The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-30
ByO0kw00d Youth Institute Must
Follow Discussion with Action

of organization. Shop committees
should be formed either openly or Sc
cretly according to necessity. The
delegates to the youth conference are
to represent these shop committees.
New Methods.
On the question of utilizing new
methods of attracting to and making
attractive the trade-unions to the
working-class youth, it is necessary
to introduce social evenings-aye,
dances; arrange for lectures on in
teresting and vital problems of the
day; to organize sports clubs-base-
ball, basketball, and soccer teams, and
wherever possible, pool-tables in the
local headquarters; in a word, turn
the trade-union from the dull, drab
affair it is today into an interesting
and living institution for the youth
to belong to.
Muste's Proposal.
We presume that Mr.. Music will
propose his Labor Youth League" as
the form of organization for the
young workers in the trades-unions
at the institute. According to Mr..
Music, this will be the youth auxil-
larry of the trade-union, and is adopt
able to the labor movement just as
it is to religious, charitable, and po-
litical organizations. (See July mum"
Der of Labor Age.)
Oppose Special Leagues.
We are decidedly opposed to the
formation of any youth labor league.
We do not think that in the economic
organization of the working-class, the
trade-unions, where the interests of
the adult and young workers are iden-
teal, will this auxiliary form of or
ganization be for the best interests of
the young workers or be conducive to-
wards establishing a solid front of
labor.
No Separations.
The division of adult from youth
worker on the basis of age will create
separhtism between the two in the
trade artificial division of the work.
ing class-what is necessary for
American trade-unions is opening
wide its doors to the unorganized
workers, to the Negroes, and women,
and young workers on the basis Of
equality with the organized.
In opposition to Muste's proposal
we offer and will fight for the ad-
mission of the working youth into the
trade-unions with equal rights and
privileges of the adult worker.
Right Wing Purposes.
A few words about Shiplacoff,
Schlossberg, and Sigman g. Coz
sudden interest in the youth problem.
Shiplacoff, and Sigman, American So
cial-democrats, unlike their European
brethren, never paid any attention
whatsoever to the young workers.
The youth was no problem to them
until they awoke one fine morning to
face the militant young workers in
The Furriers' Union, when they tried
to crush the left-wing leadership in
the Furriers. Now their main con-
Germ is not to organize the youth, but
rather to prevent the left-wing from
spreading its influence over consid-
cradle sections of young workers.
Some Examples.
Witness the case Of Paterson, N. ].
About 500 young white goods workers
went out on strike. After the first
week, the strike was taken over by
the International Ladies Garment
Workers Union. Lack Of interest of
the right wing leadership, lack of
support, and lastly, lack of militancy
and policy caused the strike to fail.
This was year ago.
The Metropolitan Case.
i Take a more recent example. The
campaign Of the Bookkeepers, Ste
nographers and Accountants Union,
lead by Bohn and Bright. About
5000 young clerical workers are en-
1 ployed by the Metropolitan Life In
surance Co. The average wage for
beginners was $12 week with lunch.
True, they work only 40 hours a
week, but who can get along these
days on $12 per? A leaflet was got
ten out by the BIS and AU, they
held one open air meeting, and with
that the campaign fizzled out
Right Wing Policy.
/ They appealed at first to Fske,
president Of the Metropolitan. to per-