The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-05
STRIKE WRITTEN
over PULLMAN
COMP ANY TOWN
Eager Youngsters Aid
Big Battle
Continued From Page ~

elevator where the dust explosion oc-
CURED less than a year ago. To the
south are the low buildings of the
new Ford plant and smoking stacks
of steel mills. To the north are the
Hegewisch car shops where the
workers are striking, on and off, much
of the time.
Pullman houses along the COM
pany's streets are almost all of a
kind. All red brick and rubbing
shoulders with one another without
break between them. Even the
hotel is old-fashioned and somewhat
sprawling with its porches. 1t, too,
is red-brick and it is called the
Florence" after the daughter Of old
George NJ, who is now wife of ex-
7 Governor Lowden. Florence owns
most of the stock Of the company and
tries to finance her husbands politi-
cal adventures with what she can
snip from the wages of her employees.
In one Of the houses sold by the
company a group of Ukrainians live.
There is a jolly plump and rudy
young woman who cooks delicious
meals for the men. She looks capable
for all the work there is to do, but
one guesses she has little enough time
to herself.
Lively Youngsters Sell Papers.
The house is full Of children,
whether they all live there or not.
Such alert and eager youngsters!
They want Young Worker to help
them form a Junior Section. The lit
tie boys are enthusiastically selling
the DAILY WORKER to the men at
the Pullman plant. They tell their
! buyers, Don't be a scab!" and they
run circles around the dicks who try
to keep them away from the gates as
the men come out.
The little girls show us what they
learn at school and tell about all the
Esthers they know. Larsen, Berg
strom, Hegstrom," and others with
Scandinavian surnames. One talks
about the fine concerts she has heard
in Chicago and about the May Day
program.
The boys run out to get their pa
pers when it is nearly time for the
evening whistle to blow.
Thousands of workers dash thru
the gates. Each must show his badge
| as he leaves; going in, too. Many of
them run to the waiting street cars.
Others shuttle along less energetical-
ly. Some drag their weary bodies
breaking under the terrific pace the
company has developed for them.
Many stop to buy the DAILY WORK
Err. Only a few scott at it. Some
have their eyes on the dream Of a
pension.
At the main gate group of pickets
are stationed. Rough and ready work
ingmen; most of them young still. A
few friends from the inside stop to
tell them how little work is going on
inside.
"If you fellows can hold out, we'll
all be out in few days. Company'll
have to close down."
Cant get our men out now. They
haven't been cut yet. Companys
holding off, We were slated to get it
next"
scabs Get Theirs.
The pickets have to wait and watch
closely for the scabs. Some slip out
with the mass of the men; some wait
until everyone else has left; just as
they come in earliest in the morning,
at five o'clock. But the pickets are
on hand whatever the time. They
warn the scabs. Usually the scabs
take heed. II they don't at the first
warning, the second is more convinc-
ing.
The sidewalk is painted with signs:
"Are you men or are you fish,"
Strike on. Don't Scab."
But some of the men brought in
can't read. and some are desperate
from lack of work and lack of class
consciousness. The pickets are rapid
ly educating them.
! The detectives and police are busy,
cycling every one; patrolling the lawn.
| uO COlBohJ 10 othAA SONhJs ~ ndo
had comparatively little labor trou-
BILE" for long. IL has been grinding
the men more and more; speeded
them up to point of exquisite tor
ture. 1t cannot push them further.
but it has forgotten that they are
men. after all, and not super-efficient
machines. Even the most skillfully
adjusted machines break down II
their efficiency is over-estimated and
they are pushed beyond their limit.
The men responded with spon-
taneous walkouk TO the company's
last effort TO speed them still more.
For years the Pullman Company has
been able to give its workers a slash
ing wage cut and tell them to make
up the difference by wasting less
time," speeding up. until the pace
they have set has become the fastest
in the country. The men always fin
ally accented before This time the