The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 5, 1933, Page 3

| abet cos amssnetnseiesmnmsemsr e sarangi ——— Page ‘larce Fight for Wage Increases and Shorter Hours Without Pay Cuts! NEW TRIAL FOR | BLUM WON FROM GOV. LEHMAN Was Railroaded by Parole Board to Sing Sing NEW YORK.—Governor Hetbert H. Lehman, in a letter to the New York District of the International Labor Defense, dated June 2, arinounced that Leon Blum, sécretary of the Laundry Workers Industrial Union who was railroaded by the State Parole Board to Sing Sing for three years will receive a néw hearing. Governor Lehman's letter culmi- nated a mass protest campaign in which the LL.D, the Trade Union |Protest for Gonshak | Urgent; Decision on | Case This Wednesday | NEW YORK.—An urgent call was issued Saturday by the International | Labor Defense~ and the Unemployed | Councils to all workers and workers’ organizations to immediately send telegrams, letters and resolutions to | | Judge Bernard L. Shientag, New) | York County Supreme Court, Center |and Pearl Sts. démanding the im~- mediate release of Sam Gonshak. | Gonshak was sentenced to the out- rageous term of six months to two years in the workhouse by Judge Au- relio after he was arrested in a dem- onstration at the Home Relief Bu- leer Spring and Elizabeth Sts. Judge Shientag is to give his deci- sion this Wednesday on a habeus writ sued by the ILD. on the grounds that the sentencé was illegal. The legal battle in court will be} futile without mass pressure backing Unity League, the Laundry Workers Industrial Union and other workéts| organizations took an active part. | It followed the presentation of de-| mands for Blum’s immediate rélease | } to the Governor in Albany by a| it, the LL.D. stated, calling workers to dethotistrate at the cotirt Wednes- day. BAKERS WARN OF FRAUD | Max delegation elected at a mass meet-| Sunshine, chaitman of the ing May 25 in Ambassador Hall. The | strike committee of A. F. of L. Bak- delegation was headed by Jacques|ers Union, Local 505, issued a warn- Butenkant, LL.D. attorney. Jing today against petty racketeers Workers and workers’ organizations; Who are collecting money from are urged to continue sending tele-| Workers on the false pretense of sup- | grams, letters and resolutions to| porting the strike which Locals 505 Governor Herbert H. Lehman, Albany,| and 507 are now conducting. q N. ¥., and to the New York State} “No individuals have been author- Parole Board, State Officé Building,| ized to solicit funds for the strike,” | Now York City, demanding the im-| Sunshine said. Workers are urged to médiate and uncoriditional releasé of| expose such fake solicitors wherever Leon Blum. they may be encountered. The Renegade Cliques at the Unemployment Conference By IL. AMTER | consider their political spokesman: National Secretary of the Unemployed | Norman Thomas. Councils | So They Are Building Socialism The conference last Saturday call- } ed by the Provisional United Front Committee to mobilize against the recent attacks of the city administra-| tion on the workers had sonie interest- | », ing and important sidelights. 3 Unitea as 1 Representatives of three opponent unemployed organizatiohs were there. ‘They were; the Workers Committee on Unemployment (led by Thomas and the so-called militants); Work- ers Unemployed League (the official Socialist Party) and the Association of the Unemployed toniies—renegades of the Communist Party). They proposed a united front plas Socialist leadership and con- tfol. ‘They proposed that there be a de- finite separation of the struggle of the tinemployed and employed work- ers, that unions and fraternal organi- zations be not allowed to carry their own banners, and that political par- ties be banned. ‘These threé gentlemen spoke one language—in this they were united. , °They forgot one thing though they | pretend they are against workers’ ' political parties participating, the | main spokesman of their delegation to go to City Hall, is not one who is connected with the unemployed move- ment, but one whom all three groups ded by Loves-| In the Soviet Union! In the resolution committee of the conference was one Trotzkyite. A resolution was introduced calling for ‘ecognition of and long term credits to the Soviet Union. The resolution committee added “where they are building Secialism and have already abelished unemployment.” The young | Trotzkyite objected to this, stating that he is cpposed to the idea that Socialism can be built in one country, jand thst he