The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-18
l. The General Situation.
Ihe economic Situation.

past few months still show a general upward tend
ency. Even such industries textile and mining
which have been In a partial state Of crisis show
some improvement the latter as the result of the
export OF scab coal to Great Britain and the Cont
nent to I'LL the shortage caused by the strike of the
British miners. There in the background fac
tors indicating the instability and weakness Of the
present situation such as the decrease of exports
the recession in building operations, the downward
trend Of the automobile industry the dangers to the
credit system resulting from inflated installment
sales but 1t is very likely that the present scale OF
production and employment will hold good for at
least another six months, 1t upon this basis that
the party must formulate its program of work for
the immediate future.
The fact that the workers are not sharing as a
class in the general prosperity of capitalist industry
is shown by the course of production and wages
Certain sections Of the workers, the organized
skilled workers. who make the arstocracy Of the
labor movement, have made gains as a result of the
concessions made by the capitalists to make them
allies of American Imperialism, but this is not true
OF the masses Of workers. During the six years
from 1919 to 1925 wages show decrease of go
and the cost of living decrease of 119o indicating
only very slight gain in the real wages Of the
workers During this period, however the produc-
ton per worker in American industry has increased
1870 which has enormously increased the profits Of
the capitalists and given them the benefits of the
increased production of wealth by American indus
try.
At the present time there are movements for
wage increases among sections of the workers. The
furriers won wage increase the garment workers
ARE fighting for increase and the railroad work
ers are pressing demands under the Watson-Parker
Bill On the other hand, wage cuts have taken
place in the textile industry and in the mining in
dustry through opening Of many mines the open
shop basis with wages under the Jacksonville agree
ment. general effort to reduce the wages of the
miners will undoubtedly take place with the expira-
ton Of the Jacksonville agreement next spring
The agricultural crisis continues in a sharp form
among certain sections of the farmers notably in
the corn belt and cotton, while the general situa-
ton in the agricultural field is that the farmers are
not sharing in the favorable economic situation
which the capitalists are enjoying.
2. The Political Situation.
POLITICALLY the situation in the United States
can be best characterized growing conflict
between that part Of finance capital with growing
Investments and interests in Europe and generally
in foreign fields, and industrial capital supported by
the petty bourgeois, which is primarily interested
in American industries. This line is not always
clear, being blurred by interests running in both
directions but the main line Of the struggle between
the capitalist groups is the conflicting interests of
these two groups. The afhaton of the United
States with the World Court the funding of
the debts of European countries to the United
States growing out of the terms which
granted partial cancellation victories for the
DdHheIss won lace OF the OPPOSE
ton Of industrial capital The need of creating the
means Of repayment of the enormous loans and
investments in Europe by the international bankers,
is developing a movement having their support for
the revision of the tariff enable foreign goods to
enter the American market on a more favorable
basis. This movement is resisted by the industrial
capital which profits from the high tariff. The gen.
eral results Of the election partial defeat for
International banking capital, which will lead to
sharper struggles between the two contending
groups.
While this internal struggle goes on between the
two Of capitalist interests the capitalist class
as whole is united in its struggle against the
workers and farmers. The Income tax revision by
the last congress, the proposal of Coolidge to grant
the capitalists reduction of from $3.50 900 600 to
$25O,00O000 next years income tax payments
show how the capitalists use the governmental
power to strengthen their position economically.
At the same time the attack upon the workers thru
the use Of governmental power against them grows
more dangerous. The passage of the Watson-Parker
Bill which practically robs the railroad workers of
the right to strike, the threatened extension Of this
law to the miners the proposals for registration of
the foreignborn workers the Supreme Court decis-
ion in the Dorchy case establishing as the highest
law Of the land that strikes may be Illegal all forge
new weapons for the capitalists in the struggle
against the workers. The capitalists also united
against the farmers defeat all proposals for relief
Of the farmers from the crisis which continues in
agriculture.
No effective resistance to these attacks among
the workers and farmers developed during the cleo
ton campaign. The movement for a labor party
made strides forward and in certain agricul-
tural states the farmerlabor parties carried on
widespread campaigns. but movement OF
the workers and farmers against this use OF the
governmental power against them developed.
Il remains the major task OF party to carry
on widespread campaign Of agitation to unite the
workers in alliance with the farmers for independ.
ent political action to resist these attacks using
the concrete governmental action against them as
the basis of our campaign.
3. The Labor Movement.
THE reactionary bureaucrats who compose the
leadership Of the organized labor movement con-