The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-02

w.
in the increase it would mean an average yearly
income of approximately $4,000.
How Many Get $4,000?
How many workers get $4,000 year? Do the
farm aborers? Do the cotton pickers, shoe workers.
textile operators steel workers, lumber jacks? Do
the soft coal miners the employees of packing houses,
biscuit factories knitting plants laundries? Does
the average worker get $1,000?
According to the economic bureau, the earnings
Of the factory workers in the state of New York
for 1926 averaged $40 week. This means $1,000
a year if the full SO weeks were worked, which
would be a very exceptional case. And this applies
only to New York State, which pays higher wages
than Illinois, Ohio. Georgia, Mississippi, Texas Cali
fornia Massachusetts, or Pennsylvania. The iron
foundries, stock yards and coal mines OF Illinois
are estimated to pay weekly average of only $27
And the seasonal nature of this work, shut-downs
and ay-offs cut into this wage dsastrously.
prosperity" Down South
In the South the lowest level of annual income is
reached with drop to S1,089 in Texas; in Missouri
to 1854 and in Georgia to the inhuman level OF SOIL
With the expanding industrialization of the South,
competition with the North is bound to result In an
even lower standard of living for northern workers.
Even now, however, the North feels the democrat
zino effects of this due to the influx of Negro
workers Their in the coal fields and steel mills
of Pennsylvania has lowered the wage average there
to $500, according to labor bureau statistics. In
Massachusetts, the unorganZed textile and shoe fac
tories go below even this starvation pay forcing
their employees to put wives and children to work to
exc out the mems average wage of $4,000. Quite
evidently it is none of these workers. either coored
or white who are being "brbed" by prosperity.
Are Women Workers Bribed?
And how about the women workers? Their con-
ditions are more deplorable than the men J;
and worse than that, are continual threat to the
.4n &c Tn
issued by the Women's Bureau of the U. S. depart
ment of labor the following facts pointed out:
In the Ia states investigated, only state. and
that in a peak year, was found to pay wages as
high as SIG. Even in that one state-Rhode Island
the average wage OF all women investigated was
only $16.S5 week.
Medians in other states ranged from $3.50 IN
Mississippi to SLABS in New Jersey, with the re-
manning eleven follows: Ohio, $3.50: Oklahoma
$1,000; Georgia, S12.95; Missouri, S12.65; Kansas
81 95; Arkansas, $11.05; Qentucky, Slo.75; South
Carolina, $3.50 and Alabama, $3.50.
Since these figures represent capitaiisms "brb-
cry" Of the great masses of uporganzed, unskIlled
and semi-slziled workers. men and women-ther
capitalism can expect returns for It's bribery
except bitter antagonism, wider spread discomfort
and more militant striving for the betterment OF
labor conditions Such pittance wages In our baslt
industries. such debasing of the famous american
standard of living does not breed sscoilaooratioh
it makes the soil fertile for intensified class strug
GLE Can such an industrial situation turn the work
ers to the right? Surely it is curious method
prosperity has chosen to 'bribe" the proetariat!
Nevertheless, the question must be answered.
any section of the American labor movement goine
to the right? Capitalism is sufficiently cass-con
scious to understand the need for a rear-guard l
wants "peace" at home. Besides, certain industries
such as the building and printing trades are no
under the pressure of international competition a
are for instance the coal, textile and steel indus
tries.
1t is in these more sheltered trades that we mus
look for bribery" The building and printing trade
now play predominant role in the American Fed
Grafton of Labor and it is under their pressure,
well as pressure from the capitalists and the grea
pressure Of capital invested in industry through la