would vote against it. | However, after consulting his caucus jin the conference, he returned and stated that he would vote for it! The resolution was adopted unanimously. Weisbord Was Also There How could it be avoided! To proye that he is “still earnest” about the class struggle, he proposed a general strike. No, the conference did not go into a patoxysm of enthusiasm. It listened to him and then he de- parted. A few Trot@fyites supported the Trotzkyite proposal for a “six hour day, five day week, with no reduc- tion in pay’—just like the proposal of Green and Francis Perkins. But the rank and file in the conference properly exposed it as coming from people who have nothing todo with TRY 4 MILITANT | JOBLESS TODAY Fought Evictions and| Relief Cuts NEW YORK.—Four militant un- | employed workers are up for trial} today for their activities in fighting | against evictions and relief cuts. | Lavera, jobless leader in Boro Park will be tried today at 9 a.m. at Fourth Ave. and 43d St, He was pulled off a platform by police while address- ing an open air meeting and charged with disorderly conduct, Leon Taback, bfutally. beaten by cops during a Bfonx Home Relief Bureau demonstration, will go on trial tomorrow morning on a framed- up charge of assault at the court in Bergen Building, Bronx. ‘Iwo in Brooklyn In Brooklyn, Jacob Stock and John Russo, Will go on trial on a similar charge tomorrow morning at Spe- cial Sesssions, Smith and Schermer- | horn, Brooklyn. They, too, were bru- tally attacked by cops at a relief demonstration and in the police sta- tion after their arrest. Demonstrations at the cotrts are necessary to prevent the bosses from railroading these workets as in the Gonshak case, the New York Dis- trict ILD. stated today, in calling on all workers to crowd the courts to show thei solidarity with these mili- tant workers and bring maés pres- sure to bear for their release. to be very “revolutionary.” The conference was unanimous for the resolution of support to the work- ers in the shops in the struggle for the shorter work-wéek with no re- duction in weekly or monthly pay; support to gain wage increases. United Front Below?— Impossible! And finally in good Leon Trotsky style, the ‘Trotzkyites declared that “the united frorit locally cannot be | built. We must explore the whole national field and find out where we can build it nationally.” The resolution committee recom- | mended that “the Unemployed Coun- cils, together with representatives of the other unemployed organizations, should take energetic steps, on the basis of the decisions of the conven- tion that formed the National Fed- eration of Unemployed Organizations, to build local federations on the basis of representatives from the basic units of all unemployed organiza- tions in proportion to their organiza- tional strength.” This is impossible, in the mind of the Trotekyites—you must get per- mission from above—you must form the united front first at the top! Confidence Only In Themsélves In the elections that took place, the Trotzkyites and Weisbordites— eight strong—voted for nobody but themselves. As usual, they were ready with nominations of their group. Why not? If they have ho organizatioi— at least they can make noise. When members of the A. F. of “L. were hominated, all their hands rémained Rail Coordinator MILLINERY UNION Tow I Got Into Bill Goes to House Senate Passes Measure With No Provision’ Made for Men It Will Throw Out of Jobs Richberg, Brotherhood’s Counsel, Is Co-author of Les Donald Richberg, counsel. of the Railroad Brotherhoods, has been chosen general cotinsel for the In- dustrial Control Agency to be set up undér Roosevelt's proposéd National Industrial Recovery Bill, At the sarne time it was ahnounced that Rich- berg was co-author of this bill and algo of the rail czar act. This ex- plains his statément before the House Interstate Commerce hearings that there was no use opposing bills if the administration was behind them. Although Richbetg was co-author of the coordinator bill, labor clauses were omitted in the original draft. Amendments sirice proposed by the Brotherhoods have been accepted by the administration. But these am- endments make no provision what- ever for helping the 60,000 men and their families, thé compromise num- ber to be laid off yearly under the tail czar. Richberg, however, will be rewarded with a steady job arid sub- stantial salary as counsel for the government, According to Representative Ray- butn, the coordinator bill, which passed