davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20

lNTORE than so applicants have al
AA ready been accepted to attend
the young workers summer educa-
tional courses that will be held at
Waino, near Brule, Wisconsin, begin
ming June 22nd and lasting until Au-
gust first. The applicants are young
workers or working class students OF
both sexes, their ages ranging from
16 to %, the majority Of them coming
from northern Minnesota, Wisconsin
and Michigan.
For six weeks these young workers
will study the outstanding facts and
theories of the class struggle. In these
six weeks they will have arrived at
fairly clear general understanding
of these present day social cleavage.
They are coming to the school equip
ped with some knowledge of the task
before the working class and the pur-
pose of the revolutionary movement,
but this understanding with many of
them is still scarcely more than an
instructive gravitation towards the
ranks Of the militant workers. This
class consciousness can be made dyn-
amic-a positive force in their lives
not only for their own moral and in
tellectual growth but for the enrich
ment Of the entire labor movement.
TT would be a mistake to assume
L that in brief period Of six weeks
these young men and women could be
transformed into adept theoreticians
and leaders. And that is not being
attempted. The courses are intended
for a sound preparation to more adj
vanced study of capitalist society and
the role of the revolutionary working
class. And since no education is in
itself worthy of the title unless it
translates itself into action and is
reflected in the everyday conduct of
the individual, these young workers
will learn also the methods of practic-
al organization, propaganda and the
value of performing with conscien-
tious precision and promptness even
those seemingly unimportant routine
functions that are so necessary for
the efficiency and even the very exist
ence Of organized group activity.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20

They are the ones who do the most
heavy work and are poorly paid. They
live from hand to mouth and are more
alert for Communistic propaganda
than Yankee workers. With proper
organizational measures they could
be lined up.
Also this district has about one
third of the total number of foreign
born farmers in the United States.
All are practically poor and helpless
in the grip Of the capitalist system
Most of them work in the cities or in
the woods for part of the time. A
large per cent of them are so-called
mortgage farmers, heavily in debt and
this mortgage is hanging above their
heads like the sword of Damocles.
This is ripe material for Communism
and with proper agrarian program
they will flock into the party.
Effects of immigration Restrictions.
The effects Of the immigration re-
strictions can be seen here already.
Now it is very common to see free
born American" working in the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
BY ARvID NELSON.

TNILLERS of the soil in northern Wis
consin, tributary to the Head-of-
the-Lakes, are, for the most part, So
called small holders. That is, if you
do not take into consideration the in
terests of the mortgages in the titles
to the lands. These little farmers
are engaged in clearing Off and farm
ing the logged-off or cut over lands
left by the lumber corporations, who
exploited the forests of magnificent
timber from these areas during the
past generation or two. Hired help is
not employed to any great extent on
these farms, the actual operator of
the farm, with the aid of his family,
performing the necessary labor.
AS the farming communities here,
to great extent, are of a compare
lively recent origin, agriculture has
not developed to as high a degree and
efficiency as in some of the older ag-
ricultural sections of the country.
The principal efforts of many of the
settlers are still devoted to clearing
Oh bhOAA anu pdytnS lDI Tie
properties they have purchased.
A MOTHER factor, which has doubt
"A less tended to hold back the
greater development of this section in
the agricultural line, is the fact that
n is not Immediately adjacent to any
very great industrial center Such a
center naturally hastens the develop
ment of agriculture IN its surround
ing communities by providing mar
kets, especially for the products Of
small farms. The difference in this
respect can be readily noted by COM
pairing the partially developed farms
of northern Wisconsin with those in
the southern part of the state, where
such centers as Milwaukee, Chicago
and other cities are within an easy
distance with their marketing posi-
bilities.
Wisconsin is chiefly dairy state,
and this holds true with the northern
portion of the state also, in so far as
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
"small Biz" Kicks Suppressed.

