The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 7, 1928, Page 4

Page Forr THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1928 YOUTH PROBLEMS IN INDUSTRY AND THE LEFT WING:TASKS With the Young Comrades YOUNG WORKERS MUST GET INTO TRADES UNIONS By JOHN WILLIAMSON. The nineteenth century with its slo- gan to the h of “Go West, Young | ’ has given way to the umns of the daily | press and the factory gate. No longer | is America, “the land of opportunity,” as the countless millions of young] workers can testify. | Altho this transformation has| taken place and we find the young} workers forming one-fourth of the| total working population, they are yet, not a factor in the labor mov ment corresponding to their numerical strength or their strategic position as a bridge between the foreign born and | American born worker The large bulk of the youth, as far as they are unorganized are found in| institutions, such as the Boy Scouts, the YMCA, the 4H’s, and the Catho- lic Guides, which are pro-boss in character and whose doctrines are against organized labor, not to speak of a militant labor movement. A very limited number of the working youth are to be found in the trades| unions and the only attempt at or- ganization is found in the left-wing political organizations. If we contrast such a situation to that existing in the European labor movement, we see a vast difference. There the trades unions have estab- lished special youth journals, issue special youth literature, have estab- lished special bureaus which are con- tinually in contact with the young workers and see that the life of the union is of such a character that it will interest and hold the newcoming youth. A Wrong Philosophy There are those who think that the youth “are to be seen and not heard.” This was the philosophy of the past and can have nothing in common with a militant section of the labor move- ment who have in mind the mobilizing of the laboring class for progressive steps forward. Backward as the American working youth are, there ate signs of recent date, such as the Passaic strike, the miners’ strike and the present struggle in Colorado where the youth have played an im- portant part and have showed them- selves capable of leadership and of eonducting a militant struggle for better conditions. Organizing Young Workers The organizing of the millions of young workers is a part of the task of “Organizing the Unorganized.” This gigantic task falls upon the Left Wing. The problems of the youth are therefore the problems of the Left Wing to solve and find organi- zational expression for. The Location of Young Workers The extent to which young workers between the ages of 15-24 have pene- A New Number but the Same Old Crew wuring 1928, as in 192., the same gang will control the life of the American workers; exploiters and their hirelings—the courts, police and hired editors. mination of Table 1 and 2 will be illuminating to m Here we in general, consid g those “gain- fully employed,” which includes fore- men, supervisors, etc., that the youth form 24.7 per cent of the total. If we take special occupations, of the seventeen listed, there are only five where the young workers from less than 30 per cent of the total em- ployed and in many, such as Baker- ies 56 per cent; Paper Box 54 per cent; Candy 52 per cent; Farm La- bor 47 per cent; Printing & Publish- ing 47 per cent; Electrical Supply 45 per cent, ete., we see the youth forming at least half and some times more of the entire working force. There are even certain industries, such as those listed herein which can be considered “youth industries,” and which must be approached from this basis. It is especially significant that the youth are employed primarily in those industries which are classified as “un- organized.” Also they are found in those types of industries where little © ® or no skill is required and where the) entire industry has been mechanized. The Trend in Industry. Since these figures were taken (1920) the whole trend of industry has been for the further elimination of skill and introduction of machinery, which has indoubtedly brought several hundred thousands more young work- ers into industry. Consider the radio industry, established these past few years which employs almost ex- clusively young workers under 21 years of age. (To Be Continued.) TRIBAL KILLER GETS LIFE. DETROIT LAKES, Minn., Jan. 6.— The age old_tribal law of killing the aged and infirm failed. Alex Jourdan, a Chippewa Indian, sentenced to life here today for the murder of his ninety-year-old mother-in-law with an axe last March. trated industry is little know. Ane Table 1—Main Classifications of Gainfully Employed.