the Sériate last week, will be reported by the House Committee without changing the labor amend- ments. The “Forgotten” Men It seéms that the men on thé small Shaky roads, which are slated to go out of existence in the coming re- organization, have been forgotten by both the Brothérhoods and the ad- ministfation. Can the proposed rail dictator insist that these roads con- tinue to operate? And if they cease to exist, what will happen to the employes? ‘These are some of the questions being asked by railroad men. The bill makes no provision for the prosperous roads to take over employes of another defunct road. Seniority is not recognized on # road belonging to another system. It is & safe bet to figure that another 25,000 men will be laid off through liquidation of the small shaky roads. The small bankrupt roads which are to be squeézed out are usually leased by the larger roads. These roads will simply cancel these leases in the interest of “economy.” The bill en- cotirages such acts. Insist on Pensions and Relief At the Washington hearings the Railroad Employes’ National Pension Association proposed that layoffs be provided for by pensioning the older men. Such a remedy, of course, would not solve the problem. For even if every man 65 years of age or over were retired from service, this would involve only 50,000 men the first year and a few thousand a year thereafter. down. When Weisbord was to be vot- ed on—the united caucus voted—yes, the labor movement, and who wish sir, eight strong. But the roads are opposed to even this, and, as Joseph Eastman of the Interstate Commerce Commission de- By R. B. HUDSON The Confgrence of Skip Delegates and Ship Visitors.held by the Marine Workers Industrial Union in New York on May 28 was of outstanding importance, The Ship delegate is*the best or- ganizer and main builder of the Marine Workers Industrial Union. Ships remain in port only a few days. ‘This means that the union cannot be in the union hall but miist travel and function wherevér the ship goes. Port organizers and full time offi- cials of the Union have the oppor- tunity to speak to members of the crew for only half an hour or an hour at the most. Even this means “of establishing contact is becoming increasingly difficult. In this basic industry, so import- ant in the imperialist war plans, the ‘\government and shipowners are tak- | ing every possible precaution, threugh Vspecial watchmen and other mea- sures, to hinder the activities of the revolutionary movement. The Union can maintain permanent contact with the ships only through Ship Dele- gates, who as members of the crew are able to react to all their grievan- ces and issues when they arise, ut- ilizing these issues for the purpose of creating organization and develop- ing struggle, building ship commit- tees and recruiting new members in- to the Union. s Also the activities of the ship vis- itors, who visit ships while in port and aid the work of the delegates and lay a basis for their activities, are not to be underestimated. The tremendous amount of this work to be done in the industry makes it im- possible to merely.rely, upon the work of a few full time function- aries. The utmost attention must be paid toward developing the initiative of the rank and file members and involving them i the daily work of le union. “Smell the Ships Coming” ‘The Conference was attended by delegates from Baltimore, Philadel- phia and New York. Out of 50 de- legates, only 6 were from the Na- sional Buro, 9 functionaries from the various ports, and the remaining 36, most of whom spoke, participate in she daily activities of the Union as 3hip Delegates eee Visitors. _ These delegates, with their close sontact with the industry, gave a yood picture of the conditions on the ihips which were aptly summarized vy one reporter when he said, “On the Bull and Munson Line condi- tips coming into port” in Teestds thd; the sentiment of the men he also e eee ier that different i matter.” On this line récently a consider- ableynumber of men have joined the Union—but the problem of “getting them to do something” requires the consolidation of these new members into ship groups and conimittees, by the Ship Delegates and Port Organ- izers, which will then provide the ne- cessary organization and leadership to fight against the rotten conditions. “Getting the Men to Do Something” Around this question of “getting the men to do something” the dis- cussion mainly centered. Bianca, re- porting for the Buro, pointed out that “the first task