The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 18, 1925, Page 8

Party Functions of Nucleus Members By OSSIP PIATNITSKY N an article “Nuclei and Local Party Organizations” I dealt with the necessity of continuing the organiza- tion of nuclei in factories and of put- ting before the already existing nuclei all questions connected with the poli- tical party and trade union life of the country and all questions appertain- ing to large sections of workers and peasants. But here I want to deal only with the work of the nuclei in the factories and with the distribution of functions among nuclei members, which among other things should give an impetus to the activity of all party members, thereby providing an opportunity to draw the best elements of the work- ing class into our Communist Parties. ET us take for example a medium nucleus of 20 to 30 members in any factory. At the first meeting, which gener- ally takes place in the presence of the representative of the district or town (in a little town) leading organ of the party, the leading organ of the nicieus (bureau or presidium) is elected. It generally consists of three to five comrades. The latter after, getting to know the members of the nucleus, distribute the work among the, taking into consideration the capacities and inclinations of the nuclei members for this or that kind of party work, T its meeting, the nucleus as a whole lays down the lines of work, it draws up the plan of party camp- igns, makes decisions on contentious questions which are binding for the nucleus, receives reports from the nucleus bureau and from comrades en- thrusted with definite functions and defines its relation to them. All the decisions of the general meeting of the nucleus, and the entire work are carried out by the nucleus bureaus and by various nucleus mem- bers. I will therefore deal very fully with the distribution of work among nticleus thembers, ‘TT seems to-us that the distribution of work within the nucleus should be as follows: 1. If there is a factory committee in the factory including nucleus mem- bers, it should carry out the instruc- tions of the party in the course of its work; these are at the same time the instructions of the nucleus. N the factory committee they form the Communist fraction which is connected with the nucleus bureaus. But in the event of the factory com- mittee not including any Communists, the nucleus bureau should instruct some of the nucleus members to keep systematically in touch with the work of the factory committee, to elaborate various proposals on questions of in- terest to the factory workers and to place these proposals before the fac- tory committee and the general meet- ings of the factory, which proposals should. be submitted by the members ; to the nucleus bureau for approval. S these comrades become familiar with the work of the factory com- mittee and with the questions it deals with, they can be put up as candidates to the factory committee when the time for re-election comes, their can- didature being promoted either by the nucleus or by a group of factory work- ers in accordance with the tions prevailing in the country (in accord- ance with the legality or illegality of the Communist Party) and in the fac- tory. 2. Abroad there are in factories and works members of various trade unions (for instance in the railway workshops, carpenters and joiners be- long to the woodworkers’ union, the locksmiths and turners to the metal workers’ union and the unskilled workers to the general workers’ un- fons.) T frequently happens that there are in the same factroy members of metal workers, wood workers and other unions adhering to the Amster- dam Federation, to the Profintern, to Catholic and other federations. The nucleus bureau of such a factory should appoint one or several nucleus members for work among the ad- herenfs of the various trade unions and also among workers of the same trade who have not yet joined a trade union, Party members entrusted with trade anion work must study very thorough- ly all questions concerning the res- pective trade union conditions of la- bor, wages, working hours, etc. They should watch the work of the admi- nistration of the local trade union branch, as well as the work of the national and international adminis- trative bodies. They must be regular readers of the trade union press, etc. bs is only by. familiarizing them- selves with all questions connect- ed with the respective union that they will be able to agitate among the workers in favor of adherence to the union, to criticise the activity of the leadership of the unions and to intro- duce at the trade union meetings of this or that undertaking proposals concerning the unity of the trade union movement and the introduction of necessary changes in the personnel of the administration should the lat- ter be unsatisfactory. I have dealt in such detail with the work of the nucleus members en- thrusted with trade union work in the factories, because it is of the ut- most importance at the present june- ture to draw all unorganized workers into the trade unions and to agitate among trade union members for trade Jand if the latter deems it necessary, union unity. We must realize that periodical reports on the results and these are the two necessary condi-{the methods of work should be pres- tions for a successful struggle against capitalism, as the experience of the last few years has shown, T goes without saying that agita- tion for trade union unity must be concern of all the members of the nucleus, but the comrades specially entrusted with this work