The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-07-24
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hands 1t has till 1926 to accomplish
this and therefore has plenty of time
to employ IT'S wearing-down policy be-
fore making the direct attack.
Many Workers Fired
In the bull fight, the bull is jabbed
at and slashed and then the fighter
retreats, returns TO the attack and
retreats again. bewilders, mystifies
and tires the bull, and at last, when
It is wearied out exhausted, confused,
the bull-Aghter closes in for the
'kill"; SO the government has been
playing with the railwaymen for six
months, threatening, Withholding pay,
cutting wages, changing working con-
ditions, yielding again and retreating,
and then returning to the attack;
threatening to fire 10000 and then
lischargng only a few odd thousand,
threatening to apply big wage cuts
and then applying only little ones,
and thus slowly confusing, firing,
wearing down and demoralizing the
railway unions.
There have been two psychology
cal" moments thus far, for rail
,trike; but on both occasions the IT,
lidity Of the leaders and the tactical
kill Of the government, prevented the
zen from utilizing the appropriate
moment for the general strike.
The first of the two occasions, was
at the beginning of the year when the
government ordered all railwaymen to
take the oath of loyalty administered
to government employees. The Sec
ond was July first when the read
iustments" were scheduled to go into
effect.
Official Refuse to Call Strike
The week or so before July first, as
the government announced it was to
drop 10000 men, cut wages from 10
to 60 per cent and make many un-
favorable notifications of working
conditions, there was an epidemic of
local and partial strikes turnout the
system.
The men got ready for general
strike July first. Resolutions poured
into the national headquarters of the
railway unions promising support for
the strike. The Communist Party
named committees of action every
where, which had as their principal
purpose the securing of solidarity on
the part of the peasant and the work
ers organized in other declarations.
These committees worked in close
touch with local strike committees of
the railwaymen. The eve of July first
saw partial strikes everywhere. The
strikes were complete in all important
shops. Two Successive Sundays all
the mechanics went out because I'M
der the new conditions they were not
to receive double time for Sunday.
The carpenters struck two successive
Saturday afternoons for the forty
four hour week In a frontal attack,
the government would have been
powerless.
The government responded to the
critical situation with new suggest
ions for parleys, with promises to re-
consider some of the "readjustments"
and to put them into effect gradually
during a period of three months.
Union Leaders CowardIy
The leaders of the railwaymen, with
one or two exceptions, are not cor
rupt. But almost without exception
they are cowardly, timid and respect
able" ready for almost anything but
a direct fight against the government;
ready to accept any excuse for post.
poning the fight or for evading it.
The leaders of the trainmen asked
for more time to prepare" their mem
bership for the strike. The others,
glad of an excuse to evade the fight,
declared that they must wait for a
unanimous strike vote.
Communist Manifesto Unites Workers
A wave of protest began among the
railway masses. A timely manifesto
of the Communist Party gave this pro-