of the ship de- legate is not to see how many men he can line up, but how many guys he can involve in the struggles for bettering the conditions and fighting against wage cuts and out of these struggles will come the members of the Union and the establishment of solid organization on the ships.” Bianca dealt in detail with some of the recent struggles on the Mun- son Line ships where, by utilizing the sentiment against the practice of withholding the crews’ pay, the Union had been able on a number of occasions to unite the crews on this issue and force the company to grant their demands. Bianca em- phasized that on all ships there are issues around which the crew can be rallied if the Union has contact with these ships through Ship Delegates and if the ship delegates make cor- rect use of these issues as a basis for organizing ship committees. Persistent Friendly Approach ‘The report of one delegate ee ticularly illustrated how a persist- ent, but friendly, approach can break down many prejudices and illusions that stand in the way of organiza- tion. He had concentrated on a ship with a mixed crew. Negro and white, where racial prejudice was very strong. Through making use of the “Marine Workers’ Voice” and the Daily Worker, and through his stress, especially the Scottsboro case, he had been able after a few trips to win the confidence of the majority of the crew, lined up several members, both Negro and white, and laid the ba~ sis for a ships’ committee. Intoler- ant attitudes toward workers who were not members or did not com- pletely agree with us was criticized by many of the speaktrs. Seamen Ready for Union and Struggle Speaker after speaker reported on the organizational results that can be obtained when the proper ap- proach is used. Gne Ship Delegate lining up 12 members in a mittee. Revclutionaty literature and propaganda was used very effectively on this ship, although the Delegate was criticized for being overzealous and throwing the capitalist papers and magazines overboard as a means of forcing the créw to read red li- terature. Importance of Union Propaganda The importance of the Union's pro- paganda was brought out by many delegates. One delegate from Bal- timore had not met success with the crew of a certain ship until he dis- tributed copies of the Scratch House News, and on the basis of one ar- ticle in this Bulletin he succeeded in lining up four members. Articles in the “Voice” have been instrumental in developing struggles on several occasions according to several of the reporters who also emphasized the importance of guard- ing against exaggerating in the press, The propaganda work of the Union is becoming well organized, and in addition to the “Voice,” which ap- pears regularly, fourteen Bulletins are published by the Branches in the various ports, Slogans Must Meet Concrete Con- ditions The importance of having clear demands was illustrated by one de- legate, who reported that the crew did not respond to the slogan for 3 watches ahd were willing to accept the 2 watch system (12 hour day), Discussion brought out that when the men were on 3 watches they had to work at night, which they did not like to do, and our demand legate and the Port Organizing Com- no struggle occurred. This was due primarily to the fact that the Ship Delegate Had not previously conduc- ted any partial struggles against the many grievances on the ship which would have given the crew greater confidence, established stronger or- ganization instead of just union members and prepared them to react to larger issues, Progresg and Weakness of Recent Work The Conference discussed the sig- nificance of the recent struggles in the industry, which indicate matur- ing mass struggles, and the progress of the membership drive, and espe- cially the favorable results obtained in one company. It was pointed out that while over 150 members have re- cently been lined up in this company and @ number of struggles developed, nevertheless we did not have a firm base of committees on the ship cap- able of reacting to the various is- sues. At the Conference, and meeting of the National Buro which follow- ed, the question of consolidating Ship Committees on this company and developing a United Front Movement in support of Company demands and preparations for a company strike through the development of a num- ber of job action and popularization of company demands was dealt with. A number of Ship delegates were as- signed by a unanimous vote of the Conference to carry out these tasks