Newspapers / The Charlotte Herald (Charlotte, … / Dec. 21, 1923, edition 1 / Page 1
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for Employe* of Employe for His Employer. Let the Christmas Spirit, the Christ-Spirit, Prevail in Our Industries! Indorsed By Every Craft In Charlotteand In The State CHARLOTTE, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1923 J 1. 1 ij J m J mEL , BONUS PLAN IS DISMISSED WITH GESTURE Coolidge Gave But Passing Thought to Soldiers. THE PROFITEERS Should Pay Their Just Debt To Those Who Fought— Fight Must Go On. BY REV. TOM P. JIMfSON. President Coolidge is opposed to the proposed bonus for the veterans of the World War. He feels kindly toward the men who did ouq fighting in that mighty conflict and says some words to that broad general effect. He would even have the ones who were disabled cared for in a more adequate manner; but the idea of adjusted ddtnpensation is dismissed with a gesture of impatience. The writer of these lines would be the last to find fault with the President on account of his personal convic tions anent this question. Plenty of patriotic men, including many of the veterans themselves, are not in favor of the bonus. But since the Presi dent speaks for his party, which at this time holds the reins of govern ment, his short shrift of the matter hi an unfortunate circumstance. President Coolidge is the titular head of this country. What he says Will not only carry weight with his own party, but with good citizens of A}1 parties. What he says has behind ' t of his great office, and the cumufttive wisdom of te whichr/ne ^belongs. It ^that if any measure or the" veterans is accom plished, further than a little more at tention to the disabled, it will be after a mighty battle with the administra tion supporters. i I 1 It seems a tragic thing that the service of our soldiers should so soon be forgotten that politicians account it a matter which can be disposed of by * gesture. It is a sadder thing that those who won the most from the sacriftcae? of our men should set themselves against the movement for an adjustment of the compensation. When America entered the great war our young men went. It is true that the majority of them were drafted into the service, but that is no evidence that ihey would not have gone anyhow. Hundreds of thous ands did not wait to be drafted, and millions more did not ask to be ex cused. They simply laid down their tasks in shop and field and factory, donned the uniform, and were away. They went to camps that were con structed by men who were bent on plundering the public treasury. They wore clothing which was made by profiteers, and they carried arms and ammunition made by men who had their eyes on the mint Instead of the flag. f After being fed on slumgullion for a few weeks and marched and train ed until they were fit fo endure the hardships incident to modern war fare, they were shipped across wide seas which were infested with subma rines and all mjanner of death-deal • ing devices, and landed on a foreign soil to “make the world safe for^de mocracy.” They never wavered. They carried Old Glory up along side, of the flags of France and Brit tain and Belgium. And irt all the mighty conflict they saw to it that the Stars and Stripes was stained with nothing impurer than their own life blood. Their presence in the trenches brought hope and cheer to the des pondent allies .and turned the tide of war. No braver bunch of men ever followed a flag. They followed the emblem of our independence through miasmic marshes which were swept with the fire of the enemy. They cut their why through barbed wire entanglements and f^ced the poisonous gas of the German. When fatigue overcame them they slept in slush and mUd while bullets hissed and sharpnel sang all about them. Tattered, tired, footsore, hungry, sometimes sick and sometimes wound (Continued on Page Two.) FIRE PROVES DEPARTMENT INADEQUATE Flamjfes Spread Rapidly, Eating Through Many Stores. BELK’S OPEN Smith - Wad • worth Completely Destroyed — Efird Annex Gone—Others, Too. Inadequate fire-fighting equipment and an insufficient number of fire men contributed- largely to the mounting thousands of dollars de stroyed by fire last Sunday night,, when flames ate their way through the Smith-Wadsworth Hardware store on East Trade street, touching Belk’s big Department store and completely destroyed the Belk garage, .leaving only ashes of the Efird Annex, tak ing practically all of H. C. Long’s store, as well as that df the LaMode, and wound around to North College street and sWept Warren’s Barber shop and George A. Neuman’s Tire comnany completely. Firemen and policemen worked manfully against the tremendous odds presented by the flames. It was a hard battle, and brought to the at tention of the city in forceful manner the fact that Charlotte’s fire fighting force is inadequate and the equip ment lacking. Every firemen in the city was on the ground, leaving the whole of the balance of the city un protected until the arrival of the de partments from Gastonia, Monroe, Statesville and Mooresville, all of whom came in answer to a call from Payor Wajker, * The big walls of Belk Brothers Store is said to be the"only barrier that stood in the way