The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 9, 1932, Page 3

DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, APRIL 9 1932. Y.M.C.A. RACKETEERS GYP SEAMEN IN WATERFRONT “HOME Pace Three WHOLESALE LOCKOUT AT PITTSFIELD GEN. ELECTRIC CO. PLANT Force Reduced from 9,000 to 4,500; Bosses Plan New 40 Per Cent Layoff Workers in Lynn Plant Walk Out on Spon- Taneous Strike (By a Worker Correspondent) Within the next two or three weeks the Pittsfield plant of the General Electric Company is putting through another gigantic scheme of “rationalization.” one of the G. E.’s largest plans and is the world’s greatest man- ufacturer of electric transformers. During the s°-called era of prosperity this plant employed slightly more than 9,999 men. Since then there has been a le firing of men going hand in hand with a vicious pro- gram of wage-cutting and speed-up. At present there are slightly less than 4,500 men employed at part time work. Prac-| tically no workers are employed for @ The Pittsfield factory is | | Morgan Lithograph Co. Busy Printing War Propaganda! (By a Worker Correspondent) CLEVELAND, O.—Even the litho- graph companies are busy preparing for war. We all remember the pos- ter during the last war—an inviting | looking Uncle Sam with his finger pointed at the looker and which read: “I Want You.” Well, we're busy printing those right now. By “we” I mean the Morgan Lithograph Co. right here in Cleveland. The words have not been put on | yet, but that can be done later, Yes | “‘thesimperialists have mobilized the artists and art departments to the job of helping gather cannon fodder for the Wall St. bankers. On May ist the American Workers Day! On May Ist Against Wage Cuts and Unemploy- ment! , tions amount to about $5 a month a full week. Even the technical ex- perts, the engineers, have been put on a part time week. But the General Electric is not sat- | isfied with ridding itself of between) four and five thousand men. It is now going to lay off outright 40 per cent of its remaining working force. This means that another 1,800 men Will be out of work bringing the to- | tal of unemployed workers of this plant to about 6,500 men. These un- employed together with their depend- ants number between 25 and 30,000, more than half the total poulation of the City of Pittsfield. $15 A Week. | At present the men work, on an average, between two and three days a week. For this: work they receive one steady wage—$15 weekly, If they are told to work overtime which often means up to twelve hours a day, their weekly check is just the same. From this munificent wage the G. E. also exacts its toll in the form of deductions for group insurance, bo- nus, pension, etc., etc. These deduc- and more for each worker. Since the G. E. has its employees, as well as the entire city,, under its thumb it can treat the workers as it pleases. The men are rarely told in advance during what days of the week they are to report for work. They must awake every morning at 6 a. m., pack lunch, take the trol- ley to the plant (carfare is an item to be reckoned with since the cars run in zones and most ment spend 24 cents a day in fares) and see if they are needed. Sometimes they are used for two or three hours and sent home, other times, which is more usual, they are told, “Nothing doing. Come back tomorrow.” Those who work a Tew hours a day either work part of the next day to complete a days’ work, or if they are needed, lose the time entirely. That is, if they are needed for a full shift the fol- lowing day they are not paid for the extra few hours they put in, Gang System. The G. E. has also, an another part of its stabilization program, insti- tuted one of the dirtiest of possible Speed-up systems—the gang system, and work switching. By the gang system the company plays one work- er against another making them force each other to the breaking point. The men are relegated to gangs of eight or nine.. The workers are paid not according to the produc- tion of each individual but according to the output of the gang as a whole. ‘Thus every man is put into the posi- tion of a foreman and has to see that everybody in the gang is con- tinuously working at top speed since he will suffer if any one worker lets up ® bit, ‘There is no sign of a union move- ment in the Pittsfield factory. The workers are yery incensed concern- ing present conditions, Lynn Workers Strike. In the General Electric Plant at Lynn, Mass., a group of workers have gone out on a spontaneous, unorgan- ized strike. They just packed up their tools and went home, There is no union and no picketing. ‘These workers must get busy and organize rank and file committees, commence picketing. Otherwise it will be diffi- cult for them to win anything. 