The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 12, 1934, Page 3

DRIVE OPENED TO ORGANIZE HALF MILLION STEEL WORK [YOUTH CONGRESS [Riot Charge|AnnualCouncil/SALES TAX IN OHIO Legion Heads TO HOLD SESSIONS Helds Phoenix Parley to Open DESIGNED TO PLACE IN CAPITAL, JAN. 4 Siecl-aica| Issues Call -In Youngstown Workers Urged to Build! Powerful Fighting Association YOUNGSTOWN, O., Dec. 11.—In & move for a drive to organize a half-million steel workers into one Powerful union, the Youngstown district of the Steel and Metal Work- ers Industrial Union, in a statement just issued calls upon its members in the steel mills and all other steel workers to join the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of the A. F. of L, The Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union will concentrate its efforts among the million and a half work- ers engaged in machine manufacture In the statement, the S.M.W.1.U. expresses emphaNically that, “We do not join the A. A. to unite with Mike Tighe, (president of the A.A.) but to unite with our brothers, the membership of the A.A. to fight for the program and interests of the rank and file.” The statement in full follows: The calling off of the June 16 strike and the appointment of the Steel Labor Relations Board solved no problems for the workers, The workers have not won a single im- portant case before that board. The conditions against which the men prepared to strike last Spring have become worse, not better. The ex- periences of the past seven months have taught many lessons te the steel workers and to many local dis- trict officials of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers. Chief among these lessons are the impossibility of depending on the N.R.A., the Labor Board and the Government, and the burning need for united militant action as the only means of winning their demands, The need of one solid mass union for the whole steel industry is greater today than ever before, It was in the hope of building such a union that the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union was founded in 1929, at a time when the A. A. was only a small union of 5,000 hot mill workers and was mak- ing no efforts to organize the 495,000 unorganized steel workers. The pos- sibilities of the S.M.W.LU. becom- ing such a mass union continued for @ long time, even after the N.R.A. and the influx of thousands of new members into the A. A. The A. A. has in its ranks today thousands of members who have the same de- sires, needs and aims as the mem- bers of the'S.M.W(1.U., and who are extremely anxious to achieve unity of action and organization of the steel workers. The S.M.W.LU. always stood and fought for unity. We proposed a United Front to the A. A. repeatedly last spring and summer. We were always ready to join in the calling of a Unity Congress of all steel workers organizations for the pur- pose of forming one united indus- t#.al union under rank and file control. That this unity was not achieved was not our fault nor was it the fault of the rank and file of the A. A, But Unity MUST be had at all costs, except at sacrifice of principle. Though united in needs and aims, the steel workers are still organiza- tionally divided. This must be changed if the struggle against com- pany unions, for the 30-hour week with higher wages, etc., is to be suc- cessful. The 8.M.W.LU. is determined to let no obstacle stand in the way of the unification of the steel work- ers’ forces. It is this burning desire for unity that leads us, after thorough delib- erations by the National, District and Local bodies of the S.M.W.LU., to take an historic step. We hereby announce that the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union is with- drawing from the steel industry (It will continue to work among the million and a half metal workers who remain mostly unorganized— Editor) and calling upon all our members and supporters to join the corresponding lodge of the A.A. and to join hands with the A.A, mem- bers in a drive to build up the most powerful union this country ever knew. In doing this we make clear that we have not changed our opinions of the actions and policies of the International Executive Board of the A, A. or the Committee of Ten. We do not join the A. A. to unite with Mike Tighe, but to unite with our brothers, the membership of the A, A. to fight for the program and interests of the rank and file. Although the S.M.W.LU, withdraws from the steel industry, its fighting traditions and policies must and will live on, They must be carried into the A. A. and become a part. of its principles and policies. ‘There was never a time in the his- tory of America when the workers of any industry needed or wanted a powerful, militant organization more than do the steel workers today. In our opinion no better step can be taken today towards the building of such an