The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 29, 1925, Page 5

( SHOP NUCLEUS GETS WELCOME IN PITTSBURGH Fertile Field Among the Westinghouse Workers (Continued from page 1) The first article on the front page, tersely analyzing the cunning attempts made by the management to institute new wage cuts in the most painless manner, immediately attracted the at- tention of the workers, Said one of them: “Yes, that is precisely what they are doing, but I'll say if they cut my wages any further there will be nothing left.” Workers Treasure Every Copy. Others gathered eagerly around the distributors, asking for a few extra copies, if they could be spared, which they intended to give to their fellow workers who were inside the plant. One asked for two extra copies and when being handed a few said, “Please don’t waste, it is too good for that, I want no more than I can take care of.” Another workey asked for twelve copies saying he knew that many workers inside whom he wanted to read the paper. Wide distribution was made that same day among these workers of a circular/announcing an exhibition by the Westinghouse Technical Night School. But after the whistle blew and the workers hda returned to their benches, the street was practic- ally littered with these latter circu- lars while one office employe, who came out, had to search long and wide before he could find one copy of the shop nucleus factory paper thrown aside which he picked up, carefully brushed off, and placed in his pocket. Unquestionably the workers recog- nized in that paper not only an ex- pression of their own sentiment to- wards the grievous conditions obtain- ing in the plant but also a guidance and a helper in their struggles. They recognized that as their own paper. Short and Snappy Articles. It contained articles, short and snappy, exposing the dope peddled by the factory management of mutual re- lations» and common interests of capital and labor, by reiterating some of the practical experiences of the workers whenever they had attempted to improve their own material well being. It exposed the so-called joint confer- ence committees, composed jointly of workers and the management, as a tool in the hands of. the bosses to. help keep the workers coritented despite the wage cuts, the speed-up system and the driving foremen. It introduced the Workers Party as the only party fighting for the inter- ests of the working class. All given in simple terms written by class con- scious workers, members of the ‘Workers (Communist) Party, who tail alongside of the other workers in the factory, understand their grievances, feel with them the intensity of the capitalist exploitation and are ready to help give leadership to. their strug- gles for a better day. Past Struggles. In 1914 the Westinghouse workers attempted to organize into a union and went on strike when the company discharged their elected committee- men. In 1916 the machinists put on a drive for the eight-hour day and set May first as the date for striking to enforce this demand. A new inde- pendent union arose just prior ot the strike, seemingly created to break down the force of the drive. The company thru these experi- ences learned an important lesson. It Meat Market 4301 8th Ave, DETROIT COMMUNIST MAY DAY MEETING FRIDAY, MAY Ist, 8P.M. to be held at THE HOUSE OF THE MASSES 2646 St. Aubin, Cor. Gratiot SPEAKERS W. JOHNSTONE Assistant National Secretary and National Organizer of the Trade Union Educational League BROOKLYN, N, Y., ATTENTION! CO-OPERATIVE BAKERY IN THE SERVICE OF THE CONSUMER. Bakery deliveries made to your home. FINNISH peggy 8 slp TRADING ASSOCIATION, Ine, ‘orkers organized as consumers) THE DAILY WORKER THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE—UNION OFFICIALS AND BOSSES—WORKS EVEN IN CEDAR RAPIDS, 1OWA By TOM MATTHEWS. In the out-of-way corners of the nation, where small business still enjoys @ foothold, even here we find the self-styled “labor leaders” rushing to the defense of the bosses’ system and government whenever any real or imagined attack threatens the social structure, So,when Comrades Snyder and Matthews arranged to hold a meeting at the Labor Temple, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, they found that even there the poison. of. class co-operation is having its effect. Cedar Rapids labor suffers from a disastrous condition of company- unionism among the workers employed in the packing house, railroad shops, and other industries. Workers Party endeavors to point out to these unorganized workers the ne- cessity for unity against the bosses, who raises the cry of “Unpatriotic” against us The “labor leaders”! When the majority of packing house workers, unorganized