1,000 DEMAND RELIEF IN CAL. March to Sa Sacramento ‘County Court (By a Worker Correspondent.) SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Over 1,000 workers marched to the county court house on March 30 and demanded real relief for the hungry unemployed ‘The Community Chest headquar- ters is located at in the county court |‘ house and the workers are very angry at the way they are treated when they go there for relief. Miss Mary Judge who is the big wig of the headquarters gets $300 a month for insulting the workers who come for help. If one happens to be foreign born, or if one has not lived in Sacramento long enough, this woman tells the worker to go back where he came from. The workers were tired listening to this kind of talk and came out on the streets a thousand strong and Soviet Auto Workers Tell of Their New Giant Plant Dear Comrade: Nijni Novgorod, U.S. S. R. We, 76 shock troopers of the giant Nijni Novgorod auto- mobile factory, read your letter with extraordinary attention. We also examined very attentively your Communist paper the “Daily Worker,” which gave workers of the USSR, about condi- tions in your capitalist country, As we could not make out much by | examining the unfamiliar letters and pictures, we had to call to our assis- tance an English worker of our de- partment. You are interested to know how we live and work. We are very glad to know that workers of a distant country are interested in our mode of living. Comrade, we are both workers in automobile factories, but there is quite a difference between the con- ditions under which we work and between our aims. You are making automobiles to enrich the capitalists. We will make them to supply the needs of the only Socialist country in the world. Our Autozavod has just been com- pleted, and we are certain that be- fore you receive this letter, we will be busy producing our own steel horse- Soviet automobiles. The first of January, 1932 is the well known date for the opening of the Autozavod. Paid in Advance ‘The wages of our locksmith repair workers amount to 175 roubles a month and of more highly skilled workers, 240. We have a 7 hour working day, and we rest one day after every 5 days of work. We get paid twice a2 month. The first half of the month’s wages is paid in advance. Hight of our 76 shock troop- ers are women, who work hand in hand with the men. Our brigade re- ceived premiums 3 times for its ex- cellent work and for overfulfilling its tasks. Our best udarniks have their names on the red board of the de- partment, We got hot meals in the factory dining room. The factory also sup- plies our working clothes, leather coats, sweaters and boots in the winter, and light clothes in the summer, Entertainments The department committee ar- ranges all kinds of entertainments for us in the theatres and clubs. We have reading yooms, libaries, rest rooms, rooms for playing games, From the library we can take books home. We can also read in the club, where we often have social readings, After work, many workers of our brigade attend courses in universi- ties and institutes in order to im- prove their political and technical knowledge. We hope, dear comrade, that you will write more and in detail about the conditions in your factory, and about the living conditions of the workers in America, With comradely greetings, Signatures of 42 workers Shock Brigade of the Tool Maker Department of the Nijni Noy- gorod Autozavod and Brigader Saveliev, demanded relief in no uncertain terms, The Sacramento “News Bee,” leading capitalist paper in this town, said that only 200 workers demon- you the idea to write to us, LEGION HELPS BOSSES PUT OVER PAY-CUT New “Relief” Plan Of- fers 60 Cents A Week (By a Worker Correspondent) ASHTABALA, Ohio.—The Amer- ican Legion in connection with the Chamber of Commerce is about to start a concreted citywide drive to lower the wages and living stand- ards of the workers, under the guise of helping unemployment. Already so-called representatives of the or- ganized skilled workers have met with representatives of these out- fits and agreed to cut wages ten to thirty per cent, while the American Legion has establishéd a wage of thirty cents per hour for unskilled workers. Under the much heralded Roches- ter Plan, which they intend to use, two hours work per week constitutes a job. When the worker receives his sixty cents per week, I presume he will have to go to the Better Business Board of the Chamber of Commerce for advice as to whether he should pay off the second mort- gage on his home (if any) or buy one of the new model Fords, Workers should not be deceived by these fake proposals, but should unite with the Unemployed Coun- cil if unemployed, or with the Trade Union Unity League if employed and fight for real relief in the form of Unemployment ,Insurance at full wages, and at the expense of the bosses, Adds Euphemism to the Right Rev. Norman Thomas’ List By_a Worker Correspondent NEW YORK.