organization than the unit- ing of the S.M.W.L.U, and A.A. mem- bers in the one organization. The united forces of the SM.W.1U, members who join the A. A. and the splendid rank and file already in the A.A. can launch an organiza- tional drive which can sweep the ~ industry—a drive even greater than that of 1919, and one which will profit by the lessons of 1919-34. It is with these intentions and the desire and ifrm determination to help build a mass powerful Amalga- mated Association representative of, responsible to, and controlled by the steel workers themselves that we evil upon all mill workers to join the A. A., and that we place all our forces at the disposal of the Amalga- | mated Association, JOE DALLET, District Secretary, Steel and Metal Philadelphia, Pa. DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1934 Symposium on Congress | Will Be Held Dec. 21 in Washington In preparation for the great Na- | tional Youth Congress to be held | in the Masonic Auditorium, Tenth | and U Streets, Washington, D. C., on Jan, 4 and 5, at which repre- sentatives of hundreds of thousands of youth will meet to discuss ways | and means of putting the program adopted at the First American | Youth Congress into action, regional | congresses are being held through- out the country to mobilize the youth in support of the National | Congress. | The arrangements committee for the Chicago Regional Congress con- | sists of representatives of the Stu- dent Council of the Central Y. M. C. A. College, the Industrial Girls League of the Y. W. C. A., the City- wide Council of the Business and Professional Women of the Y. W. C. A., the Young Communist League, the Young Peoples Socialist League, the International Negro Movement, | the Young Circle League, Youth Section of the I. W. O., the Workers Committee on Unemployment and the Unemployment Councils. The arrangements Oommittee, after discussion on the program adopted at the American Youth Congress, passed a motion to “hold a regional youth congress based in the main on the program of the American Youth Congress with the purpose of localizing and concretiz- ing methods of improving the lot | of Chicago youth.” To Hold Symposium The first session of the congress, which will be a welcoming mass meeting at the New England Con- gregational Church, 19 W. Dela- ware, Dec. 21, will be featured by a symposium by representatives of the Republican, Democratic, Socialist and Communist Parties on the topic, “What is the attitude of my party toward the program of the Amer- ican Youth Congress.” Sessions of the congress proper will start at the Y. M. C. A, 59 E. Monroe, at 2 p.m. Dec. 22. Seven commis- sions wil? be formed on problems of youth in industry, unemployment and social insurance, the interna- tional situation, crisis in education, child welfare, and racial relations. Among the other endorsers of the call for the Regional Congress are the Pilgrims Baptist Church (one of the largest Negro churches on the South Side), Arthur Falls, chair- man of the Inter-Racial Commis- sion of the Chicago Urban League, the presidents of the youth groups in the West Ridge Community Church and the Temple Bnai Israel and many others. In Ann Arbor, scene of the first Regional Congress in Michigan, there will be held the broadest youth gathering ever held in the State. Among the long list of en- dorsers of the call to the congress are the Y. W. and Y. M,C. A,, the Boy Scouts, the Cgmpfire Girls, the Michigan Council of Religious Edu- cation, the League of Catholic Wom- en, the Jewish Community Center of Detroit, and the American Boy Magazine. The arrangements committee, states, “The importance of the Mich- igan Youth Congress in connection with prospective youth legislation, | both State and federal, is a sub- | ject that has aroused keen interest and debate among political, educa- tional and sociological groups throughout the State of Michigan.” It is expected that this enormous interest will result in the presence of over a thousand delegates at the congress which will take place Dec. 14 to Dec, 18. New England Rallies In New Haven, Conn.,a call jointly endorsed by the Inter-Club Council of the Y. M. C. A. and Young Communist League has been sent to all organizations, calling on them to participate in a conference, Dec, 15, at the ¥. M. ©, A. These Regional Congresses will discuss the program adopted at the American Youth Congress held last August in New York University, will Propose changes and ways and meens of putting the program into effect in the particular region and will elect delegates to the National Congress which will take steps to carry out the program nationally, WHAT'S ON RATES: 35c for 8 lines on weekdays. Friday and Saturday 50c. Extra charge Notices must be in previous day. Canton Commune Commemoration, Saturday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. at Girard Manor, 