Tightening the Belt!
IN THIS CORNER Reedice UMEMPLOYED Carlo Atty. Gen. Murphy New Deal Strikebreaking Moves Fail to Crack Strike Lines of workers in violation of the federal Unskilled Workers Detroit SOCIALIST APPEAL TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1930 What law gave Roosevelt Co, the authority SOCIALIST APPEAL to refuse direct relief to strikers?
Vol. II, No. 51 July 18, 1939 What law gave Roosevelt and his crowd the authority to send secret servicemen into MinnePublished twice a week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL. PUBLISHING ASS apolis and East St. Louis and for all we know, at 116 University Place, New York, Telephone: Algonquin 8547 into every other strike area where they act, of course, as strikebreakers. Bubucriptione: 00 per year: 31. 00 for six months. For algn: 11. 00 per year, 60 for six months. Bundle orders. cento per copy in the United States: cents per copy in The answer to all these questions is one and all foreign countries. Single coples: cents.
Bronx and Manhattan subscriptions are: 50 for ox the same: THERE IS NO LAW THAT By Max Shachtman inonth: 00 for one year.
GIVES ROOSEVELT. MURPHY. HARa second class matter February 16, 1981, New York, under the Act of March RINGTON THE AUTHORITY TO DO 100 If ever President Roosevelt starts an economy THESE THINGS.
regime in his own household and finds himself Editor: forced to do without his valet, he won have to MAX SHACHTMAN Attorney General Murphy has no more auworry even then about having his pants pressed, Associate Editore: thority to call the strike illegal than he and above all, his boots licked into a high polish.
HAROLD ROBERTS FELIX MORROW Stay Members: has to call any other strike illegal. He just did Whoever has been following the Daily Worker EMANUEL GARRETT JOSEPH HANSEN Business Manager treatment of the building trades workers strike it in the hope of getting away with it. That is, SHERMAN STANLEY on must by now be convinced that Roosehe and Roosevelt hope that the strikers and velt can get free flunkey service from the editors their leaders will get scared and quit.
of the Communist party sheet even when he dosn FIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST ask for it.
There no law that says that the most skilled WORKERS PARTY FOR: We do not want to deny that the Stalinists on craftsmen of the nation must work for any the Daily Worker are considerably embarrassed Job and a decent living for every worker. wage the government chooses to give them. And and in an unenviable position. On the contrary, we Open the Idle factories operate them under if there were such a law, it would be a law riot grant it readily. Here they have been trying to sell workers control.
an increasingly discredited Roosevelt to an indeserving of obedience, for to obey such a law creasingly disillusioned working class, painting up Twenty Billion dollar Federal public works would mean to surrender ourselves to slavery.
the President as a stout friend of labor, and first and housing program.
crack out of the box, their Third Term Candidate These weren the only threats Murphy made. Thirty thirty! 30 weekly minimum wagocomes out as a strike breaking boss, no different 30 hour weekly maximum for all workers on In the same press interview, Murphy announced at bottom from Tom Girdler.
all Jobs. maybe it was just a coincidence that he was For their embarrassment, a spirit of tolerance, Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability conducting an investigation of the unhealthy pity and understanding would normally be indipension.
and scandalous conditions in the building cated. But such feelings just naturally turn sour even in a merciful man when he reads how the Expropriate the Sixty Families.
trades, on a national scale, not by isolated in Daily Worker impudently seeks to extricate itself All war funds to the unemployed dictments. He is going to clean up all confrom its own predicament by shouting Stop Thief! people referendum on any and all wars. spirators, whether they are contractors or labor Playing Down the Reality No secret diplomacy.
leaders.
First, the Daily Worker has been systematically 10. An independent Labor Party.
