Wobbly News of the Week for January 2, 1913 from Industrial Worker. Vol 4 No. 41.

Little Falls, N.Y. Dec. 28.The beating of strikers by the police Is a daily occurrence. Today one stained the snow with blood. He was not arrested. The state mediator board was ordered here by Labor Commissioner and they will finish by Monday. The testimony so far has caused a sensation by showing that the highest wage was not over eleven dollars per week, down to four dollars per week for a man with a wife and two children. This was featured by newspapers all over the state. A striker is reported tonight as dying in jail. Funds are urgently needed to defend the prisoners and feed the many mouths of the united strikers. Matilda Rabinowitz.

COREAN ORGANIZER BEATEN BY THUGS. B. Duck Sue, one of the Corean I.W.W. organizers in the Hawaiian Islands, was taken from his bed on Nov. 30 by the plantation owners and after being kicked by the thugs he was severely beaten with heavy whips. His offence was the organization of 62 plantation laborers into the I.W.W. and the lining up of a number of others for membership on the following pay day. Sue was ordered out of the county but the bosses were so thoroughly frightened by the spirit with which the laborers accepted the I.W.W. philosophy that they voluntarily raised wages from $20 to $24 per month. Those who had joined were not fired because the spies of the employers reported that to do so would mean a big strike. Reports are current to the effect that a demand for $1 per day straight will soon be made. After turning in the 62 applications, B. Duck Sue Immediately left for the plantations to secure the applications of those who had promised to join. In the parks of Honolulu the agitation is still carried on. Speeches from the band stand have been declared illegal but the local has continued them just the same. The city attorney says that the streets are open to all except the I.W.W. and later on the organisation may decide to gain for itself the privilege that is accorded the religious and other organisations. The spirit of revolt Is permeating the plantation laborers and before long the labor conditions will be better in the “Paradise of the Pacific.

SEATTLE TAILORS HOLD ANNUAL BALL. The annual ball of Local 194, I.W.W., of Seattle, Wash., held on Sunday, Dec. 15, at Minuet Hall, was a great success socially and financially. Similar entertainments to bring the members closer together will be held from time to time. Local 194 has done more for the tailors of Seattle than any other organization. Its foremost achievement being the establishment of the eight hour day. The members are mainly Jewish. All are good, sincere fighters. In the face of opposition from the Employers Association and open scabbery on the part of the Journeymen Tailors of America—A. F. of L.—they are forging ahead. Still greater benefits are expected within short time.

I.W.W. Strike in Frisco Canneries. Rebelling against a cut in wages from $1.25 to $1.00 per day, 160 women struck on December, 18 against the California Fruit Canneries’ Association of San Francisco. When the rush of handling perishable fruit was over, the well-fed Mr. Fontana, head of the Association, decided to obey the eight hour law. He cut the hours from 10 to 8 and the pay to $1.00. One hundred women were affected, but the clever capitalist trick did not work, for the other 60 deserted their benches to join their fellow workers. The strikers are Italian. A few men, members of the I.W.W., also struck and got several unorganized men to join them. Latin Branch of Local 173, in aiding in the strike by doing picket duty and holding meetings. Fellow Workers L. Parenti, N. Patella and A. Cappiali were particularly active in spreading the message of One Big Union. The police were called and Parentl was arrested on a fake charge of inciting a riot Paiella protested and was beaten up and arrested. Later they were released on bail of 350 each. One-third of the strikers have Joined the I.W.W. and more are coming in as the strike progresses. At a meeting a strike committee was elected and demands made for a minimum wage of $1.25 for eight hours, one full hour for dinner, unconditional employment of A. Cappiali who was discharged for upholding the women workers, and expulsion of a foully abusive superintendent The demands met with a discourteous refusal. The bosses say they will shut down operations entirely, but this Is absurd. The strikers are determined to win and thus form the basis for a strong organization in the canneries.

Ten Camps on Strike. The following telegram was received on December 28: “Camps all out from Portland to Eugene with 300 striking.” On Dec. 23 there were four camps still at work and this means they were able to tie them up at the rate of one each day. The strike began on Dec. 1 when a reduction of hours from 10 to 9 was followed by a 50-cent rut in wages. The strikers demand the shorter day at the original scale of pay, and also ask that Sunday and extra work be optional with the men, that grafting foremen be eliminated and hospital fees paid directly to the union. Local 88, I.W.W., Eugene, Ore., is handling the strike. The Portland, Eugene and Eastern Railroad is shipping scabs from different parts of the northwest. Pickets are doing effective work in most places, however, and few get past the last line of pickets stationed near the camps. Most of the scabs are shipped to Junction City, 13 miles north of Eugene. The organisation is feeding about 60 strikers, a day at their commissary. Funds are urgently needed to continue the picket work and to take care of those who are brought in under false pretenses. All funds sent to the Secretary, William Stewart. Box 47, Eugene, Ore., will be promptly receipted for and an account of same rendered at the close of the strike.