WAsHINGToN-(FPl- How Hum
phrey, Hunt and vanFleet. controlling
the federal trade commission, are
damming back and suppressing the
complaints Of consumers and small
business concerns against unfair
practices by big business, is shown in
the May summary OF the commissions
work. There were pending 493 appli.
cations for formal complaint on May
l, and SOL on June /. During May,
Al applications came in, 20 were dis
missed. and II complaints ordered.
Receipt Of applications has been
sharply cut.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
Political Outlook in the Headof-theL Lakes" District:

branch was not large, but it was fairly
active. Combined efforts of these
branches resulted in large gatherings
and meetings which were held occa-
sionally.
Now the Scandinavian branches in
Duluth and Superior have ceased to
exist. During the left. wing contro-
versy the Duluth branch went with
the left wing organization, only to
diminish in size and Importance soon
after. Finally 1t became nothing more
than dancing and entertaining or
ganization. The Superior Scandinavia
an branch has a parallel history.
There are quite number of Fin
nish branches in this. district. They
have just about held their own. Their
influence in local as well as national
politics has diminished to a minimum
and their propaganda and agitation
has suffered noticeabIy.
Forelen-borni Workers.
This district has a large number of
foreign-born workers, who work most
ly in the mining and lumber industry.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20

exercised a strong influence in the
political life of the district. 1t could
have been made permanent if its edi-
torial policy and also its business end
had been properly and definitely man
aged. These, however, were not CIV
en- a due consideration and sometimes
they were sadly neglected. The re-
suit Of that was continual financial
loss which for the most part was
met by Scandinavian comrades. Edi-
torially The Truth suffered also. 1t
never was, strictly speaking, a pa
per for the party. 1t had personal
and not the party characteristics. 1t
denounced the conditions and offered
remedy in the organization, but it
did not put forth the party, its prob
lens and struggles as it should have
done. Especially was this noticeable
in the last period of it's existence.
Branches Dlsbanded.
There were strong branches in Du-
luth and Superior. The Scandinavian
branch in Duluth was the largest and
most influential Also there was
large Finnish branch. The Jewish
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
Our Readers Views
Tho Cooperative Movement.

To the DAILY WORKER:-The CO.
operative movement among the Fin
nish workers and farmers in the north
ern parts Of Minnesota, Wisconsin
and Michigan is becoming more and
more a mass movement Every month
shows a big increase in membership
and IN the sales Of the cooperative
stores. over sixty Of these stores
are affiliated with the Cooperative
Central Exchange, the wholesale
owned by the co-operatives. About
the same number Of the stores more
are purchasers from this cooperative
Wholesale.
At the same time when we are wit
Messing the continuous growth OF the
Finnish cooperative stores, there are
many failures IN the cooperative field
run by American workers.
When an analysis is made. the fault
is found to be, that generally those
stores are successful which are not
only good" stores. but which in
reality are part Of the working class
movement. The cooperative store
does not fulfil its duty simply by try
ing to sell cheaper and better goods,
because this will not make the store
one which the workers really recog-
nize as their own. Some department
store or chain store may undersen the
cooperative in order to kill It and
when It has seemingly cheaper"
goods, It becomes to the average
worker a cheaper and better store"
The result is that the cooperative
store IS weakened OF killed.
A cooperative store is the store
only, II it takes part in the workers
everyday struggle by the special
means It has at its command. When
the workers feel by actual experience
that the cooperative store is their
own store, then the cooperative
movement becomes a mass movement
and the business side Of it will also
increase.
The cooperative movement fulfls
its duty only by being part Of the
working class movement, recruiting
new masses to the class struggle
Co-operator.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
CENTRALIZED MOVEMENT