as the most important steps to be taken in preparation for the Na- tional Convention of the Union that will be held in New York on July should have been 3 watohes with no night work. Necessity of Unemployed Work That the army of unemployed can be used as a great stimulus to the work on the ship was brought out by one delegate, who reported most of the members lined up on his ship had been on the basis of the unem- ployed struggles and activities lead by the union and Unemployed Coun- cil in New York. The experience of many delegates 16, 17 and 18. The Conference must result in an energetic drive to complete the mem- bership drive. The decisions regard- ing concentration must be carried out and carefully checked up on and the work of the Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and New Orleans Branches closely coordinated. The results of the coming month will largely be de- termined by the work of the ship de- legates who participated in the Con- ference, especially those who accept- pointed out that there must be the closest cooperation between the Ship Delegates and the forces working ashore. The tendency to quit the ship because conditions were rotten instead of staying on the ship and changing coriditions through organ- ized action was especially combatted. “Must Belong to Union to Strike” A number of wrong examples and methods of work were cited. On one ship where the crew wanted to take action a Ship Delegate had told them they couldn’t strike because reported few trips. This was accomplished largely through the correct coordina- tion of work between the Ship De- they didn’t belong to the Union. Re- cently there was a wage-cut on & ship with 16 members aboard, but \ ed specific assignments. Particular stress must be laid up- on consolidating our membership, many of whom have joined in recent months, into definite groups on ships and docks, thus insuring that the major representation at the Con- yention will be elected from ship and | dock groups. In preparation for the Convention considerable importance rislation Attacking Rai! Workers must be attached to the Anti-war Festival which should receive sup- port of all workets that is to be held in the Starlight Stadium on a 3. bet eogrey raising ae ‘or support of Convention, jared, the government is also op- yosed to using mofity this way. As | + matter of fact the roads are mak- | ing every effort to reduce their Dre- | sent pension obligations and will suc- | ceed unless thé Brotherhoods fight | for the rights of the perisioned em- | ployes in plate of profits for the | coupon élippers. | ‘The right to Itve comes before | any other claim,” asserted H. Shaw, | Editor of Unity News, spéaking against the coordinator bill on be- half of the Railroad Brothethoods' | Unity Committee. “The only way the | Tights of a million railroad workers will be placed above profiteering is | for railroad labor to reftise to ac-| cept thé provisions of this bill just | as they must refuse to accept further | wage Clits,” continued Shaw in a) statement published in the June issue | of Unity News. “The proposed bill,” explained | Shaw, “means the stfengthening and legalization by the Federal govern- | ment of the attacks of the roads against the men. As a matter of | recotd, the very purposes of the bill | have been catried out before its pas- | sage, and will continue to be car- | ried out whether the bill passes or | not. That is, UNLESS rail labor takes | independent, organized action to pro- tect itself from unemployment, wage | cuts and violation of working rules. | “We must refuse to accept layoffs unless the miefi are adequately com- | pensated through regular weekly or | monthly payments until unemploy- | ment insurance is won... It is our contention that BEFORE the govern- ment puts itself back of any measure depriving workers of their livelihood, these Workers must be assured an adequate means of existence.” In conclusion, Shaw showed that $99 millions in dividends had been paid by the roads last year; that they paid $100 million jn interest on watered stock and hundreds of mil- lions in large salaries to executives. This money should and can go at once to pay adequate yearly incomes | for a quarter of a million unem- ployed railroad workers. Scrapping of present obsolete rail- road equipment and purchase of only such modern equipment as will cut down parts, make repairs easier and reduce maintenance, is proposed by L, F. Loree of the Delaware & Hud- son Railroad. He has been able to build a gondola car