The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-04
EXCLUDE NEGROES
FROM BIG ENGINE
COMP ANY'S Meet
Treated Like Dogs for
S14.50 Per Week
by Worker Correspondent

Ilglb arena, was 6IeClSu III ILOIlG VI
the new offices, bedecked with the
stars and stripes. Almost complete
non-union labor erected this building.
Clap-trap.
Vauclain, president of Baldwin's
Locomotive Co., opened the ceremo-
MES introducing a minister, Muck, by
name. He handed out the usual pal
aver, pleading the lord to lead the
S1T~~~ into complete docility. He
prated abore-sapital's desire to be fair
to labor and prayed She lord to guide
us in doing an honest days work.
All this clap-trap from a piker who
never did 4 days work in his life, liv-
ing from the collections paid by the
sweat and toll of workers.
Then Vauclain spoke of the pioneer,
Matthias Baldwin, how that exploiter
of labor by his genius" founded the
largest locomotive shop in the world.
But not word about the men who
have toiled 10 hours day, and thir-
teen hours night for 81 years, who
have risked their lives every day,
driving rivets and stay-bolts, testing
steam pressure at $50 lbs. during the
hot summer months with the tenn
perature from so to 100 degrees, men
covered with grease and CRIME, weary
from putting every ounce of their
strength into their work while these
parasites were idling in the GOODNESS
of the ocean breezes.
Think of this man Vauclain, with
three or four chins in addition to the
one with which he was born, with his
lily white hands resting smugly on
his paunch filled with the finest food
that the workers sweat is able to
buy, standing on the beach with his
arms linked with Stotesbury on one
side and with that deep-dyed faker,
the bull shooter of all the moose, Sec
rotary of Labor Davis on the other.
What Price Starvation.
This same Vauclain had the audac-
ity to tell those assembled how much
wages the workers received at Bald
wins and not say a word about the
huge profits these workers made for
their boss.
I noticed that all the guests in
yited came in expensive motor cars,
having with them fancy lady friends,
richly dressed.
The next speaker ives Secretary of
Labor Davis, the man who once ad-
vocated an eight-hour day, the cham
pion licksrittle of the master class.
He spoke of George Stephenson and
went on to say how the genius of
Americans had built up the greatest
empire in the world, how thru the
generosity of such men as Vauclain
this country was paying higher wages
than any country in the world. He
said nothing about the eight-hour day
or about unemployment; not word
about why we are working only two
or three days per week, nor one word
to explain why Baldwin is working
at 20 percent capacity, due to his
specd-up processes under the contract
system. This ignoramus said he had
been preparing his speech all morn
ing in the room of a magnificent Of
flee building, but said nothing of the
workers who built it. 1t was obvious
that he got his orders from the cap
ttalist class.
What Price Enforced Ignorance.
Davis went on further to say that
the cause of Europe's great unem-
ployment was oper-population and
that thic ca1,7a yaaSoy, Lo1J +,u,a r.
their illiteracy. He made the false
statement that out of the $50 million
Russian people SO percent were illit-
crate. He said the same of China
and India. He said nothing of the
czar's depriving the Russian workers
and peasants Of their right to learn,
nor did he speak of Britain's oppres-
sion of the Indian peasants and work
ers. And yet Davis was introduced
by Vauclain as that honorable Sec
rotary of labor"
Stotesbury, one of Americas great
est exploiters of labor, was present
His actions of the past have spoken
louder than his words.
Well, after they gassed us workers
we went back to the shop. When ]
arrived there was asked by Negro
worker how / liked the speech. He
answered mo" to my question wheth.
er he was present at the meeting. ]
asked why not. He said they woulc
not allow Negroes to sit with us. This
same Negro works 2 and 3 DAYS q
week and travels from Philadelphia
every day. He receives only as cents
an hour which averages about S14.5C
per week. What was that bull of all
moose, Davis, prating about, any.
way? Take fifty cents a day from
$14.50 and you hardly have enough
left to feed bird. Davis spoke about
prosperity!
Can a man live decently on $14.5C
per week; can he raise three or foul
chins on that salary; can he grow {
stomach that looks like bass drum
These Negroes were not allowed t.
sit with their oppressed brothers
They were treated like dogs, brought
here by the exploiting class and still
are being abused and exploited b,
this same class.
The only way which we exploited
workers have to get decent livine
is by the Negro and White and al
other exploited workers uniting in one
big class force to crush out these
blood sI1ckerq frn,,, +bo ,,,o~Ia