How does Murphy know, before the investiplaying down the strike, which everybody else in 11. Workers Defense Guards against vigilante gation is concluded, that labor leaders are the country recognizes as one of the most imporand Fascist attacks.
among the conspirators he is going to indict?
tant labor struggles in recent times: a strike led by The answer is that he doesn know, he is just conservative officials against the government which is supposed to be friendly to labor.
making it up in an attempt to scare the building The Wednesday, July 12, issue of the Daily Worktrades workers.
er is typical. While every other paper of that date Pretty crude stuff! But it shows that the gave the strike first position, you had to look all over the front page before you could find, Invents Some Law strikers have Roosevelt and Murphy plenty in obscure position at the bottom, a colorless story worried. It shows that the strike is effective.
entitled Group Visits Capital On On the aiternoon of Thursday, July 13, It shows that all the strikers have to do is to Talks. The Stalinists refuse to accept the idea United States Attorney General Murphy called hold on, keep the strike going and spread it, and of workers striking against a wage cutting Roosevelt Government, and they hope to dispel the idea the Washington newspaper correspondents to they will win their demands.
by playing down the reality.
his office and gave them a statement which was We think the most significant thing about Second, the Stalinists have tried their damndest headlined throughout the nation as Out. Murphy threats is the way he singled out to convey the impression that good old Roosevelt and the New Dealers are friends of the strikers, laws Strikers.
Minneapolis and East St. Louis for special break the line and finally got it total of 581 administrators, suenemies of the Woodrum Starvation Bil, and con There must be no strike against the governº mention.
Akron dispersed pervisors and plum pickers in versely, that the strike is in no sense directed ment of the United States by any one, anywhere. Why did he single these two places out? BeThis is not the last you ll be top classifications reagainst Roosevelt only against the Tories.
By PAUL FIELDING cause in those places, more than any other places, In its Thursday issue, it prints characteristiat any time, said Murphy. earing from the mass of the ceiving yearly earnings over (Special to the Bodaliet Appeal) Akron workers! 1, 200, 86 of them are receiving cally foul story about the distribution of the last Then he showed his New Deal teeth: Those the strike is also anAKRON, July 11 Thouover 2, 600 annually. Abner issue of the Socialist Appeal and leaflets of the leaders who have moved to exploit the protests sands of fighting workLarned. State Administrator, independent Unemployed and Project Workers Union to the striking workers at the North Beach ers closed down 95 percent of rakes in an annual salary of all projects in Summit County 000 and Lee Fisher, his Airport.
statutes will be prosecuted.
today, and demonstrated in deputy. 5, 200 per annum. Ugly words came from groups of project workFederal District Attorneys have been in: Strike front of the courthouse against (Special to the Socialist Appeal)
ers as they filed out of the airport gates and copfes the wage cuts.
DETROIT, July 11 Accord of the Trotskyite sheet, Socialist Appeal, were structed to keep a close watch on activities of They the handed them. The paper carried story boldly strike leaders, said Murphy. He singled In Minneapolis the Building Trades Council for a half day holiday issued of the 35, 000 workers in Flint headed President Roosevelt strike breaker.
out Minneapolis and East St. Louis as two spots made a direct appeal to the unskilled workers to (Continued from Page The paper was being distributed by the same where evidence of labor racketeering or crim join the building trades workers in the strike, means they were given to pro in a one day strike against the disruptive groups who arranged the flopped meettest. But they interpreted it in WoodrumRoosevelt starvation, protest strike against the Wood inal conspiracy against the nation relief pro and joined with the unskilled workers organiing.
their own way, with militant wage cutting bill. The strike rum Roosevelt starvation law.
Official figures estimate that was called by the auxil Remarks were heard such as: gram may result in indictments.
zations in a Joint Action Committee to make strike action. Who are these rats?
We don have to formulate an answer to the strike 100 effective.
Defying urgent pleas of the tary of the and 600 out of 4, 000 workMurphy and his chief, President Roosevelt, for This ain what the strikers are saying, is it?
In Minneapolis famous teamsters union, Stalinist controlled workers Alendorsed by the building trades ers quit the ditches and the liance to refrain from direct council of the who pulled street projects in answer to the They talk like the people who passed the whom, of course, Murphy was speaking. On General Drivers Union Local 544, has for years action, moving picket squads their members off the construc strike call of the Heated bill.