* Industry Total Emp. Total Boys Total Girls Total Emp. % of 10 yr. over Emp. 15-24 Emp. 15-24 15-24 yrs. Total Agriculture 10,953,000 2,117,190 322,622 2,439,812 23% Mineral Ext. 1,090,000 245,832 1,176 247,008 23% Mfg. & Mach. 12,818,000 2,307,959 873,196 8,181,155 25% Transport 3,062,000 595,654 140,687 736,341 24% Trade 4,242,979 577,313 271,982 849,295 20% Public Serv. 770,460 177,507 3,589, 181,096 23% Professional 2,143,889 131,348 380,618 511,966 24% Clerical 3,126,541 620,342 840,977 1,461,319 47% All Occup. 41,614,248 6,950,122 8,364,397 10,314,519 24% *The figures for “Total Emp. over 10 years” are for “Gainfully Occu- pied.” If these were for actual wage earners the percentage of young work- ers would be higher by several per cent. Table 2—Classification of Important Occupations. Industry Total Emp. Total Boys Total Girls Total Emp. % of 10 yr. over Emp. 15-24 Emp. 15-24 15-24 yrs. Total Farm Labor 4,041,000 1,587,364 312,129 1,899,493 47% Coal Miners 733,936 181,082 591 181,673 25% Clay Glass* 209,997 2,490 10,427 62,917 30% Bakeries* 28,756 7,717 8,380 16,097 56% Candy* 58,865 8,876 21,903 30,779 52% Packing House* 109,539 28,199 5,279 28,478 26% Auto* 204,505 51,568 7,509 59,077 299% Furniture* 90,989 21,757 4,887 26,644 29% '~ Ptg. & Pub.** 91,839 18,565 24,739 43,304 47% Shoe* 225,435 47,576 37,653 85,229 38% Textile* 848,470 144,820 228,256 873,076 44% Rubber* 187,671 38,992 12,681 51,673 87% Elect. Supp.* 91,630 20,741 20,608 40,809 45% Paper Box* 23,836 3,650 9,397 18,047 54% RR Labor 495,713 113,168 1,571 114,739 23% Sailors 54,832 18,744 18,744 34% Salespeople 1,177,494 205,917 155,386 361,303 30% | *The total figure listed under these industries is not complete. It only includes unskilled and semi-skilled, omitting skilled. The amount of skilled “workers in these industries is very small and would be offset by the fact that the “total column” is for “gainfully employed” and not for wage- earners. This makes the % youth approximately correct, If figures were available for each item a check-up would show the % figures within 1% of being correct. For the January 13th Meeting and for Distribution. Put in your order NOW for the special Anniversary Edition of The DAILY WORKER. Special Articles, Special Features and News Dispatches. Order must be received before Tuesday, January 10th in order that proper arrangement should be made. Order a Bundle of The DAILY WORKER | YOUTH HOSIERY - STRIKERS HEAR LEAGUE SPEAKER BUFFALO, N. Y., Jan. 6. — A mass meeting of the striking Hosiery. workers of the Millay-shops was ad- dressed by one of the members of the Young Workers League. After pledging the help and support of the League to the strikers in their struggle against the inhuman speed- up and miserable wages, the speaker congratulated tne young strikers on | the militant manner in which they | were conducting the strike, in spite of the bitter cold weather and the hos- tility of the police and company hired thugs. i Dangers Shown. The speaker also pointed out some of the dangers that confronied the strike and the obstacles that must be | fought and overcome in order to bring the strike to a successful conclusion, The greatest danger lay in the at- tempt of the bosses to obtain an in-| junction to prevent picketing; so far | the bosses have been unable to get this | injunction, but with victory in sight for the workers this injunction will no doubt be granted, and then the \strikers must resort to more militant | |mass picketing. | | The speaker also drew attention to the efforts of the bosses to discourage and split the young strikers by spreading slanderous stories about | the strike leaders, by using the priests | and school principals against the! strikers, all with the object of break- | ing the confidence of the workers in their ability to win the strike and smashing the union. All that is nec-! essary to bring a victory for the} workers is the continuation of mass/| picketing and sticking together in the | union for a united struggle against | the bosses, Strikes Compared. The Y. W. L. member compared the Hosiery workers strike to the Pas- saic Textile strike; although on a} much smaller scale both strikes have | the same features, a fight against in- | human conditions, miserable wages | and for the recognicion of the union, and the Buffalo bosses using the same | methods of poiice intimidation that were used in Passaic. The speaker | called on the young Hosiery strikers to use the same slogan of the Passaic | workers for “a fight to the finish” and victory is assured. Announcement by the League mem- ber that the League was arranging a social and dance for the benefit of the young strikers was received with loud applause. Youth Notes From | The Soviet Union