Democratie and Republican par Dr. Grace Carlson. Dr. Carlson the land they feel rich by proxy. Full social, political and economic equality for the averaged less than two per cent. The present aver cause they were disgusted with tles. Both old parties are owned received 8, 761 votes, more than (2) It is a form of insurance to the unions against the lack of government assistance and controlled by Wall Street and the combined vote received by Negro people.
age for the nine army corps areas is set conservunder Hoover and voted for Roosita Sixty Families. These outfits their representatives keeling over from malnutrition in Workers Defense Guards against vigilante and atively at 15 percent, ranging in certain areas as evelt. They hoped desperately that are two wings of the same bird Browder. Over half of Dr.
Norman Thomas and Earl the very midst of a conference with the bosses.
fascist attacks.
high as 25 percent. In the New York area, one out a fresh face like Roosevelt would of prey. 3) It puts them on the same social plane as the Carlson votes came from the twenty billion dollar Federal public works and of every four draftees has been rejected as physic be able to cope with the prob. It is necessary for both urban bosses and frees them from inferiority complexes.
counties outside the metropolihousing program to provide jobs for the unem ally unfit.
lem of low farm prices, intolerable workers and farmers to cease this tan areas. Several thousand (4) It keeps them or ought to keep them from ployed.
This is startling, but not surprising. Eleven debt and interest burdens and the silly Jumping back and forth from farmers thus indicate they see stealing from the union treasury. Expropriate the Sixty Families.
years of capitalist depression have eaten into the dispossession of thousands of ten the frying pan to the fire, to stop that they must lock arms with Another important thing to remember is that Green ants and delinquent borrowers.
flesh and bones of the workers. Eleven years of this meaningless journey from one the city workers to build a na. An Independent Labor Party based on the Trade got his raise without striking for it. In fact on the In 1940 many farmers voted a old capitalist party to the other.
mass hunger, undernourishment, worry and nervtional labor party and set up Unions.
very day (or the day before) he opened his pay ensabast Roosevelt, rather than to NATIONAL LABOR PARTY! Workers and Farmers gove Workers and Farmers Government.
velop and discovered eight thousand extra dollars ous tension and medical neglect, have taken their favor of Willkie whom they knew deadly toll. The bad lungs, weak hearts, intestinal as a Wall Street man, because What all the exploited must doernment in Washington.
peeping out at him, he was sounding off against disorders, rotten teeth, faulty eye sight, neglected they were disappointed in what is to unite in organizing their This is the program that Dr. strikes in defense industries in general, and the has been achieved.
own national party independent of Carlson urged. Today only the Vultee strike in particular.
hernias are part of the price the working class has All alliances with all capitalist most advanced workers and farm paid for eleven more years of capitalist economic WHERE BENEFITS On the same day (or the day after) he got his groups. What is needed is a naers, the vanguard, see the truth CAME FROM tional labor party controlled and and logic in this program. To raise our hero pinned his ears back, oiled up his Some thoughtful farmers real manned and led by the organized morrow, by the thousands and throat and gave out an oratorical and oracular pron.
No the army officers and the boss press may ize that what little had been done workers and farmers.
hundreds of thousands, the exThe Vultee aircraft strikers deserve the warm ouncement in favor of the capitalist system. And not be able to understand why one out of four in easing farm credit, in stopping Such a party need not repeat ploited will flock to such ban. no doubt he meant it sincerely, insofar as he knew congratulations of the entire trade union moveof the best and strongest layer of American society some foreclosures, the few minor the errors of the old one state ner what he was talking about. He was speaking from ment for having carried their strike to a settle is physically unfit for military service. But the zestures of the Farm Security Ad. third parties like the Minnesota The Socialist Workers Party a practical and personal standpoint. Green, of course, ment which, though a compromise, nevertheless workers who have existed on home relief and ministration in rehabilitating Farmer Labor Party. Tho Farm. calls upon the members of the is hardly a profound student of the history and anasecured substantial gains. They fought against busted farmers and reestablishing er Labor Party failed, not because Farmers Union to press within 36 to 52 monthly WPA jobs can understand.
tenant farmers on the land, had it was too radical, but because it tomy of social systems, their origins, development, their organization for a na formidable opposition: the strike branded comThe youth in the CCC camps and on NYA can decline and replacement by others. This couldn be nothing to do with admnistration was not radical enough. Because tional labor party, to break inunist by Attorney General Jackson and Dies.
understand. The millions of workers who today good will. It was due entirely toj opportunist leaders and profes with the two old capitalist par.
expected of him. Since he quit coal mining 50 odd a rabid strikebreaking campaign by the entire castill average, in the majority, less than 800 yearly the militant struggle of the farm sional politicians managed to take ties, who can give us all only years ago his time has been pretty well taken up with pitalist press, strong pressure exerted by Sidney incomes 15 per week they can understand.
