The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-29
In Texas Oil
Towns
By SAM.

NAL - SmeIleu OIL lew miles
before l approached Bay Town, which
is the first of the three towns (from
Houston) comprising the Goose-Creek
Oil territory The other two are
Goose Creek and Pelly.
Distinctly Different.
Even though all three towns lie lust
within a mile distance from each
other, they are just as distinctly diff
ferent as are the lower East Side and
Riverside Drive.
Bay Town. which is the Youngest
of the three is chiefly populated by
the Mexican laborers. From 6 to 10
p, m. you will see them standing in
groups and chatting in that lively
Mexican language, or listening to a
Mexican song on victrola. One gets
the impression of being in Mexico, so
predominant is the Mexican in Bay
Town.
And just about mile away, seems
like the same town, same two blocks
of business houses, but different
element entirely This is Goose
Greek. Here they are more business
like. Most of the faces are black.
The predominant element is the Me- r
gro, and also the younger, unskilled. I
shifty white laborer.
Pelly is the "Aristocrat." There
live the bosses, and skilled workers
OF the oil fields. Here most every
one owns his home and flivver.'
Both are worth about $4,000. There
is no place for the "dirty niggers"
here in Pelly. They can be seen here
only at work.
Rich Oil Fields.
Between Bay Town and Goose
Creek lies the biggest oil refinery I
ever saw AS far as could see there
were stretches of tanks, pipes.
pumps, some kind of machines and
again the same things. For miles it
spread.
And just outside of Pelly, right
by the road, are located the oil wells.
Working three shifts No stops. The
oil is transferred directly to the re-
flneries thru a system of underground
pipes. A great deal of the oil is
spilled all around the wells. Just by
the road. Forming large brown-black /
pools Ireacherous it seems. do not
know how deep they are. There is
only one odor around; the stencil of
petroleum. Heavy. Leaving it's
stencil on everything.
Conditions of Work.
Conditions of work are far from
being good. The oil magnates' greedi-
ness for profits, is evident all around.
The lives of the workers are not pro-
tected. Instead, system of insur-
ance is established. 1t is compulsory,
and the insurance fee is deducted
from the salary.
There is mo organization at all
among the oil workers. And the
American Federation of Labor seems
to be too busy fighting the militants
in the trade unions, to even think of
organizing the oil workers.
Wages.
The majority of the oil workers
are unskilled laborers. Mexicans and
Negroes mostly. They receive from
$500 to $3.50 day. Or night shift.
Same hours for night shift. The
highest skilled workers receive up to
$4,000 month. Day or night shift
The laborers live in constant bond-l
age, due to debt, to the local petty
sharks (store keepers) who see to it,
that the laborers get the least for the
most. They live from payday to pay
day (twice monthly and keep on
paying the ever-increasing debts.
Women Terribly Exploited.
There are hardly any women EN-.
ployed in the oil fields. While the
men are working in the oil fields the
women try to get any sort of em-
ployment in the towns.
spoke to few girls working in
the laundry in Goose Creek. Here
are some of the conditions as told by
the girls. Nine-hour day without rest
One dollar thirty-five cents per day
Conditions intolerable. Several of the
sc girls employed faint every day.
The company deducts from the wages
the fainting time. l asked them why
don't they organize and get betteS
conditions. Did not care much; jusa
worked temporarily, they said.
The local stores often Cat pay
days) employ number of girls, dpS,
ing sales, and pay them $500 to $Sfno
week. For an 11-hour day. Sixt<fyII
days.
These are the conditions OF III.
''liquid gold" workers, and their Nm,
lilies. There is only one way to h (.
prove their conditions. Organization.