of 2,400 pieces instead of the former 4,600 pieces. A saving of 3,691 pieces in a 15,000 piece locomotive is also possible. “Such equipment,” he said, “would cut the heart out of maintenance costs." Cutting cut the heart, to Loree, means, of course, cutting out jobs. To maintain even the present shop forees hours will be staggered and the railroad chiefs are right on the job getting ready for the Lorees. ‘They are seeing President Roosevelt about a six-hour day for railroad workers, but they say nothing about maintaining weékly and monthly earnitigs on an 8-hour basis. The Senate investigation of the 6-hour day slid unless wages were reduced | accordingly the change would cost | the roads too much. Only organiza- tion of the railroad workers for a six- hour day with 8 hours pay will force this relief measure through Congress. | Stage and Screen | REVIE OF THE SOVIET FILM “THE RETURN OF NATHAN BECKER” By PETER BOLM Nathan Becker, @ bricklayer, after spending 28 years in America, decides to return to White Russia, his native Jand. He goes back with the idea of bringing his strength, technical skill and experience to help in the work of Socialist reconstruction. Twenty-eight years of intense, economic struggle-to-live in America have left their mark on Nathan Becker, He has become a machine, an automatic robot; and cannot un-) derstand any methods of work other | than those to which he is accustom- | ed. The American back-straining high speed method of work is the one that he knows. The new type of Soviet worker whom he now meets, a new man with a new outlook on life, is incomprehensible to him. Learns Difference On the construction job where he is working, he sees for the first time in operation the new scientific meth- ods of labor and of training workers used by the Central Institute of Labor, He laughs at what appears to him comical, theatrical stunts, but his worship of industrial “American- ism” receives a shock when he is beaten in a bricklaying competition by one of the Russian workers who makes use of the carefully thought- out modern methods that Nathan Becker despises. After a short period of discouragement, Nathan Becker finds his feet in the Soviet world Soviet Union the machine is regard- ed as the servant of labor, and all that 1s symbolized by the slavery of the American worker to the moving pelt has been done away with in the workers’ country, the Soviet Union. WHAT'S ON Monday #UGENE DEBS BR ILD MASS DEFE: park East, § p.m. ise for defense i MEETING, 380 B p.m. Auspices, East Side Br. Good speakers. Adm. free. JEWELERY WORKE! A special membership meeting of the Jéweltty Workers Industrial Union to dis- cuss unity among the workers in the trade will be held tomorrow, 6:30 p.m. at Labor Temple, 14th St. and Second Aye. a ANTI-FASCIST MASS Grand St, of WIR, | | OF HUNGER” HEAD IN FRAUD Zaritsky Reports Fake Wage Increase | NEW YORK —Zaritsky, president| of the A. F. of L. milliners’ union, stated in the capitalist press last week that the union had gained a| World War Vetera 15 per cent increase in wages for all| union shops and had even caused non-union shops to raise rates | This is a case of bare-faced lying by & go-called labor official in sup- | Army of Jobless Railroad Workers n, With Ten Years Seniority Rights, Describes His Own Experiences By W. s., a Railroad Worker Correspondent. It was back in 1917 that I first took up the work of railroad telegrapher, pott of the Roosevelt campaign to phe telegraph end of it had already been displaced, to a large extent, by produce “prosperity’ on paper. The Daily Worker has definite proof of wage cuts in millinery shops in the last week, shops controlled by Zarit- sky's union. MANSIONS AND MARSHALS | four million of our workers to enter | | the bloody work of mass murder to} twenty thousand dollar a year heads | protect their loans to the allies and) What's the connection? John Pierpont Morgan, who maintains mansions at 231 Madi- |Cove, Long Island; sat before a| |Senate Investigating Committee | jand absently announced that he | doesn’t remember paying any in- |come tax for the past three years. | | Mrs. Max Dinn, 1305 Longfellow | Ave., Brenx, stood before an offi- | cial of the Home Relief Bureau Jand repeated: “The marshal is | putting my furniture out on the | | street. They're throwing me out.” | | | John Pierpont Morgan pays no income tax and the Home Relief Bureaus pay no rent. Read the connection in: “NEW -YORK—METROPOLIS Statting Wednesday, June 7 | 10 Months’ Pay for 12 |MonthsWork for