The “Subbotnik” (day of free la- bor) which was organized thruout | the entire Soviet Union by the Lenin- ist Young Communist League gave aj financial result of one million roubles, ($500,000.00). * + Two young workers’ have now been started in Leningrad, They are the first of their kind in the Soviet Union. Lectures are delivered there by fifst-class professors twice |during the week and on Sundays. * * universities * * In all trade unions in the Soviet Union new collective agreements have been concluded. New tariffs have been specially arranged for appren- tices thru which wages have been gen- | Appren- | erally raised by 20 per cent. tices in the metal industry instead of Junctions in the Pennsylvania-Ohio coal strike) the school and the church. | With the Young “DEFEND THE U, S. S. R.!” DE- CLARES THE GERMAN YOUTH DELEGATION. MOSCOW, U. S. S. R.—The Third German Young Workers’ Delegation which studied for six weeks the life in the Soviet Union, has issued an en- thusiastic report of conditions here. “The economic situation of the | working class,” the report declares, “which was bad enough in Czarist Russia and which became intolerable through war and civil war, has been improved and consolidated in every re- spect by the Soviet government. This is shown by the wages, the six to eight hour day (for young workers it weeks’ holiday (for young workers it | is four to six weeks), as well as by | the possibilities for cultural develop- | ment which the workers have now.” — | Whereas in capitalist countries the | youth is forced into industry as un-| skilled labor, in the Soviet Union it | is the reverse. “In the factory | schools,” says the delegation, “young | workers are given a training which enables them to take their place sub- | sequently in the process of production | as highly qualified labor forces and | to occupy leading economic posts. All this we have seen with our own eyes.” | Regarding the minorities the re- port states: | “We ascertained that the Soviet | government protects in every possible | way the national minorities and the | freedom and liberty of the Federated | Soviet Republics, for instance Georgia | that it gives every encouragement to | their national culture and full free- | dom to religious societies within their own religious sphere.” Speaking of the Red Army, the re- port states: “Tt has the sympathy of the people | and particularly of the working | youth.” “Moreover, in view of the fact that the U. S. S. R. is the only and first country which genuinely represents the interests of the working people | and is the fatherland of all workers, | we declare that we are determined to defend the Soviet Union with all the | strength and means at our disposal.” LIEBKNECHT ON MILITARISM. (from a series of lectures given in 1906 before a section of the Young Socialist League on Militar- ism and Anti-Militarism and later published in book form.) “There is nothing specifically capi- talistic about militarism. Moreover, it is proper and essential to all sys- tems of class society, of which the capitalist system is the last. “Capitalism, like any other system of class society, develops its own spe- cial variety of militarism: for mili- tarism, by its very essence, is a means to an end, or to several ends, which vary in accordance with this variance. This is brought to light not only by the military organizations, but also by the other attributes of militarism which manifest themselves when mili- tarism carries out its tasks, “Militarism is not only a means of defense against the external enemy; it has a second task which comes more to the fore as class contradictions be- | come more marked and as proletarian | class consciousness keeps growing. | Thus the outer form of militarism and jits inner character take a mere defi- | nite shape; its task is to uphold the prevailing order of society, to prop up | capitalism and all reaction against | the struggle of the working class for | freedom. (Note the militia in the Col- orado strike.) | “Militarism manifests itself here | as a mere tool in the class struggle, as a tool in the hands of the ruling class. It is destined to retard the development of class consciousness By | working together with the Police and the courts of justice. (Note the in- “The task of militarism is, above all, to secure for a minority at what- ever cost, even against the enlight- ened will of the majority of the peo- ple, domination in the state and free- dom to exploit,” * * YOUNG WORKTIR DRIVE BEGINS LIEBKNECHT DAY. Liebknecht Day is the day reserved by the Young Workers (Communist) is four to six hours), the two to four | | rings. lelerks look more frequently at the | quiringly. Lives by Risks Miserably underpaid