The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-08-29
INTERNATIONAL
HARVEST SEEKS
CHEAP LABOR
Move to Rock Island
Expected
(By q Worker Correspondent

(By q Worker Correspondent
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (By Mail).-
The mystery" of Boss McCorm-
ick's recent visit to the Rock Island
plant of the International Harvester
and the meaning of the new burst
of frenzied speed-up which the men
of all departments are now expert
encing, is explained by the fact
that the International Harvester's
chief plant in Chicago may be
moved down to Rock Island.
The local capitalist paper, an or
gan of the Manufacturers Associa-
ton, in its issue of June 26, printed
some plans of the international Har-
vester Company to put up new
building costing one million dollars,
and of increasing its working force
by over one thousand men.
On July s, the same mouth piece
of the Chamber of Commerce stated,
"He (McCormick) asserted that his
visit had no particular significance
other than to acquaint himself with
the progress of development in Rock
Island, Moline, and East Moline
which has taken place during his
absence. No further program for
expansion of the company's plants
in the three cities was announced
by Mr.. Mccormick"
Why the Secrecy?
Why all the deep secrecy? Merely
because the workers in Rock Island
must be made to take a wage cut
and forced to speed-up SO as to
maintain production while the Chi
cago plant shuts down. A huge rob-
berry and dirty trick is being put
over on the Farmall men.
Wages (both day rate and piece
work) will be cut; production per
man will be increased, and old en-
ployees in all departments who do
not shit the ball'' or make the
grade" will be fired and replaced by
raw young patriots from the sur
rounding farms and villages who
will be lured to Rock Island by glow
ing newspaper and magazine adver-
tisements of the "big money" which
is being paid by the international
Harvester Company.
Of course, the Harvester bosses
want to keep the new "let down" Of
the men in the dark.
Cheap Labor Wanted.
"Cheap Labor" is why the Inter
national Harvester Company is NOV
ing to Rock Island. Human labor
is the only source of profit for the
capitalists. Consequently, a saving
in the cost of labor power results
in a corresponding increase of sur
plus profits. With practically no
union labor problem in the Tri-Cit-
les, with practically no limit to the
extent of slavish abuse that the un-
organized workers will suffer and
endure without protest, the l. H. c.
can look ahead to the most pros
porous and happy" years of its most
labor hating and blood soaked his
tory.
Besides the cheap labor area that
draws the I. H. c. to Rock Island,
two other important reasons are, the
high rent in Chicago Git is said that
the ground occupied by the Deering
plant is worth fortune in real es-
tate) and also the proposed i'm
provement of the Hennepin barge
canal from the Tri-Cities to the
Gulf, making possible cheap water
transportation to the Western coast
and especially for the European and
South American markets.
We Must Organize.
In face of the contemplated wage
onslaught; in view of the tremend-
Gus speed-up imposed on the night
as well as the day shift, will the
Farmall Workers take it on the chin,
or will they stand up on their feet
and fight?
HARVESTER SLAVE,
The working class cannot simply
lay hold OF the ready-made state
machinery, and WELD II for its own