—Some time ago Norman Thomas nick-named the democratic and republican parties “Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum” His endorsement of the Block- Aid drive automatically adds one euphemism to the list, viz:—~ ‘TWEEDLE-DEE ‘TWEEDLE-DUM TWEEDLE-TWADDLE (By a Worker Correspondent) BALTIMORE, Md.—In order to subdue the discontented, starving steel workers, and because there is no relief extended to the needy cases, the Bethlehem Steel Co, here in 150 Fired from Aviation New York Engine Factory (By a Worker ) ‘HICKSVILLE, L, IL—Last Monday 150 workers were fired from the ‘This lay-off occurred after a notice was placed on the board announcing @ change in the management. About six weeks ago a wage-cut of 10 to 30 per cent was put over. Many of the workers fired have been em- ployed in the company for four to Hoh pica The workers who have Workers in the American Engine and Aviation, get busy. Organize in the Metal Workers’ Industrial League and stop the attack on wages, Started the Fight for the 8-Hour| | Demonstrate HELP: « TO BUILD SOCIALISM This os one of the thousands of peasants who have been drawn into Soviet industries during the These peasants are being trained in the factory schools throughout the US.S.R. and are amongst the most enthusiastic workers in the new growing industries, The worker in course of the Five Year Plan. this picture has just received an increase in wages. | Supplies Fat (New York Seamen’s House Is A Huge Graft Enterprise Establishment “ on Money Collected by -M.C. A. Salaried Jobs for Preachers Broken Down (By a Worker Correspondent) NEW YORK.—The marine workers are getting a raw deai | at the new magnificent building built here in New York known as the Seamens House. The house was built by the Y.M.C.A. | out of funds collected from poor sailors and other suckers here ashore. This little et club constructed on West 20th St. and the riverfront is supposed to give the seamen a place to stay while in port. In reality it is a business house to weedle the hard earned dollars out of the pockets of the workitg class ‘o make profits for the idle rich. When a seaman enters this b even though he has the required 7: cents to pay for lthat he cannot use the building un- less he becomes a member—a member | of the Y.M.C.A! | This membership ONLY costs $2.00 jand on top of this the highest rates are charged in the pool room, cafe- teria and barber shop. And just crack one word of foc’sle lingo and out you go bag and baggage Where the Graft Comes in The building was opened in No- vember with a crowd of employees who knew the sea and the ways of \it. Now one can hardly see one of |them. They have all been discharged | just to place the big shots into good | salaries jobs. Preacher Draws Rake-Off First there is Southern preacher who draws a rake-off somewhere jaround $5,000 per year. The preacher |got his side-kick in as cz is Soon to become the busine | tary at about $4,000 a year. men all know this gent as a high- | minded, gray haired uplifter who had ja distressed sailor thrown out because ja supply of medicine for a certain |disease prevalent among workers of the sea was found in his room. The sea- Old Sailor of Battleship Potemkin Greets U.S. Seamen Dear Comrades: We, workers of the Soviet Union, are interested in the world. This interest is due to the fact that the workers of the foreign countries make it possible for us to fulfill our Five-Year Plan in the conditions of peace. capitalists of all the world have had no fear bfore the revolutionary movement, they would already a long time ago declare a war against the U.S.S.R. We are interested in the frame of mind of American seamen. We remember now the efficient aid towards the Russian Revolution on the part of foreign seamen in the Black Sea during the civil war. will never forget the name of the comrade, Andre Marti, who st°od at the head of sailors rebelling against the French imperialism and hindered in this way the military interven. The deed of Andre Marti, whose name is remembered here with love and respect, must become anexample for the seamen of the whole world. Now the workers, peasants and