and underpaid, avoid our meetings for. fear of the blacklist, who exults over this sup- pression? The “labor leaders”! When the anti-labor daily press runs its diatribes against the Com- munists (the same sort of attacks it leveled-even at Brookhart), who is it that seconds these attacks with shouts of approval? The “labor leaders”! The “labor leaders’ of Cedar Rapids are opposed to any and all attempts to better the lot of the unskilled work- ers in their community, just as they oppose any education or solidarity in their own ranks. That is why such “leaders” in Ce- dar Rapids and elsewhere, both klux- ers and catholics, unite to bar the Workers Party militants from their labor temples, which the rank and file have paid for. The Bosses’ Tools. Such labor leaders are representa- tive of that aristocratic upper crust of “skilled workers” who work at their trades only when scarcity of political pickings compels them to do so, Such “leaders” are first of all demo- crats or republicans, catholics or klansmen. To them the labor move- ment is only incidental, just a pawn which they willingly trade for any- thing from an insignia of a secret order to a petty political office. They are bitterly opposed to the Communists because we recognize only the class struggle, because we uphold the workers’ interests at all times regardless of skill, creed, color or craft. The following conversation with one of these “leaders” is typical of their attitude: Writer—Is our hall ready? Labor Leader—What hall? W.—The one rented by myself for a lecture under the auspices of the Workers Party? L. L—Are you the fellows who held that meeting last night? (He had read the capitalist press account.) Yet when the+—. W.--Yes, we held a meeting last night. We also engaged a hall from your custodian for a meeting here this evening. L, L.—We don’t want any of you fellows meeting here. Wasn’t your meeting last night a failure? W.—Certainly the meeting was a failure, if you look at it that way, because it was held for packing house workers, my own craft. L. L.—There’s no organization of butchers -here. W.—Quite right. That’s why we thought it high time that a meeting be called for their benefit. L. L. (flustered)—Well, I don’t know anything about your renting a hall, and whoever rented it to you had no authority to do so. (The custodian, under pressure, deliberately lied as his part of the conspiracy to bar us.) W.—A contract apparently doesn’t mean much against capitalist news- paper lies, ~ L. L.—tI don’t know anything about it. (Walks away, beaten in his own conscience, if he has one.) Cowardice of Leaders. The above conversation shows not only the crookedness, but also the cowardice which has permeated the leadership of the organized labor movement in this country. Such lead- ership is weakening the labor organi- zations with every day that passes. Such leadership is speeding the growth of the company unions, which already number over a million workers in their ranks, The Workers Party will meet the attack of these leaders at every point. Where we cannot meet them openly, we must devise ways and means by which we can reach the rank and file despite resistance of this nature. The Workers Party in Iowa is just beginning to feel the blows of the enemy. We have wofked quietly thru- out the state, laying the foundations of a powerful statewide organization in the basic industries. The labor misleaders have just awakened to the fact that we have succeeded in build- ing, our movement in Iowa, and so they are rallying their forces for the attack. Because we have selected our forces with care, their attack will fail. introduced the system of “workers’ representation” on joint conference committees, which is now being so effectively used as a weapon to pre- vent organization and keep the work- ers in submission. The joint conference committees are now being utilized to help main- tain and regulate the existing speed- up system called the “standard time” system. It provides two hourly rates and sets a certain time limit for the production of each piece, If the ‘worker is sufficiently fast to finish the product in less time than the limit set he gets paid by the higher hourly rate not only for the time actually used up but for the total of the time limit set. If he cannot reduce the time limit he receives the lower rate. Wage Cuts by Speed’ Up and Piece Work. Needless to say whenever the com- pany finds it possible for the workers Restaurant +a Brooklyn, N. Y. to reduce the time limit and gain the higher rate it introduces some new changes in operation and comes out on top again. One department em- ploying mostly young girls has seen several changes of operation, the sum total