The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-07

the moral: JOIN THE WORK
ERS PARTY which the DAILY
WORKER adds a second and
a third" even, so that all the.
]. G. Schrock's will get it.
Schrock's letter is in part:
No Work for Old Men. -
Editor Illinois Miner: Where are
we going and what are we coming
up against? While some are working
themselves to death, working time
and half and double time, their broth
ers are idle, can't get job and are
on starvation. Now if you call that
unionism l have another name for
such workers. Talk about task mas
tiers of old. Pharoah was not in it to
the side of some Of our task masters
of today.
am sixty years old, haven't had a
job for over year. l am too old, so
they say. Can you tell me what to
do? They have talked old age pens
ions but l guess when us old fellows
get a pension it will be when we are
asleep with our toes sticking straight
up. We have had our religious rant
ers for nineteen hundred years and we
have the K. K. K. and what have they
done to relieve suffering humanity?
Nothing but to antagonize.
have been in the U. M. w. of A.
as a charter member when it first
started in Illinois, have dug coal about
35 years. Now what am to do? Go
down to defeat? 1 see no other way
out. For Gods sake let some brother
say or do something that would keep
us from becoming public Migrants and
vagabonds.
Yours in fraternalism,
]. C. sCHRoCK,
virden, Illinois.
Watts answer follows:
Many Like You, Brother.
Mr.. ]. c. Shrock,
Virden, Illinois.
Dear Sir and Brother:
The article written by yourself that
appeared in the Illinois Miner, issue of
July OIA4y Ado Ju0b DCC4 OAOu6hl "
my attention and your statements are
true in regards to the conditions that
are existing, not only in the Mining
Industries but in many other indus
tries, the facts are that in the Fac
tories of this State, not including
mines or other trades, but in the
Manufacturing plants alone in this
State, there are at the present time
! over $4,000 workers thrown out of
work and conditions at the present
time look as though many thousands
more will be thrown out before this
so-called "Stabilization" period is
reached.
Now Brother :Shrock, what is the
fundamental thing that is wrong
whereby not only the man past 60 years
of age cannot secure work, but many
young, strong, stalwart men cannot
find employment? You ask that some
one show the way out. l am not 60
ing to tickle you by suggesting
"super-power," "Stabilizatior etc.,
for they can only at their best just
patch up this breaking down system
of society and make it just perhaps a
little more bearable for few days.
Capitalism to Blame.
say to you that the system known
as Capitalism" can no longer give
the workers employment, if not why
are you and the other millions Of idle
| Nvorlnrc MT pu1nIovad7 Than IL n is
the System" that is wrong and we
knowing that not only we but our
children are going to suffer much
more than we, is it not the right thing
to battle to correct the fundamental
evil?
Capitalism" which means the pri-
vate ownership of the means of pro-
duction (the machinery can at any
time tell you whether you will work
or starve, that being true should we
as workers, who are depending upon
machinery" for our bread and but
ter, allow a few individuals to own
that machinery and operate it for
profits for themselves, or should all
the people own the machinery that
produces the necessities of life and
operate for their own use when necs-
sary?
The problem of producing the me-
cessities Of life has been solved
proof: there is an abundance of every
thing we need right in front of our