must make a deeper study of this question in order to provide the other nucleus members with the material necessary for agitation. During elections to trade union con- ferences the above-mentioned com- rades, as trade union experts, can be put up as candidates from the nu- cleus. These comrades should, and in fact, must be connected with the Communists members of the adminis- tration of the respective local trade union who will give them informa- tion and instructions concerning trade union work, ‘THE work of the Communist frac- action in the trade union adminis- tration will laso be much easier if it can depend on comrades doing sys- tematic work among trade union mem- bers, in the factories where the nu- cleus functions. The comrades should of course work in the factory under the guidance of the nucleus bureau, NARRER FRONTS ON MAIN STREET By DAVID COUTTS. Ya ever been off Main street, Bo, Dat goes from Noo Yawk plumb to Chi; An’ keeps agoin’ whar ya go, Until it hits de Rockies high? An’ still goes furder, far dan dat, "Cause I been out to Frisco town; An’ foun’ de folks on Main street sat, Wid “Native Sons” to hol’ it down. | been on Dumbbell Alley, too, What runs from No’th te Nu Orleans; Whar half de foike er plumb Ku Ku, De odders shy at Darwin’s themes. Noo Yawk? Dat’s tittle Main street, Bo, Dey hustle 'roun’ iike crazy men; To get a job to build or sew, Ya grab some beans an’ back again! An’ jobs! Say, Bo, dat’s heaven or hell, Dey all love work, dat’s plain to see; An’ jump a hick from Kewanee. De boss kin ride ’em rough and raw, Er starve an’ coop ’em in a trap; Dey’ll mill aroun’ an’ loudly jaw, But hell, dey’re still astandin’ pat. Der unions? Huh! Dey're Main street, too, A hunnert whar dere shud be one: Each Babbit craft a stinkin’ stew O’ prayer book, graft, an’ thug an’ gun. An’ Chi? Dat town’s Hickville sure, Dey fight o’er jobs o’ nailin’ tin; An’ sign a pact made scabbin’ pure, Er sellin’ votes fer crooks to win. Ya talk o’ graft? Well go to Chi, Dey sell dat town just twice a week; A franchise dere comes extra high, A thousand han’s ya got to heap. A thousan’ union Babbits sell, The “Right to Work,” er no-strike laws; Each little craft corrupt as hell, An’ Main street unions is de cause. But talk to dem, dey’re wise as owls, Dey’ll tell ya dey have won ie fight; But all ya see's dead hopes and ghouls, Wi’ workers trimmed 0” every right. On Main street when ya look aroun’, Each little soul has goods to sell; Wi’ world all warped an’ narrered To countin’ dirty coin pelimell. He sells his soul to hold a job, - His boss de banker an’ de trus’; Dey work de game to prey an’ rob, While Main street dies, for die dey mus’. Kluxers, scabs an’ hates galore, Er bred on Main street’s narrer fronts; An’ caste is addin’ to dis store, O’ hates what workers bear de brunts. Dese narrer fronts from coast to coast, O’ craft and caste, O’ jobs an’ stores; Er all on Main street, why den boast, 0’ Main street every man abhors? ented by these comrades at the nuclei meetings, 8. The idea prevails in some “of our sections that election work is not the business of factory nuclei, but is mainly the business of street nuclei in the residential districts of the work- ers. But this is not so, for work con- nected with municipal, state and na- tional elections will also require the continuous attention of several com- rades, T is essential to ascertain in good time where workers live, to have them entered in the lists of voters, to provide them, with election literature, to gather information concerning the opponents and to place this informa- tion before the members of the nu- cleus in order to give them: material for agitation and to roganize mass attendance of workers at the election meetings of our party, etc., etc. 4, If the said factory has different shops, the nucleus bureau is to ap- point a responsible nucleus member for work in each one of the shops, These comrades will have to be in charge of the entire many-sided party work in the shops. 5. If women are employed in the factory, one or several nucleus mem- bers should be instructed to work among them in accordance with a plan elaborated by the department of the local or district committee for work among women. Even if the fac- tory does not employ women, efforts should be made thru the workers of that factory to draw their wives and daughters into the Communist move- ment. ORKING women and housewives (workmen’s wives) can play, and are palying an important role in the labor movement: in the movement against high cost of living, during strikes and election campaigns. At the recent elections in Great Britain and Germany a considerable number of workmen’s wives voted for the conservatives in Great Britain and for the Catholic center ,the social de- yoorats and the nationalists in Ger- many. 4JORKING women and working- men’s wives must be drawn into the working class movement, and the best way of getting at them is in the factories and workshops and thru their husbands and fathers, This work is of the utmost importance and_our nuclei must pay due attention to it. (To be continued) CLEVELAND, OHIO. Co-operate with THE GO-OPERATORS COMPANY Dealers in Groceries, Fruits and Vegetables 1195 E. 7ist Randolph 7059 Owned and controlled by your fellow workingmen ‘ Madison Pharmacy INC. BETTER DRUGS Light Luncheon Served 1154 Madison Street, Corner Ann OPEN DAY AND NIGHT Four Phones Chicago Second-Hand Books Used Communist, Labor and Eco. nomic books, pamphlets, jazines and maps ‘tn all languages, sold and exchanged at cut prices, “Daily” Book Exchange 805 James St., Pittsburgh, Pa. : P