911 W. Girard Ave. Speakers: Hansu' Chan, editor China Today: Mother Bloor: also Workers Mandolin Orchestra, Workers Chorus and Play by Nature Friends. Commemoration Event under auspices of I.L.D. Adm. 5c. Tickets at the door. Film and Photo League of Phila. presents Eisenstein's masterpiece “Potemkin,” also Dredging-Canoe Rythm; Littoral-Film Sketch; Tom Mooney; Cannon Fodder; Sunday, Dec. 16, three shows: 7, 9, 11 p.m. at Federation Building, 1206 Walnut Philadelphia District tion Saturday, Dec. starting at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16, starting at 10 a.m. at 1033 Girard Ave. See that your organization is represented. Anna Damon, acting national organi- zational secretary, will report. ILD. Conven- 45, Paterson Lecture by Dr. S, Littman on “Health of the Worker,” Sunday, Dec. 15, 8:30 p.m. at Junion Order Hall, Union and Smith Sts. Newark, N. J. Tilustrated lecture by Thomes Cobb, just returned from the Soviet Union, en “Soviet Russia—A New World,” 901 Bread St. Auspices Jack London Club. Adm. 25c. Time: Thursday, De- cember 13, 8:30 p.m. Evening of Revolutionary Plays given by Jack London Theatre in conjunc~ tion with Y.C.L. at West Side High Workers Industrial Union. Chicago Unemployed Agree To Continue United Front Action CHICAGO, Til., Dec. 11—Vot- ing to continue the united front welded between the Unemploy- ment Council and the Workers’ Committee on Unemployment Local 19 for the gigantic Nov. 24 march, the executive committee of the Workers’ Committee on Unemployment decided at its last meeting to elect a joint grievance committee with the Council. The joint committee, which will number not less than twelve, will take up all griev- ances directly with the relief station. The local also acted on a united front call against the is- suance of contaminated F. E. R. A. canned meat. Both groups will hold a joint open hearing on Thursday at 1507 East Fifty- fifth Street. Soviet Friends Protest Ban In Roumania Protesting against the suppression of the Roumanian Friends of the Soviet Union, the National Execu- tive Committee of the Friends of the Soviet Union in the United States, sent a resolution of protest today, to Ambassador Charles A. Davila, the Roumanian ambassador Other startling charges were pre- sented against the Roumanian gov- ernment to the effect that “pass- ports of Roumanian delegates to the Soviet Union have heen taken away and the delegates sub- jected to an unwarranted search of Strike Leader In Washington p, URDEN ON POOR |\Courageous Socialist|Sessions Will Follow) _ Defends Communist at Court Trial | PHOENIX, Ariz, Dec. 11 (By | Mail) —Clay Naff, unemployed leati- jer and Communist candidate for governor in the last elections, was |convicted last week by a Superior Court jury on charges of “riot.” Naff was released on bond he had pre- viously posted, and Judge Speak- man set sentence Monday, Dec. 17, at 1:30 p.m. The maximum penalty jis two fine, or both, Naff and 27 others were arrested jon Sept. 6 when police, acting di- |rectly uder the orders of Gov. |B. B. Moeur, an ex-klansman, jlaunched a fierce attack upon a {demonstration of 3,000 striking F. E. R, A. workers. | One of the witnesses in the trial, | James B. Carr, a militant Socialist | worker, was sentenced to jail when |he refused to keep quiet in the court |and permit the outrageous frame-up of Naff. Just before the defense |rested its case, Carr was brought before the court. He announced that he was entering on a hunger strike to protest aaginst unjust judgment. He was returned to a cell when his testimony was fin- ished. In his testimony, Naff defended |the right of workers to organize, |strike and picket. He spiked the arguments of the prosecution that the workers were responsible for the fight that ensued when the po- lice attacked the F. E. R. A. strikers. Another defense witness, Kirk McGlocklin, a mechanic and sub- foreman on F. E. R. A. work, plac- ing his very existence in jeopardy, testified that he saw Lon Jordan, deputy to Sheriff J. R. McFadden, strike Naff several times on the back of the head, and that when Naff fell, the officer kicked him Following the trial of Naff, the 27 other workers who were arrested with him were placed on trial be- fore Judge David W. Ling, of the Superior Court. Each face the same years imprisonment, $2,000 | National Social In- surance Congress The fourth annual convention of | jthe Unemployment Councils will | jtake place in the Masonic Audi- | |torium in Washington, D. C., on | Jan. 8 and 9, = | “The forthcoming convention of | the National Unemployment Coun- cils,” declared the call to the con- vention issued by the National Un- | employment Councils, “taking place | just at the time that. the U. 8.