Tuesday, July 11, Roosevelt showed his colors sponsored a Federal Workers Section for closed down practically an Joined forces by refusing to de the layoffs reached a fever Now, apart from the fact that the Socialist Anwhen he pointedly reminded newspaper reporters workers and relief clients, and the rest peal was exceptionally well received by the workOver three thousand massed hver material to the struck pitch and it is to be expected that he had made no objection to the new wage oi the trade unions help finance the Federal in front of the courthouse. They projects that unless the White House and ers involved, the important thing in the Daily Capital Hill gang change their Worker story is the obvious attempt to clear Rooseprovision when he signed the Relief bill. Workers Section of Local 544 and send their were told there by several stal and copyhite, marcheck from their tune, workers in Flint velt from all responsibility. It is the people who The answer to these gentlemen has already of this close link between the unions and the forget all abouto tebe strike. main thoroughfare of Detroit to cemonstration numbering more Roosevelt, however, is unemployed members to it for aid. As a result back to work tomorrow and project in demonstration drastic action in the future. sible, in the words it invents for the mythical airport worker whom the reporter never heard, been made, and made by an authoritative spokes unemployed, the Minneapolis workers Murray, President of the New York Building from the administration wages and relief budg streeted with thunderous wapo une were prepared to keep the Fisher Body Local the strike in the speeches were demonstration. The men on the Charles Lewis, representative Keeping Silent on Roosevelt Trades Council of the and to his biting ets which constitute a beacon light for the un plause, and a chorus of boos projects at standstill until Claude workman, International But if the President is the savior and benefactor the threat now repeated by Murphy, employed throughout the country.
went up at every mention of Congress could be forced to Representative for de of the workers, it seems to us that the but first made last Friday by the adminThe loud howls of rage from Murphy are son state president of the But the union officials had or And Kermit Johnson, outstandCongress. When Arnold John Change its reactionary hanging rartment of the in Flint least the Daily Worker can do is to quote him. Yet that is precisely what the Daily Worker is stone rator of New York, Colonel Somervell. Pres eloquent testimony to the effectiveness of the Workers Alliance, paused for dered the strike to be limited sind Berlin and unemplo silent about. The statement rom the House ident Murray then said: Icader applause after praising Roose to one day.
Minneapolis system of uniting the employed and were the speakers.
on the strike was printed in every New velt and the New Deal, he was The demand of Colonel Somervell for the unemployed, the skilled and the unskilled. The met with a stony silence. On the lawn of the city Haul Wayne Adams of the Workers York paper we were able to get hold of, prominent ly displayed by New Deal as well as anti New Deal arrest and confinement in prison of these men strike is more effective there than anyThe strike called on and on the steps of the Hall and ed a few minutes in which he organs but not one single syllable of even remote July 10 by the Tri flowing over onto the streets of extolled the virtues of Rooseis at once a long step away from our cherreference to it was contained in the Stalinist paper.
where else in the country.
County Building and Construc Cadillac Square, the thousands velt and the New Deal to an asished American democracy and a running Since it is theoretically possible that it was omitWhat makes Murphy howl ought to be taken tion Trades Council, to last gathered and cheered wildly semblage of workers whose ted from the Daily Worker because its space was broad jump in the direction of a dictatorship up by the unions everywhere.
until Congress passes some the speeches calling for a fight necks were still raw after the too occupied by Columnists Amter, Begun and Cacof the Nazi fascist type.
Everywhere the unions ought to seek the rect the situation, was scarce conditions Congress is seeking The tone of the meeting was chione, let us refer to the Roosevelt statement It is the most unspeakably shameful and here: unity of employed and unemployed which has y mentioned in the speeches, to impose upon them. The very set, however, by the militant vicious attack ever made on American workFrom a special Washington dispatch to the New been achieved Minneapolis and which has although it is going strong, in mention of the name of scab: speeches of Johnson and Work York Times of July 12: ers in the entire history of our country. The made the strike there so successful.
the workers were told to go to lusty and prolonged Jeers from score on the Washington raw President Roosevelt insisted today that the Adworkers will not be intimidated one iota by If every building trades union in the country their dentists and doctors as if the workers Reading had de deal. The audience rang with ministration would attempt to carry out the sehis monstrous and utterly contemptible iollowed the example of the Minneapolis Build they can afford them) and to clared that those workers strik applause when Kermit Johnson curity provision of the new relief law despite the threat.
ing Trades Council the St. Paul building trades for signatures to resolutions to reliet.
the Elks and Moose clubs, etc. ing on would be denied declared: If private industry work stoppages in various parts of the country.