and over- worked, the U. S. mail fliers risk their lives daily. Harry G. Smith, 34; nearly lost his life in making an emergency landing in a clearing on Red Top mountain, near Du Bois, Pa. Smith, who used to fly the mail with Lindbergh before the lat- ter became a window-dresser for the American imperialists, became lost as his plane neared the Alleg- hany mountains in a blinding snow- storm, ————— the working class youth in America. It is the only organ that broadcasts Liebknecht’s ideals to the American youth, that organizes the young work- ers into Liebknecht’s organization.” All militant workers are called upon to send a donation and to get their children and young friends to sub- scribe to the Young Worker during this drive. Do your bit in the drive! * * * A YOUNG WORKER LOOKS FOR A JOB. (By Young Worker Correspondent.) New York City.—A clerk looked up from the cultural columns of the “Daily Mirror” and asked me what I want. Like a number of other job- less youth, I am a candidate for $2.80 a day and “eats” with the automatic restaurants (the throw-your-nickel-in- the-slot places). It is regretable that the inventive genius of America has not devised a machinery through {which help can be hired and fired. Until then, our “tired” clerks must |continue to lay aside their “Daily Mirrors” until troublesome applicants are dispensed with. I am advised to return at 4 p. m.| _|when the night managers telephone | for the help they require. I do so, incidentally discovering a tactical er- ror in not showing up at least one hour earlier. Some 50 or 60 men and women of all ages are present. One young fellow next to me had slept on park benches for three nights— but sported a clean collar for the oc- easion. He curses frequently, chiefly |at the two clerks whom he holds re- sponsible for the waste of time. The clerks are now busy at the phone and only a few applicants are called to the counter to receive in- structions. It is after 5 p. m. and very few have been dealt with. Since the employment bureau closes at 5:30 p. m. we become restless. The phone The minutes tick by. The clock, “That’s all for tonight!” shouts the ponderous one, “That’s all for tonight!” he repeats irritably as a colored boy approaches him in- I follow the others into Broadway—still jobless. Pilot Turns Boss Clarence Chamberlain, trans-At- lantic pilot, started work yesterday on models of a new sport plane, at the Elasticap Warchouse at Twelfth St. and Hudson River, Hoboken. { | {no clothes to wear, and would like OUR LETTER BOX From a Little Bolshevik. I am a fourteen year old girl, and I go to a catholic schoo! (Roman |Catholic) and our sister ‘in school tried to make us girls believe that the Bolsheviks in Russia persecute the catholics, but_I don’t believe it, and she told us that they are spreading all over in Chicago, (I suppose she’s afraid they'll get her.) But I know better cause I got two aunts and uncles that read. the “Uj |Elore,” and when Saturday comes I jalways read the English part. (‘The | Young Comrade Corner.”’) »-My aunt | gives me plenty of instructions. When I get sixteen I’ll get all my girl friends to subseribe for the pa- per. I'll try to do my best, Just last week my aunt was read- ing an article about a poor little girl, nine years old selling matches on the street, in ragged clothes and it was cold, This was in Budapest, my aunts were having a conversation about it and were crying and felt sorry for the poor people in Budapest. I was also sitting in the rocm and I asked them what they were crying about, and they told me. When they told mé my heart nearly broke. ’Cause my father and mother came from Budapest, and I can just im- agine how they suffered. My father is dead, but my mother often tells me how they used to suf- fer, and not only them but all the poor people in Budapest. How they went hungry and slept in ecld rooms. I have a few dollars of my own saved, and I haye some clothes old and new that I cannot wear any more, and I don’t want my mother or my aunt to know i am sending them away. I want to make it a Christ- mas gift for the poor children. So will you please be so kind and good as to give me the address of any poor little girl in Budapest who has to have some. I promise with my true heart that I will be p true, loyal soldier of the Bolsheviks, and get many more sol- diers, too. T'll never believe what the catholic sisters or priests say about the Bol- sheviks. "Cause my aunt always tells me how good it is in Russia. And I hope it won’t be before Jong that we get the best of the capital- | ists and send them to the deepest H-E-L-L there is, and let them stay there for good. Yours very truly, THERESA RAYNAK * * * (Edifor’s Note: A great deal of