| Congress will assemble, and imme- | diately following the National Con- gress for Unemployment and Social Insurance, will be of vital impor- tance in the mobilization of all un- | | employed organizations for the pur- pose of strengthening the organiza- | tion and building up forces to carry jon a struggle for genuine unem- i embodied only in the Workers Un- employment and Social Insurance Bill.” Unemployment Councils are in- structed by the National Council to approach all organizations in their vicinity, particularly the independ- ent and opponent unemployed or- ganizations, to induce them to send |delegates to the National Congress for Unemployment and Social In- surance to be held in Washington, ticipate in the local arrangements committees for this Congress. The opponent unemployed organ- izations should be urged to elect delegates to the National Conven- tion of the National Unemployment Councils, the call states, “so that they may witness how we conduct our discussions and make decisions, port back to their organizations.’ the National Convention of the Un- employment Councils as well as to D. C., Jan. 5, 6 and 7, and to par- | ployment and social insurance as | and thereby be in a position to re- | body here. “Independent and isolated unem- | the ed | Phoyed organizations should also be | League, Local 35, presented the bill' i; 49 cents or less. Two cents—if |D®S called an emergency defense urged to send regular delegates to | to the City Council. Cleveland to Hold Big Lenin Memorial Rally In Settlement House CLEVELAND, Ohio, Dec. 11.— Plans are going forward to hold the largest Lenin-Liebknecht- Luxemburg anti-war meeting ever held in Cleveland. The largest settlement house in Cleveland, the Hiram House, has been secured for Sunday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. The whole Young Communist League, together with the sym- pathetic youth organizations, is already being mobilized for the event. Special attempts are be- ing made to draw factory youth, unemployed youth, Negro youth and settlement house youth to the meeting. Special work for the campaign and meeting is be- ing planned for the Hiram House itself, where over 50 youth clubs meet. West Virginia Mayor Backs Workers’ Bill BARBOURSVILLE, W. Va., Dec. 11.—The Mayor and the entire City |Bracket System of Col- | lection Makes Sure of Hitting Consumer By A, LANDY CLEVELAND, Ohio, Dec. 11.— Governor White’s four-point tax | program, designed to tax the misery of the people, moved rapidly toward enactment with the passage of the Spaght general retail sales tax bill by the Ohio State Senate Tuesday afternoon. This will plunder at least $60,000,000 out of the poorest | section of the population, To help put across the sales tax, the House made certain minor con- cessions to the farmers, planning in this way to secure rural support and at the same time prevent the development of united resistance of the city and country masses. With this in view, the House agreed to exempt not only sales made by farmers on their own farms, as originally provided for in the Spaght bill, but also sales made by farmers themselves in the cities. In addition, the House agreed to an amendment exempting seed, feed, lime and fertilizer used in produc- tion on the farm nor will farmers | pay taxes on food raised on their | own farms. It need hardly be said | that the por farmers in particular |are not exempt from payment of tion not bought on the farm. Heaviest Burden On Poor | Governor White’s sales tax bill | provides for a bracket system of tax | collection. The bracket sales taxes on articles of consump- | system | Page 3 ERS Back Hearst’s Red Baiting Chi. Warkues’ School Calls Defense Parley on Workers’ Rights (Daily Worker Midwest Bureau) CHICAGO, Dec. 11.—A conference of leaders of the Illinois State or- ganization of the American Legion, st Saturday in Bloomington, rs nded to the signal the pro-fascist Hearst press for an attack on the Chicago Workers School as the forerunner of a general attack on all working- class organizations. The conference, attended by Na- tional Commander Belgrano, ini- tiated a drive against the Commu- nist vanguard of the working class and issued a statement, declaring ‘by the militant program, adopted by the Illinois Legion, this State in effect virtually becomes the spearhead of the American Legion fight against Communism and radi- calism throughout the nation.” Al- though the Hearst press was not mentioned by name, the Legion statement s ican Legion is drive.” U. S. District Attorney Dwight Green was commended by the Legion Americanism Committee in an offi- cial letter for promptly launching a Federal investigation into “the operations of the Chicago Workers School, which were revealed by the Chicago American.” A. J. Poorman, chairman of the Legion conference, stated he would push through the Illinois Legislature @ measure requiring teachers in pub- lic schools and all city and state s that the “Amer- not alone in this Council endorsed the Workers’ Un-| means that the law sets