Pilots By a Marine Worker Correspondent NEW YORK CITY. — The Pilots were lucky last year they got 10) months pay for 12 months work, pi-/| loting ships into and out of New York} harbor for the shipowners who got fat mail contracts from the generous gov- | ernment. And then the manager of the Black Diamond line told them to use their | influence “to see that the government | don’t cuteout the mail contracts, for If they do, you fellows won't get paid | for your piloting.” The Munson line is the worst com- pany out of New York to get paid from. They pay you when you catch} them. | (By Labor Research Assn.) The Munson Steamship Line is one of the shipping companies which | receives a government subsidy. The | Munfon line received $1,433,000 as its | ermpensation for mail carrying dur- ing the year ending June 30, 1931. Of this amount, all but $242,737 came from the government. Trial of Anti-Fascist Fighters | Trial of workers arrested at the | anti-fascist demonstration May 25, | will come up June 13 and not today as announced Saturda; GIANT PAGEANT Participated by 400 JUNE 25th Starlight Stadium Auspices: Marine Workers WATCH FOR DETAILS! Artists SALE—Entire content of seven room artment near Central Park; $150. Net ‘ofit $25 monthly, Four rooms rented. Street, Apt. YOUNG COUPLE— alternate weeks free, seek couple with car to vaeation together on share-expense basis. I, K. R. care of The Daily Worker. GARMENT DISTRICT MENTION THE DAILY WORKER DENIS WHOLESALE AND RETAIL FLORIST FLORAL DESIGNS A SPECIALTY 101 W. 28th St., New York PHONE: LACKAWANNA 4-2470 PATRONIZE SEVERN’S CAFETERIA 7th Avenue at 30th St. Best Food at Workers Prices Garment Section Workers Patronize Navarr Cafeteria, 333 7th AVENUE Corner 28th St. DOWNTOWN Phone: TOmpkins Square 6-9554 John’s Restaurant SPECIALTY—ITALIAN DISHES A place with atmosphere where all radicals meet 302 E. 12th St. New York JADE MOUNTAIN American & Chinese Restaurant 197 SECOND AVENUE Ret. 12 & 13 Welcome to Our Comrades I every day 3 to 5 p. m, 10 West 65th | 4. | rac fon Ave.; Matinicock Point, Glen | | “democracy” in | their comrades died, and for which | they |filling in for the extra day which the telephone. Thé war in Europe had been raging three years, and every factory was busy turning out materials with which to murder millions of — ikes,” which promise he has kept, workers. And preparations wete be-| so far as he was concerned. ing made under the cover of paci-) But railroad workers were laid off for demot- that which ake the world safe Workers can now see action, for were forced to kill other workers. Drafted I had not been with the Pennsyl- vania Railroad long before my name| was called in the “selective draft.” This is the one place where workers belong to the “select.” I spent thir- teen months in the army, nearly ten of these thirteen in foreign service Then, haying made the loans of the | bankers safe (so they thought), I re- | turned to my job of making further profits for them in the railroad busi- ness. The greed of the “widows and orphans,” who are supposed to own the road according to the ee | knew no bounds. Bigger engines, longer trains, fewer block stations, | fewer stations, fewer clerks, longer | | fism and the slogan, “He kept us out| everywhere possible. The fall of of war,” for our capitalists to force) 193i saw the first general cut in the | road workers’ pay. The ten and of the railroad workers unions agreed to a 10 per o cut, without consulting the members, “to stabilize employment And was employment stabilized? Hardly had the ink dried on that infamous agreement when they started slashing again. Where we thought they had cut deep, they cut deeper. Men were sent home right and left. Trains were taken off. Signal ers closed. Signal main- tainers laid off. Trainmen laid off. Clerks, operators, station agents, trackmen, in fact everywhere, even in the officials’ offices, jobs were con- solidated and workers laid off, and those still left on the job speeded up to do the work. Taking several bil- lion dollars from the railroad work+ ers’ wages had not helped to stabil- ize falling capitalism one bit. Speed-Up The speed-up on some jobs became terrific. Get the work out. Get it out in the alloted time if you cart sections with fewer men. The “in- | creased efficiency” went on at &| you can’t, because it won't be rapid pace. So rapid, in fact, that iD aliowed. Some departments, as the 1928, when most of us still believed signal department, went on a four- that “prosperity was our natural) day