The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-13

of tremendous significance. And
when Baldwin and Chamberlain can
take time off to sheer at the Workers
Party, to sheer at these demonstra
tions, we have proven that our cam
paign harmed the bourgeoisie and
had a beneficial effect upon the work
ing class.
"A Abodt the Party reorganization:
Il The Party has been reorganized
on the shop and street nucleus basis.
| In September 1925 the Party men,
bership, dues paying membership, was
$4,000. Of this number approximately
1000 or $500 were dual members,
members who were wives of COM
rades, who were there automatically
on a dual stamp. Particularly was
this noticeable. in certain former
language sections of the Party.
What is the dues-paying member
ship of the Party today? 1t is not
sufficient to give you figures and say
here is our membership. We must
view the membership realistically.
We must view the trend of our mem
bership. In 1926 the average dues
paying membership after reorganiza-
ton, was 1859 per month. In 1927,
in the first six months, it is $500
that is the dues paying average for
the first six months. Immediately
after reorganization, or Immediately
beginning the period of reorganiza-
ton (that is, the last four months of
1920 our dues paying membership
was 1857. Today our membership,
our dues paying membership, at this
moment, is 9,642. Despite the strike
in the Miners Union, which has cut
in heavily on our dues payments, de-
spite the needle trades situation, we
have Approximately 10000 dues-pay-
ing members. This does not mean
that all we have is 10000 members.
In every Party in the CT the dues
paying membership is substantially
smaller than the actual membership
of the partyW
In dealing with reorganization, we
must not only speak Of the reorgani-
zation on the shop and street nucleus
basis, but we must also speak of the
attempt to build up a real Party APP
paratus and the results achieved in
this attempt nationally and locally.
In certain districts like New York, one
of the outstanding results of reor-
ganization has been the building up
of an agitprop department and the
excellent Workers School. Another
result nationally has been the organi-
cation of trade union fractions, ap-
proximately three hundred in number,
and the establishment Of three new
Communist dailIes as well as the pop
ularization of certain Party litera-
ture.
Y What has been the trend of our
Party's capacity to attract masses
since reorganization For the first
four months of 1925, while we were
recognizing the Party, 1872 workers
joined our Party. In 1926, 2,371
workers joined our Party. In the
first six months of 1927, 1877 work
ers joined our Party. The increase
of workers joining our Party through
reorganization is obvious. Since the
Party has been reorganized, 5000
new members joined our ranks. In
thes Ruthenberg Drive alone we Sc
cured 1855 new members.
On shop papers: it is hard to get
an exact estimate of our strength, but
it is clear that we have established in
certain localities like Detroit, shop
papers which have a mass influence In
factories which are centres of pro-
letarian strength. | speak of such
shop papers as in the automobile fac
tories OF Detroit-and in the Harves-
ter plant in Chicago. Twenty-six of
our shop papers have circulation OF
over $1,000.
At present we have a little over 35
per- ceat of our Party organized if
shop nuclei. This is an insufficient
proportion. Our shop nuclei are not
functioning well enough as rule.
The shop nucleus which functions
very well is the exception The con-
dition of our organization is not salts
factory. The Party organization as
an organization is still too weak.
There are more shortcomings in our
Party organization than in any. other
! field Of our work.
Yet on the whole, what is the mean
ing for the Party of this reorganiza-
/ ton? Let me read what the Comm
/ tern has said in it's resolution on our
Party reorganization in December,
1926: Through reorganization of the
Party on the basis CT factory and
street nuclei, the necessary organiza-
tional premise Tor q A'eal Com
munist Party has been created.
Considerable progress has been made
with respect to the Welding together
of the Party into united, centralized
party OF the American proletariat.
The Reorganization has been a great
achievement for the Party The ac-
tual composition of the Party has
been improved and the nature of the
Party work has been changed. The
activity Of the Party membership is
growing as shown by the much better
f..