The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-15
By FRANK HENDERSON.

a ASSSHI survey VI oil 4lluuS VI la
section of the country, which re-
fleets to a larger or smaller degree
the situation in other parts of the
United States, brings to light clearly
the role of sports and sport organi-
cations in this period of intensive
naturalization of industry and mill
tarization of the youth as a part of
the systematic preparations for i'm
perialist war. The increasing i'm:
portance of young workers on the
industrial arena and their historical
Importance to militarism necessi-
tates a view from these two angles
to show the role of bourgeois sports.
Rationalized industries, hell-holes
Of capitalism, are drawing in an
increasing number of young work
ers. Statistics show that children
enter into industries at very ten
der age to help in the support of
the family. Youth labor being a
source of cheap labor results in the
displacement of adults by the young
workers both boys and girls. This
is not only true in the light indus
tries, but efficiency shake-ups are
shifting young workers into the
heavy basic industries where they
are replacing adults in dangerous
and injurious work.
Company Sports as Boss Weapon.
With the exploitation of the youth
in the industries arises the question
of how to keep in check the mill
fancy of the poorly paid young
workers. The militancy of the young
workers expressed in the recent
struggles Of the workers in the min
ing, needle trades, and textile indus
tries is a sword that is hanging over
the heads of the employers. To di-
vert the attention of the youth from
their miserable economic conditions
the employers have introduced vari-
Gus schemes to create illusions
among the young workers. The most
effective scheme is the introduction
of company sports and the organl-
cation of industrial athletic leagues
which lure the youth from the class
organizations of the workers and
hinder the development of class
consciousness. The buying of sport
equipment, donations of grounds,
buildings and funds by the company
create illusions that the company is
actually helping the workers, The
company sport instructors and
"stars" on the athletic teams are
the efficiency exports of the COM
pany encouraging loyalty, patriot
ism and class collaboration.
In the western part of Pennsyl-
vania the following is witnessed.
The coal barons there are out to
crush the fighting spirit oe the
young coal miners and to prevent
the organization of the National
Miners Union. During the miners
struggle the young workers organ
lied a sports club and affiliated to
the Labor Sports Union. To. break
up the workers sports club the COM
pany has announced the organiza-
ton of company baseball team and
all those playing ON the L. S. U.
teams will be blacklisted. The COM
pany baseball suits carry the name
of the coal company whose hired
thugs, with the. help of the official
police, beat up Che militant miners
on the picket lines. Many of the
young miners, being members of the
N. M. u, and not wanting to be
blacklistcd, have dropped sports to
build up the miners union. This is
an admirable stand of the young
coal diggers.
Booster Clubs.
In several company-controlled
towns Of Pennsylvania the class
collaboration schemes of the en-
ployers take the form Of Booster
Clubs. In Lawrence county this
policy is in full swing. The Booster
Club idea is usually the joint scheme
of the companies and the business
men of the town. In Bessemer, n
company controlled town, where the