The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-13

naturalization" has terrible meaning. It
means the most ruthless and scientific policy of e-
poitation. In plain English may call it speed
up and efficiency. 1t the replacement of the
skilled by machinery, by semi-sked and unskilled.
1t means women and child labor. It summarizes the
labor policy of the ruling class in the modern i'm
perialist stage of capitalism
The July, 1927, issue Of Labor Review" pub
lshed by the U. S. Department of Labor, which
surely cannot be accused of pro-proletarian sym
pathes in the compilation of its figures shows some
of the effects of postwar naturalization upon the
working class. The figures show that out of 100
workers employed in 1923 only 80 were employed in
1877 And this applies to the basic industries, to
those Industries upon which the economy of this
country depends, and which indicate whether we
have prosperity" or whether we are headed for
depression. Employment in the basic industries has
decreased IL per cent in a period of A years be-
tween 1928 and 1927.
Now let us view the present prosperity from the
basis of wages. There has been a decrease of ASS
per cent in wages paid to skilled labor alone Mind
you, there has been general decrease in employ
ment of II per cent Of those IL per cent skilled
labor alone received in 1927 ass per cent less than
1t did in 1928 Little is said in this issue as to
the percentage of wage decrease suffered by the
unskllfed, which has been much greater.
While under postwar naturalization the number
OF unemployed inevitably increases and wages de-
crease retail prices of food have tendency to go
up and increased Sc per cent, per cent between
1913 and 1927!
But what is most Characteristic those actually on
the job employed produced much more than ever be-
fore in American history.
Between 1919 and 1927 the output per worker per
average has increased Sd per cent That means that
TT workers in 1927 produced as much as 100 work
ers did in 1919. In the language of the Labor Re-
vleW, expansion of output per person has been
particularly large during recent years, amounting
to 10 per cent in the two years from 1928 to 1926
(June issue, 1929
One example is characteristic of the general ma
tional situation prevailing The Bethlehem
Steel Co. employed in 1929 62,250 men. In 1925 it
employed 2152 less than in 1928. These 60098 men
produced 10 per cent more in 1926 than the 6225O
did in 1928. (See editorial n Y. Evening Post
July 6, 1929
The Labor Review June, 1927 states that the
for this increased output by less workers can
be ascribed to increasing utilization of machinery
and power, introduction of various sorts of labor
saving devices and methods, elimination of waste
etc.
Anyone visiting Pittsburgh, Gary or Detroit
knows very well that elimination of waste" and
labor saving devices and methods" mean He
knows that in terms of human endurance they mean
the shortening of the labor life of the worker and
his election for the human scrap heap at com
paratively early age.
That the workers have been Directing to this
intensifcation of exploitation is evident from the
number of strikes disturbing the peace of this great
laboratory of the trade union bureaucracy In 1926
alone there 1885 of strike disputes thru
out the country. New York heads the list with 216
Pennsylvania had 1872 Massachusetts 113; New Jer-
sey 81; Illinois " and Ohio SO. The rest are scat
tered among the other states 372 strikes centered
about wages; 106 strikes about recognition of the
union; 106 strikes about general unsatisfactory con
ditions; 1855 strikes had their origin in the closed
and open shop question and So strikes were the re-
suit of unsatisfactory hours
1t is evident that capitalism has entered upon the
phase of ever greater exploitation of the native la
Dor element. The effect is a steady decrease in en-
ployment, steady decrease in the total wages paid
for steady increase in personal output per work
er. The sum total of the present situation is that
fewer workers produce and more and get less
and less, while the streets tramped by more and
more of the American unemployed army
Consumption of manufactured goods is about
equal to what it in 1928 This together with
exports which now substantially exceed the total
exports of Great Britain, savings and artificial
buying by the extensive instalment buying schemes