To eliminate the evil OF mismanage-
ment, they organized a school where
they trained their own executives,
clerks, bookkeepers, and drivers. To
day over rs per cent Of all the Finnish
cooperative stores in their territory
are managed by their own students.
The next step was the standardizing
OF accounting and this problem was
very effectively solved, so that now
practically every store makes IL a
condition for electing a manager that
he be acquainted with the standardiz.
ing accounting OF the central organ
ization.
Auditing in most stores was an I'M
known factor, in others some OF the
members Of the society who knew lit
tie or nothing about bookkeeping
audited the books, while in the most
advanced stores books were audited
by some local banker who again knew
nothing about cooperation. An audit.
Ing department employing trained
auditors who also were co-operators
was the next big step in the chain of
progress. Result-many shady deal
unearthed and their perpetrators GUST
ed from the movement, not to say
anything about the other improve
ments in systems OF control, etc. In
stalled by the auditing department.
WITH this work done, there still
remained one requiring still more
efforts, and that was to educate the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
BY HENRY AsKELI.

THE space at my disposal will not
allow me to enter into a detailed
analysis of the political outlook in
the Observation-Disclosures district. There
fore, have to confine myself to a
brief sketch Of what the political stu
alton is at present in this district.
Some years ago Duluth-Superior
and the vicinity was considered a
Gibraltar of radical socialism in the
central northwestern states. Duluth
Cloquet, and other municipalities even
elected socialist public officials.
Campaigns and general propaganda
were effective; branches quite large,
and generally speaking the future for
socialist movement looked rather
bright. The membership was, sad to
say, about three-fourths foreigners,
Scandinavians. Finnish, Jewish and
German Only small part of Anne
ricans were politically organized.
Had a Paper, "The Truth"
Comrades in Duluth published a
paper, The Trathg which at one time
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
STATUS OF THE SMALL FARMERS

the farming industry there has adj
vanced. The soil, climatic and other
conditions seem to be best adapted for
this line of husbandry, and marketing
facilities are most readily available
for dairy farm products.
THE great majority of the farmers
4 of northern Wisconsin are small
owners or proprietors. Farm tenantry
the agricultural evil of many south
ern states, has not developed to any
significant extent here. Conditions
and the people here are not favorable
to that method of farm operation, as
in the south, where agriculture has
been carried on longer, and economic
conditions, the races and classes of
people, and the nature of the crops
raised have had tendency toward the
large plantation system Of farming
and the tenantry system in regard to
ownership.
But the settlers of northern Wiscon-
sin stump-land acres, as well as of
other northern states, are accursed
with another evil, which is no less
a burden than the tenantry system of
the south and just as inherently a
part of the prevailing social system
in this country. And it is a burden
that is ever increasing-the mort
gage burden.
CTATISTICS show that the mort
~ gage debt of American farmers is
continually increasing. A majority of
the small farmers in northern Wiscon-
sin are mortgaged; a great PARTON of
the farmers are so heavily weighed
with mortgage debts, that they are
beyond all hope of ever regaining a
clear title to the fields they have
cleared and the little homes they
have built
Incomes from the little farms, under
the present system of distribution,
where middlemen and other profiteers
exact the greater portion of the
products of the trainers toll, are so
inadequate that he can not meet his
obligations in addition to earning a
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
THE WORK PLANNED

The teaching staff for these courses
includes comrade Harry Cannes Of
the Young Workers League from Chi
cago, com. C. e. Hathaway, organizer
of the Workers Party ninth district,
and A. ]. Hayes OF Superior, Wis. In
addition competent lecturers on the
cooperative movement, trade union
ism and other phases of workers act
ivity will give special lectures. The
outline Of subjects to be taken up in
cludes sociology, theories of class
struggle, MARKHAM economics, trade
union history and tactics, shop nuclei
organization, American history from
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20

