The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-30
NCHESTER ARMS
WORKERS PUBLISH
OWN SHOP PAPER
Fight Militarists in Gun
Factory
(Bg d Worker Correspondent

HARTFORD, Conn, by Mail) -
The state of Connecticut is the prop
erty of the two dominant trusts, tn
American Brass Co, the u. S. Rub
Der Co., along with the ammunition in
terests, the Winchester Repeating
Arms Co., Remington Firearms, etc.
powerful lobby maintained by tn
Connecticut Open Shop Conference
completely dominates the politics ant
legislature Of the Brass state.
Open Shop Heaven.
Needless to say, Connecticut is on,
Of the most reactionary states. Sucl
things as free speech and union or
ganization for workers are not toll
Grated. The state has become the
haven Of the open shoppers of New
Jersey and New York who run away
from the labor union centers, tC
operate scab under the protection OF
the open shop conference.
Connecticut is today the largest
light arms center in the country
Thousands of workers are engaged il
the most basic of capitalist industries
the war industry. The workers in
the Browning gun and cartridge de-
partments of the Winchester Repeat
ing Arms Co. work from 70 to sc
hours a week. Tens Of thousands OF
boxes of guns and ammunition leave
the Winchester gates regularly to
the Orient via New York The huge
Pratt and Whitney Aeroplane factory
in Hartford, is working day and
night on government orders. Water
bury is busy on machine gun shells,
and parts, on shrapnel and cartridges
Bridgeport is one Of the basic army
ordnance and ammunition centers,
where American Imperialism IS
fexerishly preparing for war.
The exploitation of the workers In
the state is terrific. Twenty-four to
36 cents an hour is the average
wage. Women workers earn from "a
to 26 cents, and young workers from
10 to "a cents an hour. The 10 OF
II hour day is prevalent. Piece work
and all the speeding-up schemes xii
the workers by inches, while wage
cuts are a regular occurrence. In The
Winchester Repeating Arms Co. fol
instance. whenever a worker, with the
most intense speeding averages above
SO to 40 an hour, the piece rates arr
Immediately reduced. In the Cande,
Rubber Co. of New H5ven, a sub
sidiary of the U. S. Rubber Co., work
ers who have put 20 years or NOR
in the factory seldom average abov
$40 or S21 a week. Unable to live Of
the extremely low wages, the work
cuts are a regular occurrence. In tn
system of bonuses and percentages
so that in many factories there is n
such thing as time for lunch. Com
pany unions, industrial espionage
outings, compulsory insurance, fax
pensions, reduction from the meage
pay envelopes for CAPITALIST graf
charities, are the palliat.ves for highe
wages. and lower working hours.
Masses UnOrganized.
Outside of a few open-shr , buildin
trades and several other miscellaneou
craft unions Of skilled workers, tn
bulk of the workers are totally III
organized. The Eagan-M + h
machine in control of the State Fede
ration, is not in the least intereste
in the conditions Of the inorganic
masses. The labor movement IS cor
trolled by the catholic church. Bot
Eagan and Murphy are CAPT alist pol
ticians high in the councils Of tn
capitalist parties. Mr.. Murphy for II
stance, is President of the state Fedt
ration Of Labor. secretary Of the Ne
Haven Trades Council and at the san
time, boss of the democratic part.
and assistant to the New Haven chit
Of police. Mr.. Eagan, secretary
the State Federation, is an expert
selling out Strikes. and devotes h
entire time to fighting the Left Win
and the Communists. Opposition
these agents of the open shoppers
weakened by the bankruptcy of the s.
cialists. who are influential, hume
ically. in the strategic Trades Coul
ellis. Of New Haven. Bridgeport, Ne
London. These yellow refor1-ists, t.
cowardly to struggle, always rally
the support Of the machine.
The only hope of these thousand
of metal, rubber, ammunition al
textile workers is the left wing Il
bv the Workers Communist Part
The Workers (Communist) Party
becoming the leader Of the masse
This is evidenced by the growth Of Il
Party and the Young Worke
League. Over 200 workers respond
to the Lenin- Ruthenberg membersh
drive. Seven new Party Branch
have been organized since the mon
of September About 200 new 81
scribers were gained for The Dali
Worker, and an equal number for Il
Italian organ, the II Lavaratore.
The influence Of the Party is grol