of which has amounted to an ac- tual wage cut of 75 per cent. Grievances in the Westinghouse plants are plenty and the workers have little or no means of expression. It is a rich fleld for an active party shop nucleus and the reception given by the workers seems favorable in- deed. Difficulties are plenty in the way of this young shop nucleus. Some of the comrades who have not sufficiently recognized the significance of the slo- gan “to the mas! and “become a party of the masses,” are too much dominated by the fear of reprisals by the company, the fear of losing their job, and they become sluggish in car- rying out the tasks of the nucleus. Of course, American labor history shows plenty of instances of ruthless reprisals by the employers, but then, that is a condition which exists, and Communists must find the means of overcoming such obstacles. The work must be so organized that reprisals become impossible or any attempt in- effective. That is the basis tfpon which the Westinghouse shop nucleus is striving to carry on its work. Slowly the members will learn how to carry out the manifold functions of a shop nucleus and crystallize the splendid reception given by the work- ers to the first issue of its paper into a compact force, an integral part of the proletarian revolution. The first steps have been taken. Genuine Work, An editorial committee is at work gathering material for publicity to turn over to the editor. Some com- rades are beginning ‘to specialize on certain flelds, such as studying the various grievances of the workers, starting with the most elementary ones, and finding practical solutions to propose, giving special study to the character. and detailed functions of the so-called joint conference com- mittee and how to propose in its place real workers’ shop committees on a practical basis, establish the proper connections between the various de- partments and with the many differ- ent nationalities of workers and bring them into closer touch with party lit- erature, ete, This first little experience by the Westinghouse shop nucleus has help- ed convince the comrades that they are now starting at the right basis— the place of work and the place of the struggles of the workers. NEWSBOYS WORK HARD THAT BIG PAPERS PROFIT Chicago Child Labor Is Revealed (Continued from Page 1) you can see any midnight in the one- armed lunch rooms and the pool rooms, shouting their wares and striv- ing to keep awake. Their hours are the hardest and the most hardening and dangerous from the moral point of view. The Router With the “routers” every one is familiar. And one may hesitate to call having a paper route a dangerous form of child labor at first glance. But going into the subject a little more thoroughly, we find this: Take a typical “router” of twelve years of age. He gets up at four-thirty to get his quota of Tribs, and starts delivering until he goes to school. He is kept in school at a high nervous tension, (especially so now with the too-large classes, over-worked teach- ers and inadequate buildings). At four o’clock, or even before that, he is out again delivering the Daily News to his route, or the Evening American Peach Edition. If he has an averaged size route, he will get home in three hours. Twelve Hours on The Run Now, that means, before supper, twelve hours of activity of the most nerve racking sort for the boy since he arose in the morning. And it is labor to his “child body.” How can he keep up to par in his studies, or get his rightful amount of healthful Play under these conditions? The an- swer, of course, is that he can’t. The newsboy is the “retarded” child in school. He takes his place in the room for backward children. One third of the newsboys attending the Chicago schools are seriously below par physically. Corrupting Environment They’ have among them the greater share of “truants,” of juvenile delin- quents, of future “criminals” of the capitalist state. Go down to Hearst alley any day in the week when th Peach Edition is coming out and you'l: find out. You'll see these little “mer- chants” waiting for their papers; hop- ing that there'll be a snappy murder or a good divorce case so that they'll make a few extra pennies; shooting craps to while away the time: lolling on the benches to try to make up for their lack of sleep; swapping the stories of the environment that the vicious capitalist system has thrust them into. And, of course, the “social agencies” of Chicago are busy trying to “make life easier for these manly independ- ent youngsters.” For the capitalists realize keenly that all youth must be won over to their side, to keep the children for use in future wars and to have them continue as slaves to TR