suffering is going on in many coun- tries in Europe, it is true. But at this present time just as much suf- fering if not more is taking place right here in our own country. If you would be a true Bolshevik, HELP THE STRIKING MINERS.) THE PIONEER AND THE SCAB. The scab sat on the track, The Pioneer rang the bell. The train went to California, And the scab went to heil! —MARIE KOSTYK. THIS WEEK’S PUZZLE NO. 6 This week’s puzzle is a confusion puzzle, The way to solve this kind of puzzle is to place each of the ten given words in a sentence that is not jumbled’ using all the words. With the best of Juck, let’s go! | ALWAYS - DISTRESS - ARE - THE NELP - READY - -TO - WORKERS - IN +sPIONEERS. Send all answers to Daily Worker Young Comrade Corner, 33 First St., New York City, stating name, age, and number of puzzle. Law Revision Urged The welfare advisory committee of the New York State republican com- mittee will urge revision of the tene- ment house and poor laws, better health protection for school children and prevention of child marriage without parental permission, in a re- port to the state legislature in 1928, Harold Riegelman, its chairman has announced. : SING SING BARS BENT. OSSINING, N. Y., Jan, 6—A pos- sible avenue of escape from Sing Sing Prison was blocked it was. learned today when Keeper William Halpin reported to Warderi Lewis E. Lawes that in his daily inspection of door and window bars, yesterday he had discovered two bars on a cell block window bent apart far enough to per- mit a human body to pass through. BUY THE DAILY WORKER AT THE NEWSSTAND AGAINST Injunctions. = Company Unions. 8. Unemployment, 4. Persecution of the Foreign Born, 5. War. Application for Membership in NAME OCCUPATION check this box, UNEMPLOYED AND STRIKERS and receive dues exempt stamps until the leaflet We want to distribute a million copies of Down with Govern- Join in a Real JOIN A FIGHTING PARTY! Join the Workers (Communist) Party of America (Fill out this blank and mail to Workers Party, 43 BE. 125 St., Wy We} If you are on strike or unemployed and cannot pay initiation fee please (Enclosed find $1.00 for initiation fee and one month's dues.) Every District Executive Every City Executive Every Section and Sub Section Every Shop and Street Nucleus Fight! Organization of the unorgan- ized, Miners’ Relief. Recognition and Defense of the Soviet Union. A Labor Party. A Workers’ and Farmers’ Gov- ernment. Workers (Communist) Party ADMITTED WITHOUT INITIATION employed. League to the honor of Karl Lieb- knecht, the great leader of the work- ing class who was murdered in Berlin on January 15, 1919. On or about that day this year the working class youth will commemorate our fallen comrade. Starting with the Liebknecht Day | celebrations, the Young Workers |(Communist) League of America is \launching a campaign to get 5,000 |new subscriptions and $3,000 in con- tributions for The Young Worker, the organ of the League. 4 A timely leaflet in the stru Injunction! ba * Injunctions! * * content with lip service in 20.50 roubles, which they received hitherto will get 24.60 roubles month- In a special statement issued today, | the Young Workers League declares: ment by Injunction! Helps organize a movement to smash the s Exposes the A. F. of L. bureaucracy that, is biggest union smashing campaign in the his- tory of the American Labor Movement. The DAILY WORKER, 383 First St., I enclose $.. ee ROP Gs New York, N. Y. . copies of the Fourth Anni- ly. Young workers who are engaged |' “Every year we honor the memory in specially hard work will id ‘get ‘of Karl Liebknecht, the founder of the ‘revolutionary youth movement. * * versary Edition of The Daily Worker. Must be mailed from New York not Name .. Street City ... later than .... instead of 1 month’s holiday with pay, | {6 weeks holiday with pay. In vhe! | Soviet Union there is a law in accord- ance with which every enterprise | must employ a certain percentage of apprentices, in order in this way to ‘train qualified workers, Seventy- five per cent of these young workers imust be admitted in the factory, | schools, ¥ “Can you do this merely by meet- ings and speeches?” “No! We can honor Liebknecht best by building an organ that will express Liebknecht’s ideas and will mobilize the masses of the young workers for the cause of which Karl Liebknecht was the leader and martyr. “The Young Worker is the voice of |2 gle to Save the Unions, \ Our Party Must Take the Lead in the Strug- ggle against the Boston Detroit the face of the \ ae Must Get on the Job Now! Let us distribute a million leaflets New York What AreYouGoing to Do? Order Thru Your District Office Send $2.00 have bought 50,000 each (for cash) for every thousand you order,