The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-11-03
WORKERS PARTY
CAMP AICNS FOR
OLD lace PENSION
Milwaukee Corporations
a Unit Against 1t

I Wisconsin sub-district of the Workers
| (Communist) Party is actively en-
gagged in the campaign for the old-age
pension law here, despite the resist
ance of the socialist party which does
not give them publicity and the objec-
tons to politics" vosced by timid Of
ficials of the organization created to
push the pension bill.
Open hearings by the County Board
of Supervisors have to listen to the
arguments of representatives of the
Workers Party and ten thousand
handbills have been distributed to
workers.
Workers Want Pension Law.
Fraternal orders composed over
whelmingly of working people, are the
drive for social legislation as ex-
pressed in the old age pension law.
The trade-unions of Milwaukee Coun-
ty follow suit. The Federated Trades
and Labor Council, the Typographical
Union, the Building Trades Council,
the Auto Truck Drivers, the Full
Fashion Hosiery Workers, the City
and County Employees Union, the
United Commercial Travellers and
other labor bodies have gone official
ly on record in favor of the old age
pensions. The Bay View Women's
Civic Club and one or two other wom-
ems organizations are also represented
at the council hearings as well as the
South Slavic Benevolent Assn, the
Workers (Communist) Party did the
political organization of the workers
of this county which were heard at the
hearings. The socialist party is rep
resented.
Bosses Against 1t.
The powerful Allis Chalmers Mfg.
Co., the Rumble Mfg. Co., the Bucyros
Co., the Seaman Body Corporation,
the Nash Motor Co., the Rumble Mfg.
Co., the F. Mayer Shoe Co., the Mil
waukee Real Estate Board, the Fuel
Dealers Assn, the North Side Bust
ness Mems Assn, the Third st. Com
mercial Assn and other organizations
of employers are energetically oppos-
ing the adoption of the old-age pen
sion law in Milwaukee County.
Corporations for Charity
The big corporations are fighting
the old age pensions on the, ground
that the existing charitable institu-
lions, the poor houses, the homes fol-
the aged, ETC., are taking adequate
care of the old people. They contend
that the old age pensions would en-.
courage pauperism, tend to destroy
habits of thriftiness and so on.
The Eagles, the rtrade-unions, the
socialist party are making a senti.
mental appeal picturing the destitute
condition of the aged workmen, point.
ing the harsh and inadequate care
which the poor receive in the poor
houses and other charitable institu.
tons and finally citing figures tc
prove that the old age pensions as
operated according to the state law
are less expensive than charity.
Position of Workers Party.
B. Sklar, sub-district organizer fol-
the Workers (Communist) Party out.
lines the position of the party as fol-
lows
First of all we criticize the law
because of the high age limit the low
pension allowance and other restric-
tons which make it possible for the
advocates of this law to point out that
it will be very economical because ii
will not apply to large numbers OF
workers.
1--WE point out that the clause which
makes optional for the individual
counties to adopt or reject the law
gives the big corporations splendid
chance to make fight on the law in
each of the seventy counties of the
state. Yet pointing out all of these
shortcomings we call upon the work.
ers to fight even for this law poor as
it is.
1.-THE defeat Of the law would be a
victory for the exploiters, who are in
terested in defeating the principle of
social legislation and who want to pre-
serve the system of old age pensions
as operated now in many of the in
dustrial plants, the old age pension
by the grace of the boss. This system
is beneficial for the employers but is
certainly obnoxious to the workers: it
ties them hands and feet to the Job,
makes them scared to demand higher
wages and better working conditions
and whether they are direct contribu-
tors to the scheme or not they ulti-
mately pay the cost"