the amount | “™Ployees to take an oath of alle- employment Insurance Bill at the last regular meeting of the city and William Stafford, secretary of West Virginia Unemployed JOBLESS RELEASED | of tax to be levied on each purchase | within fixed limits. Thus, the bill, | which if passed will go into effect | levied in the following brackets: One cent—if the price of the article | the price is more than 40 cents, but not more than 70 cents. Three |giance to the Federal and state | constitutions, | To combat these attacks on the Bill Riffle, president, | on Jan. 1, provides that the tax be | 8ht of workers to organize, speak | and conduct schools and study | classes, the Chicago Workers School | ecnng for this Saturday afternoon, | at 2:30 o'clock, at 505 South State the National Congress for Unem- | | cents—if the price is more than 10 | Street, and is urging all working their premises. Students and teach- ers who are members of the Friends |a separate jury trial. Bach is de- of the Soviet Union have been |fended by Thomas J. Croaff, noted threatened with expulsion unless |labor attorney and former presi- they relinquished membership in |dent of the Arizona Federation of the Friends. of the Soviet Union.|Labor, and Grover Johnson, Inter- The National Executive Commit- |national Labor Defense attorney. tee of the Friends of the Soviet; The International Labor Defense charge—“riot.” Each has demanded ployment and Social Insurance.” “While laying the stress upon the National Congress,” I. Amter, Na- tional Secretary of the Unemploy- |ment Councils, states, “we wish, |nevertheless, to emphasize that in the midst of the preparations for the Congress and for the National WAYNE, W. Va., Dec. 11—The frame-up charges against Harve Estep and three other Wayne County members of the West Vir- | ginia Unemployed Leagues were dis- missed here last week. The charges grew out of a dem- onstration of 2,000 unemployed | Union has advised its branch in Washington, D. C., to visit the Rou- manian Embassy and demand that the Roumanian Friends of the So- viet’ Union “be assured organiza- tional freedom to carry on, without hindrance, the broadcast of the truth about the Soviet Union, to which end, the Roumanian Friends of the Soviet Union and the Friends of the Soviet Union in 22 other countries are dedica*ed. has issued a call for the widest pos- sible mass support behind all these workers, All-workers’ and other or- ganizations have been appealed to to forward protests against this frontal attack upon the rights of the Arizona workers Protest reso- lutions should be sent to Goy. B. B. Moeur, Atorney-General Arthur T. LaPrade, Judge Howard Speakman and Judge Dave Ling—all of Phoe- nix, Arizona, Convention, against the rotten meat distributed | cents and not more than $1. There | °!@5S and sympathetic organizations isno taxon items less than 9 cents, | © Send representatives. | Where the amount of the purchase | Ea aaeie is more than $1, the tax is 3 cents | crease to $2,100,000,000 in 1935, or on each full dollar, with the one- | about 20 per cent better than the two-three scale applying on all | business done in Ohio in 1934, and additional fractions. Thus an ar-| about 35 per cent better than 1933, ticle costing $2.39 would have a | But. as the Governor himself stated 7 cents tax. The tax is to be col-/in his message, “Although condi strengthen and broaden the base of the National Unemployment Coun- cil by drawing in as many inde- pendent unemployed organizations as possible, form committees in other organizations as well as unity groups inside the opponent organ- jizations which will result in the | unification of the unemployment movement throughout the country lat as early a date as possible.” we must build up,/ by the Wayne County Welfare last | June, At that time an unemployed worker was thrown into jail for de- | manding sufficient relief. A com- mittee of five served notice on the sheriff to release the man within five minutes. He was freed at once. Estep and three others were ar- rested the following day and charged with treason, inciting to riot and other charges. Party Mus t Setbacks Show Narrow Approach to Needs of Masses (This is the second article on the results of the elections. The first one was printed in the No- vember 19th issue of the Daily Worker.) * * . By Bill Gebert IN the previous article, in the light of the already correct estimate of the Daily Worker as to the results of the elections, we pointed out that the results of the elections indi- cated that the masses which are manifesting deep radicalization in strike struggles do not as yet draw the correct political conclusions as to the real role of the Roosevelt New Deal. In this article I wish to deal with the Communist Party votes, the election struggles led by the Com- munist Party and our immediate tasks. The reports so far printed in the Daily Worker