10, 000 demonstrators cannot operate the factories Mr. Roosevelt refused to indicate whether he Mr. Murray is one hundred percent correct. unions followed that example too and directly be sent to Congress. roared their determination to and make work for the unemwould support the Congressional move to abandon These gentlemen who make these threats are appealed to the unskilled workers to But the militants on the pro battle to the end against this ployed, the workers can and the security wage in the new bill in favor of resjoin them in the strike, and helped to organize lects drew another lesson, after starvation program and to see will operate the factories them. toration of the prevailing rate of wages, but he they saw the widespread re Reading sweeping up the leaves selves.
recaled that he had made no objection to the new The auxiliary is now launch wage provision when he signed the Relief bill.
among workers. Not by next election before they would ing a drive to enroll all Our emphasis. Murphy, as Attorney General, passes absolutely assured of success.
writing letters to their Con submit.
workers into its ranks gressmen, they realized. will it remained for the belly for something of an expert on the law. And Strikebreaker! Scab!
We repeat what we said in our issue of they force the government to crawling representative of the presumably he pretends that he got his prin July 11: change the Starvation Law. workers Alliance to throw the From page of the same issue of the Times: ciples about this strike from the law. The unskilled laborers are hungry for organ workers Alliance were over. militant assemblage.
The Stalinist leaders of the damp post card blanket on this The requirement that all employes His en work 130 hours a month for their security wage, If so, we would like to know: ization, and the striking building trades unions whelmed with the response to tire speech was devoted to a (Continued from Page 1)
Where did Murphy and Roosevelt get the have a responsibility toward them. The support the demonstration call, they tirade against those who would the New Deal Administration fifty hours for the same pay, was written into the even though previously many had worked less than idea that no one can strike against the govern of the unskilled laborers is needed, not so much admitted at the courthouse direct the opposition where it is acting as a strike breaker new Federal Relief Act at the suggestion of Colonel meeting. And they spared no really belongs, against Roose and should be treated as such. Harrington, National Works Projects Comment?
to tie up the projects, perhaps, but certainly in words of warning against fur elt and his Congress.
The Stalinized Pennsylvania missioner (a Roosevelt appointee, of course. Where did Murphy and Roosevelt get the order to win the widespread sympathy without ther militant action Opening Gun Workers Alliance were comIn spite of the Daily Worker indignation at our idea that militant organizing of the which the strike cannot win. If Congress can Go back to work. We ve had the one day protest strike pletely caught off their guard.
irreverence to the President, we are therefore constrike is evidence of labor racketeering or strained to repeat what we wrote last week in a be forced to amend the laws so as to our protest. Now it up to the can only be conceived as the It took them two days before Tory Democrats and Republiwhisper of course, and timidly: criminal conspiracy against the nation relief provide the prevailing wage rate, it can also be cans. Remain on the job. Sup. Mung run of the battle in they could issue a statement!
Michigan against the wage cut saying they supported this President Roosevelt Strike breaker!
forced to amend the laws so as to provide better port the New Deal, they shout and lay off. Within one month, demonstration.
And: the Communist Party Scab!
While we re at it, we can ask some other per wages for the unskilled workers.
ed desperately.
if congressional plans are car The strategy of the Alliance Following the demonstration, rled through to their bitter is to get the workers to turn Our last issue referred to the Stalintsttinent questions: If the building trades unions understand the the cry went up to form a mass end, more than 27, 000 the strike into a one day demcontrolled Workers Alliance call for one day What law gave Roosevelt, Murphy and Har strategical needs of a political strike, we are picket line in front of the Akron workers in this state are slated onstration, and then go back stoppage, and labelled it, properly, basically Dry Goods store where a strike for the breadline. to work.
scabby measure. The Daily Worker now informs rington the authority to dismiss striking sure that they will come to understand the press has been in progress for more. Meanwhile, it is revealed in The Philadelphia Coun: us that the Alliance is calling its stoppage for workers after the fifth day they were out on ing need of linking their demands with those of than three months. Almost 500 the local press that while wages cil is unreservedly supporting July 20 that is, more than two weeks after the strike not the fourth, sixth or first, but the the unskilled workers.
formed on ebanite cheatre, ploket are being reduced by the 130 sing, president. We are 100 strike was called! Why July 20? Why not Christ Afthis that in the law too?
Meanwhile, more power to the strike!
mas or New Year Eve? By that time the Stallastarted flalline their clubs to hour provision that out of a behind the walkout, he said.
ists could be absolutely sure that the style is over.
reply Utterly Contepmtible the unskilled and the relief clients as Local 544 persent the prime ministeren en het algemeen enorm after one Philadelphia program. dhe bawe