QUIEN SABE? The call for funds to start a Spanish paper has not met with proper response. So far the I.W.W. locals have done less than other organisations. The press committee asks that each local give $10.00 for the Spanish I.W.W. paper. This can be paid in one sum or at $1.00 per week for ten weeks. The paper should start publication in the spring. Active rebels should find the state of their local’s treasury and put one of the two propositions to a vote at their next meeting. If the local cannot act in the matter, it is up to the individual members. Which local will be first to send their $10? The secretary of the Spanish Press Fund is F. Velarde, Box 832, Los Angeles, Calif.

THE I.L.A. IN HONOLULU by A.V. Roe. The International Longshoremans Association in Honolulu is a “bona-fide wage workers organisation.” Sure! Listen to Who’s Who in Honolulu. The president is George Hanner. He is turnkey of the city and county jail. The financial secretary Is O.K. Heawehanu. He is guard at the city and county jail. The vice-president is W.R. Alull. He Is an attorney-at-law. Then there is Johnnie Wilson, a large contractor, employing slaves all over the islands. He is a leading member. When the slaves in the union wanted to strike for a raise from $1.60 to $2.00, Johnnie Wilson advised them as brother unionists,” as manager of the I.L.A., and as their employer that the time was not ripe. There was no strike. There is also another leader, the great proletarian, L.L. McCandless, defeated candidate for congress, who said from the soap box in the last campaign, that he had accumulated 50,000 worth of real estate in the past ten years and had earned it all by the sweat of his brow. He is an ex-sugar-planter. The I.L.A. is on its last legs in the Islands. Their treasury consists of $17. Their hall is used only to play cards in. Those members who are real working men are talking of having the union join the I.W.W. in a body, leaving the fakers outside. Some have already joined as individuals. The future is grey for the fake I.L.A. and bright for the I.W.W.

WHO KNOWS P. VANNECOLA? P. Vannecola, an Italian, recently died in a hospital at Tacoma, Wash. He wore an I.W.W. button but carried no card on his person. Anyone knowing of his relatives will kindly communicate with them regarding the death.

AN OPERATION NECESSARY. Fellow worker Fred Quirion of Local 227, who was injured while on picket duty at Savona, B.C. on the C.N.R.R., must be operated upon at once. The cost will be $250. Local 222. Vancouver, B.C. collected $22.10 at their meeting: on last Sunday night Other Northwest locals and Individual members should give assistance, as well. Slides showing Quirion as he lay in the hospital can be had on request Apply for slides and send all contributions to S.G. Johanson, Sec. 222, I.W.W. 24 Cordova Street West Vancouver. B.C.

SALMON PACKERS MUST BE ORGANIZED. After considering the sacrifices necessary to organize the Alaskan Salmon Packers, Local 380, of San Francisco, Cal., has decided to enter the fight harder than ever. Between now and the sailing date in March they will line up the 6,000 Latin speaking workers in the Industry with a little financial aid from the Pacific Coast locals of the I.W.W. The most important demand that will be made is that the packers be hired direct by the company Instead of through a series of agents. Falling to gain that demand they will endeavor to tie up all Alaskan sailing ships on the San Francisco wharves. The agitation for such action is spreading among the packers. Local 380, I.W.W., holds a meeting at 1600 Stockton street every Wednesday night.

The Industrial Union Bulletin, and the Industrial Worker were newspapers published by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) from 1907 until 1913. First printed in Joliet, Illinois, IUB incorporated The Voice of Labor, the newspaper of the American Labor Union which had joined the IWW, and another IWW affiliate, International Metal Worker.The Trautmann-DeLeon faction issued its weekly from March 1907. Soon after, De Leon would be expelled and Trautmann would continue IUB until March 1909. It was edited by A. S. Edwards. 1909, production moved to Spokane, Washington and became The Industrial Worker, “the voice of revolutionary industrial unionism.”

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