ers themselves, conducted under control of the organisation away increasing misery and war.
preaching, praying, orating and drawing his pay check.
the leadership of the Farm Holi from the farm and labor organ Hillman labor section of the National CommisTake the road Green may not know much about the historical, And they can and must understand one thing sion, a united front of all the aircraft companies day Associalion and then the Aslations. Because such leaders national labe forward with party!
philosophical and theoretical aspects of the capitalist more. The bosses are preparing for a war in which system, but he has got a damned good hunch about throughout the Aeronautical Chamber of Comthese deprived millions are being asked to give the practieal side of the question. What he lacks in merce, etc. It is a tribute to the strikers that they their lives for the purpose of preserving a social knowledge of the law of value and the automatio fought their way through this opposition system, capitalism, which can only promise more regulation of prices, he makes up in mother wit and It is plain that every strike will face similar disease, more physical deprivation, more pain and good old fashioned horso sense; and he figures that pressure, and on an increasing scale. The pressure wasting away for the workers. system which makes it possible for a man to simply will be expertly applied against the unions. Violopen his mouth, lean back on his haunches and bellow (Continued from Page 1) overtime. The shipowners had ence and deceit will be mingled to paralyze the at regular intervals that all is well, and then find strike. Finally they are indirectly mado similar proposala two weeks an annual check for twenty thousand in his hand appealing to Washington to em after the strike started; they Many Trotskyis that is a first class system no matter what you call it.
from the crudest enemies, like ongres bark on some kind of action were accepted a month later.
men Smith and Dies, than from the more So far, so good. The workers who pay the bill are It doesn often happen, but here is one time against the Sailors Union.
Reported Seized By It was therefore a tough gang clever enemies who pose as friends. The dominant This disloyal factionalism has that the SUP had to negotiate Nazis In France not stingy, they might as well be broke as the way we agree 100 with a point made by the Stalinist policy in Washington today is not the rabid and they are, the fat salaries make the labor Jeaders happy Daily Worker. It says: characterized Stalinist policy with, when they tried to wrest stupid one of Dies, but the iron hand in the velvet from the outset of the strike two some real demands for themThe London correspondent and may keep them from stealing, so what the hell. Entirely out of harmony with the main decisions months ago. At that time, the selves. The shipowners laid the glove of Roosevelt and Hillman.
of the JEWISH EXAMINER and the generally progressive character of the CIO SUP agreement with the opera Firemen agreement on the reports, in its Nov. 22 issue, What These Salaries Actually Do The Roosevelt Willman policy is aptly formu convention was the resolution adopted which attempt tors had expired. Negotintions table, offered it plus a few mass arrests of Trotskyists The main hitel is that the ten twenty thirty thou.
lated in an editorial in the New York Times of ed to lump Communism together with its antithesis, were getting nowhere. The SUP. changes in working conditions.
by the Nazis in France, as a sand a year salaries for the labor leaders provide them November 20, which proposes to avoid govern Nazism and fascism, and which lumped together the although the union with more Take it or leave it! Besides, they good will gesture to Stalin. a standard of living tar removed from that of the rank Workers State, the USSR, together with the im men involved in steamschooner refused to negotiate any further Suddenly, says the corres.
ment coercion or elaborate machinery as much as and file of the workers. The leaders live like petty.
pondent, the Nazis have work than all the other unions until the SUP membership had perialist dictatorships of Hitler and Mussolini. It possible. and therefore declares: The problem bourgeoisie, and not so petty at that, and soon caso combined, held up action in order expressed itself. The SUP memtaken to arresting great num(the resolution) gave an opening which the redof public policy is to eliminate such strikes, or to to think like the poverty stricken masses who have bers of Jewish workers and baiters and reactionaries of all shades will endeavor to consult with the other unions. bership did: by a two to one vote offered them a united front: it turned down the offer. The intellectuals in the German reduce them to a minimum, with the least possible the dubious blessing of capitalism interpreted to them to exploit, distort and press to the maximum in order joint strike action and no agree Masters Mates and Pilots like held zones of France on the in the shape of inadequate diet, restricted educational use of coercion. But, note well, this means the to try and sow confusion, division and strife within ment signed until all unions had wise turned down an offer for a sole charge that they are possibilities for their children, unemployment, evic use of as much coercion as is necessary to eliminate the CIO and the entire progressive movement. received satisfactory agreements. 10 monthly increase and ten Trotskyists. This, of course tion notices and the policeman club on the picket strikes. The Times formula, superficially liberal. Daily Worker, Nov. 30)
The offer was neither accepted cents an hour overtime.
leaves but one interpretation: line. in reality is identical with the statutory instruc But the Daily Worker doesn tell the whole nor rejected, but in the mean The present position of the that the Nazis are making a Every once in a while this glaring contrast be tions to policemen concerning making arrests: use story.
while, without consulting the SUP is best stated by the Negodramatic effort to insinuato tween the over fed leaders and the under led masses only so much force as is necessary to subdue the SUP the MFOW and the Cooks tiations Committee which said in themselves in Stalin good That red baiting resolution was voted for by is expressed in the most dramatic form.
and Stewards took strike votes its report to the memiership: graces.