seamen must be ready for the destroying of capitalist system The revolutionary American seamen must lead this struggle. fore we are interested in the frame of mind among your seamen. Do write us, please, circumstancial letters and ask us about all in what you are in- tion into the young workers republic. in all the countries. _ terested. With revolutionary greetings, A worker of machine works in Kolomna—PETER PORTECHKO. Moscow U.S.S.R., Twerskaya, 3. . “Wodny Transport.” An Old Sailor of the battleship “Potemkin,” ALEKSEI The working masses of the U.S.S.n. er was a retired gentleman of 60 winters. When they opened this} hotel he was given this well-paying job. Incidentally a young comrade of the workers worked on’ this job at a small salary. He was fired to be re- | |placed by the friend of the racket- | eering clergyman. Listen, fellow workers of the sea, let us not be suckers. Let us de- | mand that this house be turned over | to the seamen and that the grafting preachers be thrown out. Wake up | and organize in the Marine Workers Industrial Union. Go down to the} headquarters of the union while ni Wort. The address of the New York Branch is 140 Broad St. Wages 19 Cents Moscow, U.S.S.R. life of workers in the whole We know, if the (By a Worker Correspondent.) OKLAHOMA CITY.—Let us not talk of feudalism and serfdom, let us talk, of the charitable system in Oklahoma City that has it beat. The Salvation Army is working men for the city at 19 cents per day, all in the name of Christ and char- ity. At the same time they pray for God to deliver us from the red hand of anarchism. The fake chari- ties and the police have succeeded in rounding up the unemployed in one group, and they call it Camp Erby. In this camp there are two police- men who tell them when they can go to bed and when they can or There- STEPANOVICH ZINOVIEV. ‘Ford Lies About Nouber E Employed in . Plant (By a Worker Correspondent.) DETROIT, Mich.—Mr, Ford's latest statement that 80,000 men are now on the payrolls at the River Rouge plant does not mean that all these men are working and getting paid. ;must get up. They are allowed to attend church, are not allowed to have any open-air meetings in the This is one of Ford’s new tritks to keep the workers from organizing @ new Hunger March to demand work and unemployment insurance. In the past two years I was given two months’ work. I was laid off camp and they are not allowed to have a dog or a cat. In this way the charities can feed them cheaper by letting them eat the garbage that rightfully belongs to the dogs and cats, W.T. A. again ten weeks ago, I am kept on the payroll like many other workers. We come down to the employment office every week, only to be told to come back next week. JLS. Bethlehem Steel Starts Back to Land Movement Realty Development, which is a sub- sidiary of the Bethlehem Steel Co., to loan out patches of land to some unemployed steel workers, Unemployed Must Get Their Own Seeds and Implements. The first statement in the press (Sun Paper) stated that seeds and implements would be loaned out to the unemployed steel workers. How- ever the next day revealed that this was an error as the Sun Paper an- nounced its regrets over making an error (that only small patches of land would be loaned out). Steel Workers Must Become Onion Growers. From 1905 to 1931 the total invest- ments of the Bethlehem Steel Mills increased from $40,000,000 to $681,- 000,000, the gross sales incieased from $14,500,000 to $342,000,000 yearly, the number of plants increased from 5 plants to 33 plants, the number of subsidiaries increased from 9 to 61, the total acreage of manufacturing Jand and real estate increased from 350 acres to 14,250 acres. ALL OF THIS ACCOMSPLISHED BY THE STEEL WORKERS although Charley Schwab accepts these accomplish- | ments as_his. So this ts the great reward for producing all this wealth. We must becomé onion and garlic growers and | seek out a pitiful existence after pro- ducing all this steel, making rails, building steel, tons of wire, tin, sheet, | In other words, after pro- | pipes. ducing all the necessities for develop- | ing the. industries to what they are now in 1932, we must be reduced to @ worse standard of living, as if we were living in the year 200 B.C. Maryland Official Commends. W. L. Fairbanks, director of sur- veying, Maryland Development Bu- reau, one of Ritchie's men, com- mends this “generosity of the Beth- Jehem Steel Co,” to allow the work- ers to raise vegetables this summer to keep hunger away from the doors of the unemployed steel workers. This servant of capitalism must get his answer from the steel workers. The Bethlehem Steel workers must give their answer to the Bethlehem Steel Co. Demand immediate relief , for the unemployed! Demand the Join the Metal Workers’ Industrial payment of unemployment and part- | League to carry on the fight in the | time insurance,)to be paid by the/| mill for unemployment and part- | bosses and city government! De- | time insurance! | mand immediate relief for all the | 4nd speed-up! lists of needy cases to be presented | by the committee to the Welfare | | Agency of Baltimore! What have you done in the haif- | dollar campaign? Piney Fork Miners Hit Cut (By a Worker Correspondent) is a lie, PINEY FORK, Ohio.