ie E aet a s the system of which they are the puny victims. Opportunity Bunk The clubs, the social settlements, are busy teaching what a wonderful “opportunity for service” these boys have. Alger’s “Ned the Newsboy” is held up to them as their manly ideal; of one who strove, was loyal to all rich men, and finally achieved wealth himself and married the boss’ daugh- ter. Boys Week will undoubtedly have a newsie’s division in the “Loyalty Parade.” Asked to Join Junior Young Workers League The junior group of the Young Workers League are busy organizing this branch of child laborers into its fighting organization, striving to make these, too, into valiant defenders of the working class. Only thru a Communist organization and the forming of a workers’ govern- ment can such conditions as child labor be abolished and a system esta- biished where all children will have the happy, wholesome, healthful lives to which they are entitled. Your Union Meeting Fifth Wednesday, April 29, 1925. Name % Local Seuss Place Digehgmithy 4B District Councl!, 119 2 Seer, Barhata A sseine. a gers 3 ay Ean we H. 1 peniing, Rec. Sec’y., 2253 Grace St. ak 7597. ar Carpenter, teat 1681 wie ae ate. t Evan. d sere ay Bivision St. No. 3 a eee: Ds ae rn Fiat: Mee Asian bony 6989 8. Halsted 2 DE BAAR. DE SAME IE 2B atin Be SE ae ht A i i attic Ri ce OREO No Bit Den Ba 8 5 i Be tht lL pT tT EE Re Pl Atlee Re Di al Hct NTO BUILDERS a8 ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO DETROIT Comrade Owens “Come Clean” with 2 Subs! The Milwaukee comrades are determined. They send in new subse and challenge the world, including Comrade Owens of Detroit, to do the same, as you will see by this letter: Dear Comrades:—! am Com. Shklar two subscriptions to the DAILY WORKER and | take this opportunity to send. thru the columns of our papers my comradely greetings to my old friend Comrade Edgar Owens of Detroit, Mich. This greeting is also a challenge to secure sub- scribers to the paper and from my past association with Edgar, | know that | will not have to wait very long for reply. | hope that Edgar in turn, will set an alarm clock at the doors of our Moline, Ill. will begin to. fly from that once militant town. With comradely greetings, Fraternally yours, the world. Reynolds, who was * * NEW YORK, N. Y.—Katterfeld, (2); Wm. Lupu, Wollinchek. Broweer. Arthur Necker. Young Leninists of Chicago Commune in Russia, Send Message The following letter, from the chil- dren of the agricultural Commune in Soviet Russia,.the Red Flame, which was organized in Chicago and which is considered a Chicago agricultural commune, calls on the Young Leninist junior groups of America to work against American capitalism. The let- ter was written by the children of the Chicago agricultural commune. “To the editor of the DAILY WORKER, from a group of Young Leninists, commemorating the mem- ory of John Reed, made up of children of the agricultural commune Red Flame, locatde in the province of Ek- aterinoslav, county of Zaporoszetz. “We, the Young Leninists request the editor of the DAILY WORKER to print this letter in the DAILY WORKER. “We, Young Leninists left the shores of America in 1924 and arrived in Soviet Russia, the Soviet Russia, which was pictured to us in the Am- erican schools by the lackeys of the capitalist Class, as the country where the Bolsheviks kill everybody. But now we see for ourselves that they led to us and we appeal to the Amer- iean children, our comrades, that they should give no credit to these lies of the lackeys of .capitalists. Soviet Russia is truly a free country, a coun- try where children are allowed to de- velop freely where there are no capi- PITTSBURGH, PA, To those who work hard for their money, | will save 50 per cent on all their dental work, DR. RASNICK DENTIST 645 Smithfield Street. FOR SALE CHEAP Morris’ Book and Art Store Can Be Bought For Very Little Cash. Reason——Leaving for South Haven. Address—1402 So. Kedzie Ave, Telephone—Crawford 3275, Minneapolis Daily Worker Agency DAN W. STEVENS, Agt. 617 4th Ave. South Will take care of all your orders for ar ee av oy bundle orders baer news stand ‘sa’ THE DAILY WORKER WORKERS MONTHLY and An Communist Publications Latest issues of all publications always at hand, Whom do you know in Moline, Comrade Owens? Rush two subs and hurl your Communist challenge at some Builder there—or anywhere in When will we hear from you—or from Comrade iso challenged? Let us stir up those comrades we know by the splendid plan of our Milwaukee comrades who learned the trick from Russia. ON APRIL 27, MONDAY, New York took the honors of the day. sending in new subs in the Second Annual Sub Campaign: CHICAGO, IIl.