indicate a significant growth in the Commu- nist votes throughout the country. The growth, however, is very un- satisfactory. Surely we cannot be satisfied with about 8,000 votes for Sam Darcy as candidate for Gov- ernor of California, although Anita Whitney received 80,000 votes. Nor can we be satisfied with the votes of about 45,000 in New York. Nor even in Ohio, where, judging from the reports of the Daily Worker, an excellent campaign has been car- ried on. And, above all, our task is to review very critically the elec- tions in the States of Illinois and Indiana. Our approach to the ques- tion of the votes for the Communist Party is not from the point of view of minimizing the progress made. But it is necessary to examine very critically the election struggles for the purpose of learning from our shortcomings and even setbacks and blows against our Party in this) election. The Failure In Illinois In Illinois, the Communist Party ticket was ruled off the ballot. It was very easy for the capitalist class, for the Roosevelt-Horner- Kelly New Deal administration, to Tule the Party off the ballot be- cause it is easy to disqualify 2,000 signatures out of a total of 27,000, when 25,000 is necessary to place the Party on the ballot. We must say very frankly before the working class, that had our Party secured not 27,000 but 50,000 signatures, for the State petition, we would have been on the ballot. As a matter of fact, the Party did collect more than 50,009 individual signatures, But they were collected for the local candidates after the State netition | School, Wed., Dec. 12, 8:30 p.m. Ad- mission 350, was filed. This clearly shows that had the Party and the organiza- tions around the Party been mo- bilized a little earlier, we would have been on the ballot, because the signatures could have been got as they were got for the local candi- dates. Why is it that such neglect could happen? The reason for it is this: The Party membership, as yet, does not fully understand the impor- tance of revolutionary parliamen- tarism, and as yet does not fully appreciate that the elections are also a part of the class struggle. There is still a division between strikes, work in the shops, struggles of the unemployed, Negro masses, on the one hand and the elections on the other. It is only a small section of the Party membership that was enthused and mobilized for the collection of signatures. This is true not only of the Party membership. To blame the Party membership for it would be crim- inal. The membership was not mo- bilized because the leading Party organs did not themselves take the election struggle seriously enough. In the District Bureau, even, with the exception of the comrades of the District Secretariat and the campaign manager, there was no daily conscious understanding of the importance of the elections. Then in the Section Committees the situation was even worse. Sectarian Approach But to stop here is also not enough. The election struggle in Illinois and Indiana was organized, not on the basis of a broad united front approach, but on narrow, sec- tarian lines. Despite all good con- crete instructions on how to or- ganize the election campaign, the district leadership itself failed to prepare sufficient ground and means to give an opportunity to the lower Party orgenizations to really make the election struggle a broad one. I will not go on here to point out how in every field of activity of the Party a broad election cam- paign could have been organized. I will cite only one. In the middle of summer the conference of twenty-seven locals of the A. F. of L. on Unemployment Insurance and Relief decided to organize a sym- posium on the Workers’ Unemploy- ment and Social Insurance Bill. It meant that a mass meeting was to be organized in the name of these twenty-seven locals of the A. F. of L., to invite representatives of all the parties to present their stand on the Workers’ Unemployment In- surance Bill. Even this decision of the locals of the A. F. of L. was not, carried out. If such a decision is not carried out, one can clearly see to what extent the election struggle has been neglected. In the shops, we had only three Vote Communist groups organized, Learn to Lead at Polls in spite of the fact that we have more than 40 Party shop nuclei in Illinois, in the basic shops, 4 number of which, such as the stockyards, International Harvester, steel mills in Chicago, and the mine units, are points of concentration. The Write-In Campaign Nor was there an election cam- paign struggle led by the Unem- ployment Councils or the Interna- tional Workers’ Order, or the vari- ous language organizations. No wonder then that we had the re- sults we have seen. The writing in of the name of the Party and its candidates on the ballot was a dif- ficult task, and up till now we have no complete report. But isolated reports from