FINANCING "Just stores" into a live
- movement has been the work Of
The Cooperative Central Exchange
turing the seven years of its exist
snce.
Formed by 20 Finnish cooperative
stores located in Minnesota, Michigan
and Wisconsin to act as a sort of buy
ng center, It has steadily developed
into a regular Wholesale. Like all
enterprises started by the Firms, its
progress has not been Spectacular,
but a steady one, for the Firms are a
low but a thorough going people.
they build slow but firm.
Before tho inspection OF this central
organization the cooperative stores
we're all isolated from each other,
ach one solved it's own problems,
nd cared nothing for the fate Of It's
elghbors. The stores we're misman-
ged, accounting systems were II not
otaliy lacking at least woefully inef-
lcient. The boards of directors knew
cry little about controlling the af-
airs Of their society. The stores
ere mostly organized to get cheap"
rices.
THE work cut out for the central
organization was manifold one.
nd one that taxed even the patience
the patient Firms. But they set to
ork and today they can point with
ride at work accomplished.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
NORTHERN MINI,
Miners WORK FOR
STARVATION WAGE
BY GEO. ZAlckoV.
Especial 10 The Daily Workerl

HIBBING, Mimi, June 17.-By
agaipS cutting the already reduced
wages OF the miners in Northern
Minnesota and shutting down mines
the united front OF the steel magnates
is hitting the workers here pretty
hard One after another mines are
shutting down and workers are rum
ming from employment office to office
in search Of Jobs.
The Jobless Army Grows.
The Albany mine was shut down
entirely and all workers were laid off.
AT the same time Leonard and two
other mines in Chisholm were closed.
Oliver Iron Mining company, the larg-
est in the Mesabi range and unsur-
passed in it's brutality laid off all those
suspected of radical tendencies. The
attack is directed chiefly against the
militant workers because they sue
ceeded In getting one thousand strong
to answer the Workers Party slogan:
Down Tools on May Day and come
out to hear the Communist speaker,
Robert Minor.
Two workers came here from
Washington in answer to an adver-
tisement which offered SIS a day for s
hours work in the Oliver Iron MIN
ing Company, Hibbing, MINI. The
facts are the above company PATS
1920 for ten hours work while Wis
ton-Dear company has cut wages to
$3.50 a day for ten hours of unbear-
able hard labor.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
Y. w. |. SUMNER COURSES

The Head-of-the-Lakes District Com
mittee OF the Young Workers League,
in cooperation with other labor org
anizations, began the preparations for
these courses early in the year. The
initiative for the venture is properly
credited to the Finnish Federation
membership Of the Workers Party in
the Head-of-the-Lakes or ninth w. P.
district. Among the supporting organ
izations are numerous co-operatives,
workers circles, local unions and
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20

meager living for himself and family.
Mortgage foreclosures are, therefore,
increasing in number; and voluntary
or involuntary auction sales of the
cattle. ichattels and other goods of
farmers hopelessly in debt are becom-
ing almost an everyday occurrence in
some communities.
A ND not only are the farmers unable
1 \ to meet the payments on their
mortgage loans, but the return on
their investments and labor is not
sufficient to allow the payment of
taxes when due. Lists Of delinquent
taxpayers and sums Of taxes remain
ing uncollected last year in some of
the northern Wisconsin counties, as
published by the county authorities,
were greater than ever befeys ia the
history of the stat7. Some Of the
counties are virtually bankrupt and
county development work. that is car
ried on with public funds, is at a
standstill. The officials in some coun-
ties find it difficult to collect sufici-
ent tax funds to be able to draw their
salaries. One may ask, and with rea-
son, what will soon become of the
governing functionaries of these
counties If the officials find 1t impos-
sible to draw their pay?
All this, of course, is a result of the
system under which we are all living.
The condition will not be remedied
even if the farmers are able to pay
off their mortgages and meet their tax
payments. Something more gunda-
mental, in the form of a change IN
the system, is necessary.
ORGANIZATION among the farmers
- is in its first stages. Many
farmers, under the pressure of their
present predicament, are commencing
to realize the value and significance
of cooperative marketing associa-
tons, and cooperative societies for
supplying the farmers needs are
making their appearance in many
communities. In this manner the
farmers are learning the great pos
sibilities of organization; they are
learning their first great lesson of or
ganized effort and Kidding themselves
Of their individualism, nurtured for
generations by the schools, churches
and other organs Of the existing sys-
tenn.
And while we should not under
estimate nor belittle the value Of the
cooperative movement, especially as
form Of organization for the work
ing farmers, we should bear in mind,
that it is only a means to an end,
stepping stone. so to say, to a more
far-reaching purpose. The farmers
must, in addition, organize their po-
litical power and they must learn to
use both their economical and politi-
cal power in conjunction with the
organized workers of the industrial
centers. This will in the end free
them from the clutches Of a social
system, that, with all it's inherent
evils, must soon be relegated to the
scrap-heap of the past.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
THE WORKERS MUTUAL SAVINGS BANK

