The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-20
3 jailed FOR
HANDING OUT A
SHOP bulletin
Arrested at PhiIIy Auto
Body Works
Continued from page II

put stop TO this metnOd OF trying
cases by pointing out that the case
was not one dealing with the truth
Of the statements Of the Headlight,
the shop bulletin, but whether in this
free country. or as he put it, this
country which once was free, we had
the right to distribute literature on
the public highway.
The fat, very fat, detective inter
upted: 'Tf you owned the plant, you
wouldn't like to have people around
distributing stuff like this" IF Mr..
Budd doesn't like what is in the bull
ltin, he can sue for libel" was the
reply, 'Sbut that has nothing to do
with the distribution" The outcome
was that we were released under $500
bond for a further hearing next week.
Bad Conditions.
The e. G. Budds Manufacturing Co.
Ia one of the biggest automobile body
plants in the country, employing 1000
workers. The conditions in this open
shop plant are typical of the cOndi-
tons IN this unorganized industry as
a whole. The hours are long 90
hours a day., the wages are miserable
and even these low wages were fur
Their reduced only a few weeks ago
by a SO cut. One worker received
1890 a week, and on these gorgeous
wages was supposed to support a wife
and children. This being an abb
solute impossibility, he was forced to
resort to bringing candy and tobacco
to the plant and selling them to the
workers in the plant to add few
dollars TO his starvation wage. He
was caught by one Of the bosses
stoolpigeons, searched and all his
wares taken from him, and never re-
turned.
But long hours, low wages and wage
cuts, do not alone give an accurate
picture Of this slave-herding estab-
lishment. The work is dangerous, and
the labor conditions are unhealthy
Not only men, but even young girls,
work upon the most dangerous punch
presses, without any safety devices
whatever. Girls have had all their
fingers cut off by the high speed
punch presses, while the loss of arms
and even the loss Of life is so frequent
that the mere loss of a finger cannot
be noticed-that is, it's not noticed
by Mr.. Budd.
The Grinding Department.
In the grinding department the
workers have no protection whatever
from the fine, hard emery dust given
off from the emery wheels. There is
no suction, no ventilation, no masking
for guarding the workers before the
grinding wheels.
Poisonous Fumes.
What are the conditions in the Other
departments? Are they a whit bet
ter? Look at the healing department
where the automobile bodies are
heated and softened to prevent theil
cracking during the pressing opera
ton. Hot flames play upon the greasy
metal. Poinsonous fumes fill the air
with the greatest danger to the work
ers' health. In fact, all thru the plant
are found leaking gas pipes from
which pour poisonous gases.
To maintain the slave conditions il
Budds auto body plant, the bossei
keep up a far-reaching spy system
The workers are kept in place all day
They cannot so much as step into an
other department without being seized
questioned and sent back.
Strike Sentiment.
The workers in Budds are conscioul
Of the need for organization, they ar,
ripe for organization. They will sool
be ready TO follow the path of tn
workers of the Fisher Body Co. Il
Cleveland and like them strike 70
better conditions. The bosses realiz
this. They understand this threat t,
their profits. AS the Budds' speeia
agent who arrested me said: Loo
what you're doing. The next thing yol
know. we'll have a strike here, AM
we'll see people killed Just as in Pas
sale"
"And the significance of these al
rests Of the workers distributing tn
shop bulletin at Budds calling upo
the auto workers there to organic
and fight for better conditions and
living wage, the s-nifcance of thes
arrests is that Budds maintains a col
don Of special agents to keep out on
shop bulletin, and to fire out on
comrades who distribute this effectiv
message to the workers. But the 81
forts of the Budds to suppress gu
shop bulletin will be met with NOR
determined efforts on our part I
reach the workers in this slaughte
house, organize them, and lead ther
in militant struggles.
Delivery OF Coal.
MOSCOW, U. S. s. r., --(Tass)-
Anvil a -. occrdfnV fo ranorfo re