The convictim.
all the Stalinist heroes: voted for by Joseph Curcurrence of Green raise of salary to 20, 000 per year and tied up the ships. we are faced with a split London hears that the and the strike of the Vultee workers against a wage.
Despite all the cleverness and power which the ran, Mike Quill, Harry Bridges, the Fur Workers UNITED ACTION REFUSED Soviet ruler is kept closely in strike (offshore vessels operat. formed of this newest mani.
scale of 50e. per hour was such an occasion. The employers and their political agents can utilize. delegation and, in a word, by every Stalinist and few weeks later when it ing while steamschooners are festation of Nazi friendship workers went on strike, said nuts to the threats and against the trade unions, the workers would find Stalinist sympathizer in the convention!
once again became clear that the tied up. Ed. with three CIO for him, and that he is as.
pleas that they keep slaving at the old rate in the it relatively easy to win their strikes were it not Furthermore, the Stalinists cannot pretend that shipowners were not at all dis unions ready to return to work sured by the Nazis that in interests of national defense, and inched up their for the fact that the employers also have agents they were caught off guard. Every delegation in their France Stalin bitter pitiful wages to 62 cents. Green denounces the within the trade unions. And we don mean mer the convention had caucussed, the previous night sions, the SUP once again ap can to prevent the from foes will not be permitted to strike, praised the system which exploits and enslaves And making any real gains. We must pealed for united action.
to decide their policy toward that red baiting reely stool pigeons. We mean those trade union raise their heads.
once again the offer went also remember that a great deal the masses, and calmly drew down a hike on his pay leaders and their friends who are succumbing to solution; and also to decide their policy toward a begging. Finally after weeks of of steamschooner cargo is still check from twelve thousand to twenty thousand per the employers propaganda and policies.
proposal to vote for a motion to close off all de. leadlock with the large SUP moving up and down the coast year.
One example is the crew that write and publish bate immediately after introduction of the resolu stcamschooner membership suf despite the strike (Cargo is movThey were both right in their way. Only, they The oppressed class must sup tion. The Stalinists also voted every last one of ng in offshore vessels and by port the oppressing class of its the New Leader, the weekly organ of the Social fering most from the protracted were each speaking from opposite sides of the picket Democratic Federation. Its editors are so far gone them for that motion which prevented any de strike, the Stalinist Maritime truck and rail Ed. and that in line. The Vultee strikers spoke for themselves and bate on this red baiting resolution.
Federation Jendership signed the event we stay out we may nation, when the latter is apply.
in their patriotic frenzy that, in their November for their oppressed class for whom all is not well agreements for the MFOW W, not be able to prevent this. Weing force in pursuit of its objecby a long shot. Green spoke for laimselt as an agent 30 issue, they actually boast that they branded And now the Daily Worker, with pious lypoc the MCs and the MEBA. Again are going to face a barrage of tive; but the oppressed class has of the exploiting class operating in the labor move publicity charging us with pro not the right to make use of force the Vulice strike as communist before Jackson risy, deplores that resolution. Why didn the without consulting the SUP.
ment. That is why they could not find a common The Firemen and Cooks and longing the strike, and in the in order to secure for itself a betand Dies had done so! And their headline of the Daily Worker comracles and heroes vote against language on the question of strikes.
week, based on the Vultee strike, is: Gov Fails closing debate, speak out against the resolution, Stewards, accepted wage increas event of a protracted tie up we es of 50 and 00 respectively are faced with a severe drain ter situation in a society based on There is a lesson in this coincidence. No doubt, to Stop Sabotage of Defense. In other and vote against it?
and five cents an hour overtime.
on our strike funds. oppression. Thus reads the bour Green deserves his twenty grand. But why should words, a complaint that the government didn The Stalinists reds? No, they re yellow all the The Engineers accepted a 10 in Thanks to the Stalinists, they seois criminal code. Trotsky, the workers pay it? That where the swindle comes in.
crack down harder on the Vultee strikers! And way through crease with ten cents an hour might have added.
Whither England? Page 39. Bila Watch Out For Rats! anarchy and social chaos.
Sailors Firm In Strike.
anions. There is less to fear for the comments Not Red, But Yellow 20 mething thony