the precincts indicate chat a large number of workers went to the pools and wrote the names of the Communist Party candidates on the ballot. It is re- ported that in South Chicago, in one precinct 20 votes, in another 40 votes were cast for the Communist Party. In Montgomery County, where the Workers’ Ticket was placed, our candidates received more than 500 votes (according to incomplete tabulation). Likewise, incomplete reports for Laura Osby, in the Fifth Congressional District, indicate some growth in our votes. In the election struggle, if we are to be successful, we cannot work on the basis of propaganda and agita- tion only, and that is what our election struggle primarily amount- ed to throughout the country. It is also not sufficient to speak of con- necting the election campaign with the daily struggles of the masses, It is necessary, on the basis of the election program, to develop specific struggles to involve the broadest strata of the masses around the program of demands in the elec- tions. When these struggles are linked up with the daily struggles of the masses then it is possible to have a real election campaign. Big Vote Possible program, combined with a merciless struggle against the social dema- gogy of the bourgeoisie, the New Deal, Farmer-Laborites, Sinclair, Socialist Party, A. F. of L. official- dom, etc., it is possible to rally a huge vote and it is possible to win elections. did not, we could not expect any other results than we got. period. This is wrong. cisely in this period we cannot be satisfied with a hundred per cont srovth in the Communist vote. This is the period when we should really rally workers and toiling peo- ple to vote for the Communists. It Basing ourselyes upon such a} If we did not organize | our election activities right, and we | It would also be incorrect to say Communist Party. that after all one cannot expect | vince the workers, in a very prac- | j935 budget is based on the assump- more votes for Communists in this | tical manner, that the Communists | tion that the masses will increase It is pre-| can win was a serious mistake that we did | their not thoroughly analyze the defeat! their leacership. as in Strikes |Study of Experiences in Elections Can Lead To Successes year of office of the Communist Mayor, we were badly defeated in the next election. Had we thor- lected by the vendor as he makes | the sale, cancelling a coupon as he does so. Vendors purchase pre- | paid stamps from the State gov- | ernment: At the same time, the sales tax provides for the ruin of the small |merchant. For the small merchant lis least able to prevent a loss of business by cutting the price by the amount of the tax. As the Columbia University study of sales taxes has shown, the small mer- chants inevitably lose trade to the large ones. Representative George D. Harter of Akron said: “This bill proposes, in the bracket plan, to tax at the rate of 10 per cent those least able to pay, and at 3 per cent those most able to pay. It would tax the poor man ten per cent on his sandwich and the person who banquets on caviar and other luxuries only 3) | in Crosby, Minn., where, after one | per cent. Representative Curtis, a | | | Democrat, admitted that “the chief | | beneficiaries of our economic sys- tem are escaping taxes through a/ |tions apparently are improving, | there is nothing in the nature of a | boom in immediate prospect.” In |the effort to refrain from taxi | the certain wealth of the rich, it is | only logical to, sae the Governor at- | tempting to base a fixed budget on the uncertainty of the questionable volume of the retail purchases of the masses. Such a course not only |means the further impoverishing of | the masses but actually risks a new | tax crisis next year. No wonder, therefore, that John Love, writing |in the Cleveland Press of Nov. 21, exclaims: “If Governor White and | Major Angus were wrong (in their | estimates), though, it would be too | bad!” Too bad, indeed! * | (In the third and final article | we shall deal with the struggle against the sales tax.) AFFAIRS FOR THE cughly examined the experience of | sales tax; pass an income tax if you | DAILY WORKER Crosby, we would have learned Many things. Even now it is not | want to raise money. Make it a real income tax—not the attenuated too late to study Crosby. The | imcome tax Governor White favors. working class can learn from its de- | Three years ago we passed a law feats, as from its victories. ‘There- | Slashing the valuations of manufac- fore, a more critical examination of | eal regents in half and pe the election results must be placed |t€2 mill amendment reduced the before the Party in every state and | nationally. Must Lead At Polls If our Party is to play a decisive role in the struggle of the Ameri- can proletariat it must not only lead strikes, struggles of the unem- ployed, Negro masses, farmers, but