—We miners | miners get it and the other-90 per of the Piney Fork Mines, No. 1 and | cent get $2.20 a day and must load No. 2, came out on strike because | 10 tons of coal to get it. the Hanna Coal Co, gave us a cut in.| Mr. Roush, boss of the mines, said wages amounting to 25 per cent.|that if the men would not go back This happened on March 23. The|to work he would take the rails out Hanna Coal Co, is the dirtiest com- jot the min® and put the cars on the pany in this part of the country. I| bum so thai the miners would never do not think that there is a com- | have work in the mines again. The pany as rotten as this outfit. | miners know that this is a lie. The The Stubenville Herald Star had | bosses cannot fool them to go back an item in their columns stating that | to work until they have won their the new scale is $3.20 a day, This ' demands. This running partner of the preach- | in Oklahoma City, Against wage-cuts | in Pay with Stubborn Strike Only 10 per cent of the | ‘MICH, CHARITIES GIVE LESS THAN 3 CENTS A MEAL Worker Hits Brucker’s Statement; Thousands Slowly Starve (By a Worker Correspondent) SAGINAW, Mich.—Our Governor Brucker said that there was no star- vation in Michigan, This is a lie. Thousands are- slowly starving all over the state, In our town the charity is paying $16.40 a month for a family of si This is exactly 3 and 1-27 cents per head per meal. Another family I know only gets $20 a month and | there are ten people in the family all | unemplo: This family has to be | satisfied to get along on 2 and 2-9 cents a meal per person. These are the true facts, so let the workers all over the U.S.A. judge for themselves if there is no starvation. I would like to see the big shots live on 2 and 2-9 cents per meal I think that it is high time for the workers | of this country to wake up and do a | little thinking. The best way for us to win anem- ais ment insurance and to organize | to overthrow the capitalist system is | to build strong Unemployed Coun- | cils and a one Cone Communist Party. R. R. WORKERS STAGGERED, | SPEEDED UP | Workers See | NeedB of | Real Rank and File Organization (By a Worker Correspondent.) NEW YORK.—Following the ten per cent cut on the New York Cen- tral Railroad an organizer came to | “organize” the 33rd St. freight station. I saw this organizer over a year ago, He never called the members of the dirty scab union to a meeting. We never knew what went on between |the bosses and the union fakers. We |found out, however, what was going on on February 19, because on that |day we got our pay. It was cut 10 per cent. | I had told the workers that the cut was coming and tried to form a group into a shop committee but failed. I explained to them that the National Railroad League is fighting jfor the six hour day without reduc- tion in pay and also for unemploy- ment relief and insurance, The workers now understand that what I said was right. They are against the fake union now alright. There are many new tricks being used by the slave drivers here. First |they lay off a group of workers and put them on extra. Then they give ten cars to each stevedore. Just three |days ago they took three men away, leaving three to do the work of six. |Car spotters were taken away and pier spotters were put in their place, | When the car spotters finish the job, {they are sent back to the pler. Very few of the men are working |full time for the starvation wages. | Now the organizer of the fake union comes along with offers of pie in the sky. The workers, however, are wise to this bird. They have learned of the role of the Brotherhood and are learning that the Trade Union Unity | League means -business in the fight against wage-cuts. Contemporaries By HENRY GEORGE WEISS: Resting by the side of the road, Capitalism lies covered with fes~ tering sores Hugging to its bosom A bag swollen with money; Across the road, Swinging a sickle, A young man in overalls Clearing ground for a grave, «s+