of the onrush of the flames, and prevented what otherwise would have been a fire that staggers one’s imagination to figure the extent or cost. Then, too, the forces of clerks in Balk’s store used the store’s own fire fighting equip ment to good advantage ih checking the flames, as did the Efird forces. It was a disastrous fire. In each of the stores all preparations had been made for the holiday business, and this naturally killed the one week j in the year when merchants .have a I chance to prepare for the “lean” days that always come. By Wednesday, however, Belk Brothers were opened in full, and Efird’s were doing busi ness as usual. Of course, the H. C. Long and La Mode and the Smifch Wadsworth Hardware company, New man and the barber shop, all being totally destroyed, have as yet made no announcement of their future plans. Charlotte had 25 firemen ten years ago. Today the city has 40 firemen. 'i nese figures were given The Herald by a man close to city affairs. Sev ! eral weeks ago the Lions club passed resolution looking toward the en largement of the city’s fire-fighting forces and additional equipment. Today the citizens are practi cally of one accord that the depart ment must be strengthened. RAIROAO BEHIND SCHLEIFER CASE The New York, New Heaven and Hartford Railroad rather than the States, was the real prosecutor against-, him, Ernst Schleifer, an or ganizer for the International Asso ciation of Machinists who has recent ly been sentenced to & term of 3 1-2 years to five years for alleged incita tion of violence in a speech to rail road strikers, declared at a meeting of the national committee of the American Civil Liberties turnon re cently. “During the three and a half days that I was on the stand,” he Said, “only one question was asked about the New Haven speech, for which I wtas being tried. The rest was about extravagenous matters. The truth is that trade unionism was on trial.” "vx \ READ THEM AND KEEP THEM FOR REFERENCE AND STUDY IN NEXT WEEK'S HERALD will be found bolide/ greetings and messages from labor officials, both national end state. These messages contain much information about the accom plishments, the hopes, the aims and aspirations of label* unions. They are valuable messages, and should be studied carefully by all workers and by those who have heretofore criticised the labor movement, X SUL Atu$*loa& rnttn Ifrwtt, A 3faaroot:for,fol|0lii,3 htfnggoo tfofttp of 0T*at jog ttrffirff : oljalUittoaUpaipl*. ■ - . . - . •*>»’ ■ 3tor ratio you ia bortt tljte &ag y tntlj? rtty of Battik a ^atmmr, t ; Oifprii ia (HIjriHt % Cork <Utf2itB.ll ( Textile worker* of the Carolina* will meet Saturday afternoon, De cember 29, in the Union hall, North Charlotte. Every local in the two Carolina* are urged-, to have delegates pres ents'a* this is to be one of the most important meetings ever held by the Joint Council, j The past year’s work will be re viewed, and plans for 1924 are to be adopted. The meeting in North Charlotte is rignificant, in that the only trouble experienced in the two I arolinas was the strike that was forced by Highland Park Mill Not 3, last ball, when a course of per secution of union members was pursued by mill officials. At the last meeting, held in Lex ington, a program of advancement, was outlined and adopted by the Joint Council, add the efforts of the organization for the cdming year will be toward carrying^* out that program and putting its pro visions into effect. It is hoped Harry Eatough will he here for the meeting. Word hat been received that Mr. Ea tough will be in the Carolina* by New Year, and it is possible that he will the here in time for the meeting on the last Saturday in the month. All members of the North Char lotte local are expected, to be pres ent, as business of utmost impor tance will be transacted that will have a direct bearing upon those members. ,,, SPECIAL MEETING NEW YEAR’S NIGHT Rev. Tom P. Jimison to Speak. Refreshments Will Be Served. !• . The New Year. 1 At the meeting of the Central Labor Union last Tuesday evening it was ordered that no meeting be held niext week because of Christmas com ing on the regular meeting night. » On Tuesday evening, January 1, an open meeting will be held, to which all workers and the public in general are cordally invited. Re freshments will be served and a splendid program will have been ar ranged for the entertainment of the visitors. There is much work to be done by the Central body during the coming year. Here of late the meetings have been somewhat tiresome because of the length of time required each evening to transact the necessary business. Officals of the organization have been urged to' establish the set rule of adjourning promptly at 9 o’clock each Tuesday evening, and it is thought if this plan is adopted that the meetings will (dispatch the business much more rapidly than has been done during the past few weeks. Rev. Tom P. Jimison will be speak er at the open meeting on New Year’s night, . . CAN’T FASTEN GUILT IN THEATER CRASH WASHINGTON, Dec. 12—The dis trict court of appeals has affirmed a decision by a lower court'which quashed an indictment for man slaughter growing out of the collapse of the Knickerbocker theater in this city on January 28, 1922, when 100 persons lost their lives. The indictmerit failed, said the court, to state facts, and to set forth with the “utmost clearness’ the facts upon which criminal itegligence is lacking. The indicted men were the architect, building inspectors and foremen. OBREGON BACKED BY AMERICAN WORKERS Gompers Wires Support of Mexican Labor in Standing u. By the President. WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.