also must lead them to the polls. Not that we believe that as a result of the elections we will be able to change the present social system. We will not change it. But every | terest and amortization charges to, election victory, every election of a Communist to office strengthens the march of the proletariat in its struggle against capitalism. Our Party must break through the present sectarianism and really organize itself to elect Communists as mayors, councilmen, to the Staté | mission in his message to the Legis- | Legislatures and to the Congress. This work must not begin and end only around election day. The conscious task must be placed in our daily work in the factories, trade unions, among the masses of the unemployed, Negro people, etc. It is in the light of this exam- | ination and in the light of these ex- periences and understanding that we must approach the municipal elections that will take place in many states soon. The vote for the tty correctly | Payment of interest and principal! | erties Gener au S| With taxes gobbled up so swiftly by | estimated, is a vote of discontented masses, deceived by Roosevelt and his supporters in the labor move- ment. The Party also correctly estimates the sharpening of the class relations and class struggle in the United States. And if in this situation our Party cannot gain mass support on elec- tion day, we must see that we are not approaching the masses in such @ manner that they really feel that it is worth while to vote for the We must con- in the elections; and wherever Communists are elected tax rate 5 mills. Why don't we tax them now? Why do we let the big manufacturers and steel companies escape?” Protects Bankers | While the sales tax bill originally | provided $12,200,000 for poor relief | for the first six months of 1935, the | Senate changed this, giving $6,000,- | 000 to old age pensions and $6,900,- 000 to poor relief. At the same time Governor White includes in his tax program $6,000,000 for in- be paid to the bankers on bonds he Proposes to float for relief purposes revenues. The extent of this robbery of the relief funds by the bankers can be seen from the Governor's own ad- lature. In his message he explains that there is no money in sight whatsoever for relief in 1935, be- | cause the selective sales taxes and utility tax levied for poor relief, al- though not due to expire until 1937 and 1938, have already been eaten up by the issuance of bonds to finance 1934 requirements. In other words, the taxes still due from these levies for the next four years are to go not to relief for which they | were levied, but to the bankers in Governor White’s banker friends— not to speak of the miserably small |funds designated for relief—is it | County relief commissioners were | compelled to admit that they ex- tax! Cuts Buying Power The ridiculous contradiction of fund of the masses to provide for government requirements and relief their volume of purchases under conditions that will make such in anticipation of the sales tax |any wonder that the Cuyahoga | pected to get no help from the sales | robbing the miserable consumption ; is indicated in the fact that the | their activities must be popularized | purchases more difficult. The sales in the press, which we are not doing ‘tax itself is bound to reduce the sufficiently. We have a number of | buying power of the masses, thereby Communist officials in the State of | reducing the tax returns. More- Illinois, but we seidom popularize over Governor. White's estimated work, their achievements, | $60,000,000 is based on the assump- | \tion that retail business will in-' i} |Columbus, Ohio Dance and Entertainment for Work ers’ Press—Da: Worker, Uj Elore and Radnik—-Saturday, Dec. 15 at 8 p. m. at Ivanoff Hall, 1899% So. Parsons Ave. Adm. 25c. | St. Paul, Minn. | Dance and Entertainment given by Unit 1 at St. Paul Labor Lyceum, 57 E. llth St. Sat., Dec. 15. Adm. 1c, Party and Entertainment, Sat., Dec. 15, at 439 Iglehart Ave. Given by Unit 2, 0. P. — PHIL DELPHIA, Pa. | | | T Market above EUROPA THEA. “iin serene Now Playing Amkino presents the film epic of the birth and progress of a great nation ee 3 Songs About Lenin” Hear Lenin's Voice for the First Time on the Screen Directed by GZEGA VERTOV | Music by SHAPORIN | CHICAGO, II iL. p. IBAZAAR FRI. SAT. SUN. December 14, 15 and 16 Peoples’ Auditorium 2457 Chicago Avenue GAMES - DANCING - PROGRAM Admission 10c for each night ||} Proceeds for the Defense of Class War | Prisoners DETROIT, MICH. International Workers Order Member- ship Meeting of All Language Sections SUNDAY, DEC. 16, at 2 P. M., Dannish Brotherhood Hall, 1775 W. Forest, near 12th St. e Russian Movie “SENTENCED TO HEALTH” will be shown, @ Speakers from National Committee of the I. W. 0. e All members of the I. W. O. are asked. to attend this meeting and to bring thetr friends. Admission 10c.