—Frank Martin, B. Stefensin, (2); Y. W. L. No. 5, M ST. PAUL, MINN.—A. Roast, (4); W. H. Wangerin. DETROIT, MICH.—A. E. Goetz, (2); J. Koralewicz; N. Stoyanoff, PHILADELPHIA, PA—Lena Rosenberg, Anna Schwartz. LOS ANGELES, CAL.—S8. Globerman, (2). WASHINGTON, D. C.—S. R. Peariman. CLEVELAND, OHIO.—Henry Reijonen, PORTLAND, ORE—Harry Scolnick. Page Five No One Living in Chicago Need Be Lonesome on May 9 The Young Workers’ League, local Chicago, announces many interesting features for the entertainment and dance to be held on the 9th of May, at the Workers’ Lyceum, 2733 Hirsch Blvd. The hail will resound with the singing of revolutionary songs, led off by the chorus and participated in by all the league and party merm- bers present. Prominent members will deliver short talks on the actiivi- ties of the league. That is the most promising part of the evening’s en- tertainment for the Y. W. L. is con- ducting many campaigns. And there will be dancing—lots of it. At present the league is in need of funds to print special leaflets in its Negro campaign as well as in ite anti-militarist campaign. The readers of the DAILY WORKER are urged to give the dance every possible smpport so that local Chicago may be placed in a better position to enlarge upon its activities. Come to the dance, Saturday, May 9. Admission is only 35 cents in ad- vance and 50 cents at the door. Tick- FS can be procured at the league of- WORK today sending to you thru comrades and that bricks fice, 19 So. Lincoln St. and from all the league members. J. C. Gibson. GET A SUB AND GIVE ONE! YOUNG WORKERS LEAGUE ACTIVITIES. Ruth LOCAL CHICAGO, . % Wednesday, April 28, T. U. EB. L, meeting, Northwest deaf, North and Western avenues. Afi League members should be present, Thursday, April 30, Due to the fact that May Day-talls on Friday, all meetings of the work- ing area branches will be held on Thursday at the following placesz Working Area No. 1—Room 606,266 West Washington St. Area Branch No, Roosevelt Road. Area Branch No. 4—8218 West Roosevelt Road. Area Branch No, 5—No meeting, Area Branch No, 6—2618 Hiresh Bivd. Who's next? * 4 Here is the list of Builders (6); S, Pollack, (3); N. Liebowitz, 2—1810 West Friday, May 1. May Day demonstration, Temple hall, corner Marshfield and Van Bu- ren. Satirday, May 2. Meeting of all social managers of the branches at 19 South Lincoln street at 3 p.m. Every branch must be represented so that all arrange- ments can be made for the May 9th talists, but only a workers’ and peas-| dance at Workers Lyceum, ants’ government. “We, the Young Leninists, have at the commune the organization of Young Leninists and we pledge to carry on the work and ideals of our dear leader, Vladimir Ilyitch Lenin, “We also have ‘at.the Commune a Russian school. “There are 12 of us, Pioneers, Young Leninists, in the commune and we, the Young Leninists, appeal to you, Young Leninists of America, that you should also study and learn the work and ideas of Vladimir Ilyitch Lenin and that you should carry on the work among the unorganized chil- a dren of America. Speakers: “Now, in conclusion, we say to you: || © &- Ruthenberg Martin Abern, ‘Be ready.” James P. Cannon Max Shachtman Signed: Secretary of Young Lenin-|| E- &- Doty Alex. ists Group: Peter Ostapchuck; mem- Y. W. lL. ORC bers of the executive committee: Scandinavian Singing Society Nikolai Semenovitch, Jacob Bolos- Freihelt Singing. Soek chuck. | Give your shopmate this of the DAILY WORKER—but sure to see him the next day to get his subscription. May Day Celebration. Friday, May 1, 8 P. M. TEMPLE HALL Marshfield and Van Buren — Dr. A. Moskalik DENTIST $8. W. Corner 7th and Mifflin Sts. | PHILADELPHIA, PA. | ava BOOKS—Male and Female or Science of Life, 25c postpaid. Modern Beok Shop, 816 Federal Bivd., Denver, Colorado. First Great Feature Film from Russia! THE BEAUTY AND THE BOLSHEVIK at CO-OPERATIVE CENTER 2706 Brooklyn Ave. (take B car) Sunday, May 3 Wednesday, May 6 Monday, May 4 Thursday, May 7 Tuesday, May 5 Friday, May 8 Starts at 7:30 P. M. Admission 35c. Children 20c. Friday May 8th Children Free : United Front May Day Demonstration FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1925, at 7:30 P. M. LULU TEMPLE, Broad and Spring Garden Streets ARNE SWABECK, of Pittsburgh BENJAMIN GITLOW, Member C. E. C., Workers Party and Speakers in other Languages. Freiheit Singing Society—Lithuanian Chorus—Junior Y. W. L, Chorus—Music—Solos Auspices, United Front May Day Conference. International May Day Festival and Dance SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1925, at 8 P. M. EAGLES TEMPLE, Broad and Spring Garden Streets Dancing—Refreshments—Pageant—Folk Dancing Admission 60 Cents, Auspices, Workers (Communist) Party,