The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-10
$4,000 LUMBER
WORKERS idle
ON WEST COAST
Banks Move to Smash
Peach. Growers
by r Worker Correspondent

p9ChANl rN ~, OallI., (bV MAIL
-Oregon's resources, CALIFORNIA;
greatness and the wonders of Wash
ingtor will be the sources of a great
wave of prosperity in the near future.
Such is the prediction of George
Baker, the mayor of Portland, Ore
COR, according to the Sacramento Bee.
By what stretch of the imagination
he reaches this conclusion is puzzle
Own Everything.
We are all familiar with the eco
nomic ebb in the states in question.
numbering and agriculture are the
chief industries OF the states of Wash
ington and Oregon. The lumber in
dustry is highly monopolized. 1t is in
the hands Of less than a dozen timber
pirates who own and control the
standing timber, the land on which it
stands, the tools of production and
the lumber.
Due 60 modern machinery and the
speed-up system Of production, the
market has long since been glutted
and production is at standstiIl.
As result more than $4,000 lum-
her workers are idle on the coast.
Or is the mayors optimism due to
excellent conditions in agriculture?
AS far back as 1925 Oregon's and
Washington's farm prosperity was
gHortgaged for so per cent of its total
value. There are thousands of in
stances where, in 1927 the farmers
Of Oregon and Washington went bank
runt due to the high taxes, deplor-
ably low crop prices, eXtortionate
freight rates. etc.
Even tenant farmers are driven
from the land by these circumstances
as George Baker very well knows.
Barks Control.
The Sacramento Bee recently car
lied in its pages an outline of Cali
fornia More thar half of this map
was stencilled in black, across which
was written the words "Bank of
italy," showing the control of one
hank alone m the agriculture and in
dustry in California. The rice, cotton
and other farmers are bankrupt, with
the fruit growers following closely on
their heels.
The cannery association, which. in
reality, IS a bank power, smote the
peach growers on both ears this year.
They notified the peach growers that
the latter would have to "biIl back"
$14.50 on every ton of peaches sold
the cannery in 1926-27.
$3.50 Per Ton.
IF any peaches grow this year and
they are brought to the emery. the
growers must first dizzy up $14.50 per
ton. Advance prices for the 1923
peach crop run from $50 to S25 per
ton. So you can see what the future
holds in store for the peach growers.
This is . deliberate move on the part
of the banks to choke and crush priv
ate farming in California once and
for all.
The mayor predicts further that
golden opportunities lie in store for
labor. Naturally the broadcasting of
such propaganda will attract large
numbers of workers to this section of
the country. Therefore a word of
warning to eastern workers: Stay
away from the Golden West.
Breadlines.
1t is now April; things should be-
gin to loosen up little. Instead what
have we? Breadlines in full swing.
of thousands are idle and
starving who are forced to live in
cheap tourists camps. Herded ito
gether like cattle they live on spinach
and other greens.
Who dares to deny these state
ments. step forward. Underfed. half
clothed, with scanty shelter, and often
with such sanitary provisions as
would put swine to flight, they sit
and patiently wait for job. And if
a job really comes, the workers swarm
over it like flies on carrion. For the
workers conditions are infinitely
worse than can be told by pen.
The mayor, of course, has swell
position. All he has to do is to keep
the boots Of Pig Bizness polished and
he sits on the top of the world. SO
he spouts what he thinks is good dope
for such suckers, by which he hopes
to perpetuate his position at the ex-
pense of the suffering toilers.
The issues the mayor and his class
are dead. Nothing for you
in the future, George.