The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 9, 1926, Page 16

General Wood, chief thug of Americal imperialist in the” for American capitalists. (sHHIUiM IO aunts * By Maurice Becker, tortetah Philip pines, admits that his job is to make Filipino laborers sweat profits But the Filipino will chase General Wo od out—some day. The Great Auction Sale _ - By WILLIAM-WACKER. OU can see the red flag any day, any week, any month you choose to walk up Madison street in Chica- go. “Auction” is printed on a red flag hanging outside a shop. If you are blind, you will know anyway, that there is an auction, because the doors are always open and a constant yell is heard. Besides the red flag projecting from the doorway, there are large sheets of yellow paper cov- ering the two show-windows. On this paper there is printed in large red letters: “Entire stock of jewelry, watches, diamonds, etc., worth over $20,000.00 must be sold! Bargain every day. Get yours now!” if This you may also see any time, winter or summer. Consequently, it is not a temporary auction sale, but a place of permanent business. Every day I pass this store, and often I step in among the crowd. I have been there enough times now to know that there are three auctioneers ewho sell the goods, When.one auc- tioneer has stood on the box behind the showcase and talked about the watch, the stickpin, the necklace, or whatever he may be holding in his hand long enough to make himself tired, and foamy around the mouth, he is relieved by another, And so on, every day, from 8 a. m, till 6 p. m: except Sunday. Upon my visit to the auction house, I made a discovery. Among the cus- tomers, I noticed three men, who in type and appearance were unlike the others. They were well dressed, But their hats were always down on their faces, as if they were trying to hide themselves. They frequently bid on things the auctioneer brought forth. Often they overbid each other, and it was surprising to see how much they bought. They left their articles in the cashier’s care, as they were “not leaving just now.” steady customers, You would not discover this if you were there only once. And people who went there once, seldom came back, because the location of the auction house.is in a transient district. The customers are always newcomers. The auctioneer brings up an an article, a necklace for instance, all shining beautifully, and laid in a large blue box, lined on the inside with silk. Holding up the box before him in front of us, he begins: “How much am I bid for this beautiful neclace? Who says ten dollars? Ten dollars? Do I hear ten dollars? Say, men, the clasp ‘alone is worth twenty! Where is thé man that bids ten dollars for this, beauti- ful piece of goods? Who wants to make two months’ wages in two secohds? Would you give ten dollars,” pointing his finger to one of the inside customers, “Sure, I'll give ten dollars” comes the reply without hesitation. “['m bid ten dollars, gentlemen. Who bids fifteen?” continues the auctioneer, holding the box higher. “You'd give fifteen, wouldn’t you?” pointing his finger at another special customer, This man appears very serious, but says pothing. “Will you give twelve and a half?” yells the auctioneer back at him again: The man nods his head approvingly. “Twelve and a half is bid, gentle- men, Who gives thirteen? I am talking in halves and singles when I ought to be talking in tens and hundreds, Look at it, gentlemen, look! You give thirteen,” this time looking at the third insider, This man also nods his head. Whereupon he makes a remark in a low voice to,the first one who had bid ten dollars: “I saw one just like that in a loop store for seventy-five dollars,” This remark is said casually, in a low tone, with the hand over the mouth, as if They were ee ee nobody were supposed to hear. A boob, who has just come into town with a summer’s wages, stands be- tween the two insiders, and overhears the remark. He pricks his ears. While this is going on, the auc- tioneer is still talking. “Thirteen dollars is bid. Who bids fourteen? Fourteen?” The first in- sider nods his head, “Fifteen dollars” exclaims a second insider. “Sixteen dollars” declares the third. In the meantime, the two first spe- cial customers have moved so that they stand beside each other on the left side of the boob. Whereas the third insider stands by the right side of ‘him, The first insider is now ad- dressesd with the following question by the auctioneer very. quickly: “Sixteen dollars is bid. Who makes it seventeen? You?” The insider nods approvingly. “Seventeen is bid” declares the auctioneer quickly. ‘Who'll say eigh- teen?” Now he looks at the second insider . This man also nods. “Figh- teen, Who says nineteen?” This time he gives the sucker a demanding look. This was really the first time the boob had the opportunity to bid.” On both sides of him was competition. That he knew, because he had heard them bid, and he knew from their remark that they knew what they were doing. He also “knew” that if he’d bid nineteen, the man to the left of him would say twenty. He was sure of this because the insider was already taking a roll of bills out of his pocket. i The auctioneer gave him. a-second look like an eagle, and said, “The bid is eighteen. dollars. Do I hear nine- teen?” The. vietim, feels absolutely sure that if he’d say nineteen, the man to the left of him would say twenty, be- cause he wag already holding two ten dollar bills in his hand, as if ready to pay. Feeling merely as a stepping stone for a moment, he cleared his throat and drawled out: “Tl give you nineteen.” “Sold to you for nineteen dollars” returned the auctioneer instantly. Whereupon the boob was motioned over to the cashier,-where he pulled out nineteen hard earned dollars, and in return received a necklace which could be bought at any jewelry store for a dollar and fifty cents, DO YOU REALIZE THAT THE SATURDAY MAGAZINE Supplement of The DAILY WORKER Is getting better every week, is on the way to become a popular mass paper of the working class? Here the workers can read every Saturday night the still living words of Lenin, and the words of the present leaders of the move- ment which will conquer the world for the working class, Here, also, the workers write their own thoughts in their own way. si And here you get the best short stories by the world’s greatést living writers—as you see Henri Barbusse’s great novel begins in this issue. SUBSCRIBE NOW AND GET IT ALL, ee ee