—Re sponding to a telegram from the offi cers of the Mexican Federation of Labor, recorded the determination of Mexican labor to support the Obre gon government against the rebel lion in Mexico, the Executive Com mittee of th$ Pan-American Federa tion of Labor today immediately conveyed to the Mexican trade union officers by telegraph their support of the position taken by the Mexican unions in defense of the government of President Obregon. The Executive Committee of the Pan-American Federation of Labor; Samuel Gompers, chairman; Chester M. Wright, English-Language Secre tary; and Canuto A. Vargas, Spanish Language Secretary, adopted the following declaration which was tel egraphed to Ricardo Trevino and Reynaldo Cervantes Torres, secre tary of the Mexican Federation of Labor; and to Luis N. Morones, Gen eral Secreatry of the Mexican Labor Party: “The Pan-American Federation of Labor supports with earnestness the position taken by the Mexican Fed eration of Labor in defense of the democratically - elected governmeht headed by President Obregon, whom this committee has always regarded as a patriot and a sincere friend to the wage earners. We are profound ly disappointed that there should be any leaders in Mexico so false to th^ir professions as to resort to arms in an effort to overthrow a government which was democratically and con stitutionally elected by the people of Mexico and which is the best govern ment Mexico has ever had. We take this opportunity to record our con demnation of any effort to overthrow democratic government . anywhere, whether in behaif of monarchists or dictators of the other extreme. We are well aware that the rebellious ef (Continued on Page Two.) V CRIPPLED FORD CAR CHASING CADILLAC Loaded Wifli Booze and Laugh' ing Fit to Kill at Antics of the Ford. "What the dickens is all, this hilar ity about?” yelled an irate citizen who had been disturbed at his work by the laughter and yells of delight that combined to make a din and a noise that were deafening. “It’s that Cadillac car laughing,” was the amused response of a by stander. “Cadillac car laughing, your eye!” was the indignant rejoinder. “Who [ ever heard tell of a Cadillac car ! laughing?” I “It’s a fact, nevertheless,” was the laughing response. “And it was a funny situation. „ s “What’s it all about then, fool?” was the next question. v “Well, Chief Orr spotted a Cadil lac car loaded down with moonshine liquor.- He gave fchase—in a broken down1 Ford, and it tickled the Cadil lac nearly to death. That’s what it’s laughing about. That Ford was panting and blowing, chugging and snorting, rattling and'rambling, and the Chief looked so foolish id that Ford following a fine Cadillac that the big can just couldn’t keep from laughing. ' v; “But when Chief Orr gave up Ijhe ghost, it was really funny. A farmer was passing in a wagon and said, ‘Whoa!’ to his horses, and the Ford heard him, and just stopped dead stall, right there in the middle of the block, and the Cadalic car, liquor and all, went sailing on ’round the corner yonder, still laughing.” Moral: You can’t catch Cadallic booze peddler’s with a broken-down Ford car. JAY WALKING IS DEADLY. CHICAGO, Dec. 12.—“Jay walk ing,” or crossing a street in the middle of a block, is responsible for half of the 734 deaths by automobile in this country the past year, ac cording to a municipal safety coin mission. ■ ; ■ ' CAMPAIGNING FOR SCHOOLS ALL THE TIME Business Agent Lyle Confident f of.. Big Majority. CITY IIS HURT Being Behind in Its School ' Facilities Not Good Adver tisement 4t All. “Let the proper authorities call another school bond election at once, with full assurance that it will carry by a large majority.” This statement was made yester day by- R. L. L<yle, business agent for organized labor in; Charlotte. “I have been approached by many working, people of all crafts, by busi ness men and bankers, by large tax payers and small tax-payers, and by many women of the city, since the fiasco of two weeks ago, and all are in hearty accord that the city should go ahead and issue the bonds and pro vide proper school facilities for the children of the city*!’ Mr. Lyle con tinued. „ ' “I agn not finding any fault at all with tjpe manner of the previous cam There were many things thar caused lack of interest in the registration and voting in the elec tion. I am positive that three weeks would be sufficient time, if that period is within the law, for a campaign that would result in a big majority for the bonds. Charlotte is not yet ready to admit ttfikt the city cares nothing about the "education of her children.” was Mr+ Lyl§*p^closing re? marks. . - Other, influential men have ex pressed'the opinion that there is some dissatisfaction of the wpy school matters have bene handled in the past. There are some who feel that the city is already supporting too many high priced school officials, and for this reason failed to take any part in the bond election. On sec ond thought, however, these people have concluded that the city should go ahead with school preparations, and in due time thresh out the mat ters that are now causing consider able dissatisfaction. Charlotte has not received any benefit at all from the defeat of the bond issue. In fact, many news papers have slapped back at Charlotte in straight-from-the-shoulder man ner. Jt will be recalled that North Carolina papers, including those of Charlotte, severely criticised Virgi nia when that state failed to carry the road bond issue a few weeks ago. State papers talked very frankly about Virginia “remaining in the ,mud.” Now Virginia papers are handing it back to the Charlotte papers in good style, since it has been known to the world that Charlotte is away behind in hfer school program and preparations, and in the face of all this backwardness, defeated the school bond issue two weeks ago. FREE SPEECH GONE IN IDAHO A new wave of prosecution under the criminal syndicalism law in Idaho against members of the Industrial Workers of the World, has resulted in cases against fourteen men. Among the men under arrest are Richard Moore, F. A. Clevenger, Doh R. Smith, James Bates and George Perring, at Bonner’s Ferry; Lawrence Deporter, at Crofini; Edwin Krier at St. Maries; Edwin Huntington and G. J. Macko, at Sandpoint; Robert Hat ton at Wallace; and C. W. Hammond, at Caldwell. “The continued use of the criminal syndicalism law in Idaho, as in other states, as a whip against members of radical-working class organizations,” Roger N. Baldwin, director of the Civil Liberties Union said. ‘RED FLAG TO FLOAT OVER WHITE HOUSE’ Wa* Order—Labor Press Told This Long Ago. LA0OR MOVEMENT Has Tried to Get Public Inter ested For Some Time... Laughs and Jeers. "Raise the Red Flag 6ver the White HJouse” Was Soviet Order! For nearly two years the American Federation of Labor has been striv ing to impress upon America the dangers that. lurk within, and but little attention was given the con tinued efforts of President Gompers and his followers and the labor papers of the country to arouse the public to the menace. Now the Government has spoken! Now the daily. papers carry streamer headlines, telling the folks exactly the same thing the labor papers have been publishing for a long time. Just a few weeks ago the Miners Union told of the efforts that Rus sia was making to establish sovietism here in America. The Herald pub lished the articles prepared and writ ten by the miners union in full. The publication of all the detailed infor mation as given by the Miners Union evoked not the slightest interest. . One big gun did say that the “Miners Union scare” was an effort to cover up the miners own sin! S ”5' *: spoken. And the dvoFid about the Same thing the Miners Union, the American Federation of^Lhbor and the labor papers have been tell ing, perhaps that “Smart Alec” and all his ilk and kind will take heed; Russia is using the working ranks for its inpoad, simply because of the injustice that prevails in the indus tries. These injustices and inequal ities provide more response from those wronged than could be obtain ed elsewhere. 1 Had it pot been fbr the organised labor movement in America, this na tion would have already been in the grip of the dynamiter, at the mercy of the bomb-thrower, and red rags would have already been floating from mast poles where Old Glory waves today. The American labor movement is ■made up of Americans, native born and naturalized. The native-born workers love the country, and have loved it from birth. The naturalized workers love the country, because they have found here an opportunity to work toward that goal ©very good man has set for himself. Foreign influences have endeavor ed to enter the country through the ranks of the workers, and the work ers have held them in check. It is because of this fact that the workers have been enabled to save the country. Bankers, merchants, ‘professional men, farmers, have known nothing of the efforts that have been made by foreign influences to hurt and hinder Aiherica, because the efforts have been made through the industrial world. The American labor movement has stood as a bulwark in defense, of America and American ideals. All alone, unaided and actually hindered, the American labor movement has battled ihe workers party, the One Big Union, the Federated Press, and all the various groups that have been working under the direction of Soviet Russia. Now that the government has spok en, has told of these efforts to place the red rag of terrorism over the White House in Washington, perhaps the citizens in general will lend an ear to the warnings that have been issued from time to time by the American labor movement. FILL THIS OUT, MAIL IT IN, AND BE INFORMED —* EACH WEEK ABOUT THE WORKERS The Charlotte Herald, '■**** 1T ; "Hp ] P. O. Box 163, Charlotte, N. C. Dear Sir: ' Please find enclosed one dollar. Send The Herald six months to
The Charlotte Herald (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 21, 1923, edition 1
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