The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-25
IOWA SMALL BIZ
BEING SMASHED
BY BIC CAPITAL
Buy Iowa Coal" Drive
Doesn't Help Miners
BY TOM MATTHEWS.
Special TO The Daily Worker.)


the local proprietor who exhibits SELL
ing-out signs. Even the barber shops
are "going scab" and offering lucent
shaves as an inducement. for bust
ness.
The independent coal operator is
perhaps hit the hardest of all, with
the small town banker a close Sec
ond.
ImperiaIist Benefits"
The Iowa workers and farmers, like
their brothers in other states, are suf-
fering as consequence Of the impe-
realistic development of American
capitalism.
While practically every newspaper
in these parts is appealing for in
vestment and development in local en-
terprise, no less than $1,26S, $1,000
of American capital was invested in
foreign securities during the year just
past. Thus small business in every
field is being forced to the wall while
A m erica finance-capitalists are
plunging into foreign industry.
The gold piled into the Golfers of
the capitalists of this country as the
result of the war is not creating an
imitation of business, which would
mean temporary prosperity for the
small business man and his petit
bourgeois brother, the skilled crafts
man. 1t is the law of imperialism
that the surplus capital of big bust
ness must not lie idle, and so the
gold exports from the country are TAX
ing on ever larger proportions as
the purchases of foreign securities
mount high above the trade balance.
Exporting Of Capital.
Thus in 1924, the excess of foreign
securities purchased above the trade
balance totaled, in round figures,
$3.50 ,OOO, 900 in comparison with an ex-
cess of approximately $165,OO0,0O0 in
1928 and $120.OOO,O 900 in 1922.
The gold which was going to bring
prosperity to American small bust
ness is now being shipped out to
buy up foreign industry, while the
bourgeois economists are kept busy
trying to explain what it's all about,
rand Iowa newspapers tell their read
ers that everything is all right, but
that they must be loyal to home en-
terprise.
"Buy Iowa Coal"
The United Mine Workers is try
ing to buck the capitalist buzz-saw in
Iowa by appealing to the people to
buy Iowa coal" In the camps thru
out the state the miners have their
fiivvers adorned with buy Iowa coal"
signs. But the scab coal from Ken
lucky and West Virginia is being ship
ped into the state and sold, never
.theless, with the railroad brother
hoods helping in the process.
The railroad unions are experiment.
ing with an escape" from these con-
ditions in the shape of the "B. & o.
cooperation plan"
On the Chicago and Northwestern
the men voted this upon the COM
pany, even against the advice Of the
bosses in some instances, and the
plan is now being "tried out" in GER
tain shops The only tangible result
seems to be the making of stool pig
cons out Of some of the men, in that
they spy upon each other and report
inefflciency to the boss. Refuse-piles
and inconvenient locations of ma
chimes are solemnly reported for &C
tion by the proper committee"
Thus do the small business men,
in both stores and unions, fight for
a foothold within the framework of
the capitalist system.
The Workers Party points out the
nature of the capitalistic system of
society which compels the finance
capitalist to export his surplus to for
eign lands, and shows the worker and
working farmer that his hope lies not
in class cooperation but in working
class solidarity. While a few groups
here and there are allowed a foot
hold the inevitable pressure upon the
great majority is beginning to have its
effect.
Thus on the Baltimore and Ohio,
1t is true, the particular group of
workers employed is offered steady
work "even to the building Of the
company's equipment in its own
shops"
But as surely as these workers are
protected" in this way, some other
group must suffer. The Northwestern
for instance. may buy the loyalty OF
its workers by building its own cars,
instead of having hundreds Of them
built at the Bettendorf steel works,
lust out OF Davenport, Iowa.
So the capitalists are taking advan-
tage OF the craft consciousness Of
their slaves and using this narrow, in
dividualistic spirit for their own ends.
The workers must either wake up
TO the situation, or some fine morn
ing learn, too late, that their organiza.
tions have been completely disrupted
nv this poison OF disqualification.