sides they now were able to finance
their halls and enterprises without
any commissions and at lower rate
of interest.
Up to the present time the Workers
Mutual Savings Bank has saved
thousands of dollars in the form Of
commissions and lower interest rates
to labor organizations.
Some comrade might say that bank
ing doesn't match together with our
party work. Altho it is different in its
nature, however, the financing of the
halls has been rather an expensive
proposition for many Of our locals and
in many instances a difficult one.
These problems were greatly simpli-
fed by the aid our bank offered.
Run by Communists.
Altho the Communist Party hasn't
any official direction over the affairs
of the bank, the comrades who have
the control Of the bank in their hands
make It their duty to assist the mill
tant labor movement. It has always
been a rule of the comrades who are
directing the banks affairs, to aid the
party branches, co-operatives and
fellow-comrades financially In their
needs.
The bank has kept apart from every
nature of bonds which float on the
markets and which are in many in
stances worthless not to say anything
OF the purpose for which they have
been foated. In general, the bank has
strived to be Of service to the working
man and their institutions and not
merely a business proposition.
Now that the business OF this so
meagerly begun institution has ex.
banded so that its resources are about
5000, 100000, 1t is in q still better posi-
ton to be Of service to the workers.
Labor Banks
MANY Of our comrades might think
A'A that our institution is too small
TO be OF any benefit to the cause for
which the Communists are struggling.
And that there are in existence at the
present day about 30 Labor Banks
In the United States. II is true that
these labor banks" have total re-
sources amounting TO $4,000 900. 90.
The strength Of these banks Is beyond
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20

members Of the cooperative stores to
understand that to conduct their
stores merely for the sake Of getting
cheaper" prices should not be their
aim, but to make the cooperative
movement one whose aim was the
total elimination OF the present profit
system Of society. An educational
department was organized, and large
strides have been made towards this
end. At each convention resolutions
are adopted urging a united front
with all other working class organiza-
tions for the realization OF this aim.
From the original twenty members
the central organization has now
grown so that 1t has about IS mem
bers affiliated with 1t, and sells mer-
chandise to an equal number OF others
not yet AFFILIATED.
The volume OF business has grown
every year and 1925 sales will near
the million dollar mark. In addition
to the wholesale, a bakery is conduct
ed that is also steadily growing.
Many times has this organization
demonstrated it's power, by taking
part In the various drives conducted
by the class conscious workers. They
took active part In the Russian Fam.
inc Relief, Karelian Relief, etc.
Az their meetings they talk a lot,
but the funny part Of Il lie, that when
they leave their meetings they 90 out
and do what they talked about
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
Can't Agree on Machines.

MISUNDERSTANDING engines TO pull
up nets full OF FISH are recommended
by James II. Nickerson OF the Fisher.
mans Union. Nlckerson told the con.
ference OF state fisheries officials,
captains OF fshingt fleets and fish
packers and dealers that much labor
and time is saved on the Pacific coast
by use of the machines but that the
workers and shlpowhers cannot agree
In the east as to who should pay for
the machines, 30 none are used.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
Piece Work in Boston.

BOSTON.-The section piece work
system of production is being put into
force in pants shops dealing with the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers
Union in Boston. The system is ex-
pected to reduce costs of production.
The clothing cutters of the Anal
gamated are moving the union office
to larger quarters at SS5 Washington
street.