week, but still they have many state” and “we could never have }men unemployed. Trainmen went another depression,” I found myself | on a maximum mileage month, but without a steady job in spite of the! sti many trainmen roam the streets ten years seniority rights which I) signal towers and stations continued had accumulated, and the ability) t) close. Older men in service dis- which I had of handling most ed) placed younger ones. And finally I mn had no place to go. So I went home Staggering to join the unemployed army and So I cut loose from the Pennsy| starve for the sacred profits of the But don’t put in any overtime, if and went to work for the New York) Central. The operators and sigial- men on this road had just gone on a six-day week, with a loss of pay, | of course. I very shortly landed a steady job, on a relief schedule,| the regular men wete off. Every man in the telegraph department was supposed to have a day off per week. But the relief men got their in | three pieces. The first two days he| would work from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. The next two, ftom 3 p.m. until 11 p.m.* And the last two from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. So on his relief day,| he got through at 7 a.m., after | having worked most of the night, | and had to go to work at 7 am. the} next day. Everything went along pretty smooth until 1929, when the pros- perity ballyhoo was the loudest, and| the so-called best-minds and fore- | ; Most individuals of the nation as-/| WORKERS’ | sured us that there was no reasons | why the stock market should not/| go higher and there was no depres- | sion in sight. Suddenly the stock) market crashed and capitalism went) into a tailspin. Even then they con- tinued to assure us that prosperity was just around the corner. During the short intervening time, “there would be no wage cuts.” President Green, presuming to speak for or- ganized labor, faithfully assured his bosses that “there would be no capitalists. The question uppermost in the | minds of the capitalists, ever since the depression started, is, how many | can we lay off and still keep firmly in power? How little can we give the working class without their becoming so resentful that they will organize and unseat us and set up a govern- mefit of ‘their’ own, and run industry for their own benefit, How can we prevent the working class from taking their historic role in the destiny of mankind? Can we, when the time comes, establish a fascist dictatorship and maintain power by force? The answer to the capitalists’ nightmare i found in the growing Communist Party, the Unemployed Councils, the radical trade unions, the unity of workers of all races and colors, and the growing revolt of the farmers. A great many times during the past year they have had to call on the militia to put down uprisings. How long can they depend on the militia? (By Labor Research Assn.) The New York Central Railroad is linked, through the First National Bank of New York, to the Morgan group. This road has been paying its president at the rate of $60,000 @ year. If, for example, we took a see- tion hand who was earning $1,000 a year, the salary paid the New York Central president would cover the pay of 80 such workers a year! You Need Fire Insurance! Call upon A KANEVSKY 245 Fifth Ave. ‘Tel. Lex. 2-9397 Also any other line of insurance " WORKERS—EAT AT THE Parkway Cafeteria 1638 PITKIN AYENUE Brooklyn, bea tar Hopkinson Ave. 4 Oculist Prescriptions Fitted At One-Halt Price IIR: White Gold Filled Frames. ZYL Shell Frames ~——. Lenses not included COHEN’S, 117 Orchard St. First Door Oft neey Bt. Telephone: ORvhird 4-4520 Hospital $1.50 + 81,00 All Comrades NEW HEALTH CE Meet at the NTER CAFETERIA| CAMP UNITY Wingdale, N. Y. is get —For Information Call:— ting ready to open for the Summer Season ESTABROOR #1400 WATCH OUR PRESS Camp Phone FOR MORE DETAILS WINGDALE 51 Camp Nitged During the Whole Month of June Vacation place for every worker and his family is being operated for the benefit of the a 1 g et BEACON, N. Y. Communist Party NEW YORK DISTRICT | $13.00 per week | | Including all taxes ! ° NO ADDITIONAL COLLE! Regular Daily Activities Baseball, Basketball, Tennis, Soccer, Volley Ball Swimming Races — Dancing a ictaiiiaiietdisiaibinty A EBB: nina eaten Camp cars leave daily from 2790 Bronx Park F, For information call Estatrook &-1400 TAKE YOUR VACATION EARLY IN CAMP NITGEDAIGET AND HELP THE COMMUNIST PARTY Ww cK ENDS 1 Day $2.45 2 Days $445 ‘CTIONS WILL BE MADE