The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-30
BY DONALD BURKE


Zone of the four comrades now touring Wise
onsn for the election campaign.)
THE first half of the election campaign tour of
wisconsin which has just been completed, has
met with tremendous response and is able to
report that all thru the state. workers and
farmers are becoming more and more radical
lied are preparing to fight against their nliser
able conditions and thousands whom we reached
gave hearty endorsement to the program of the
Communist Party in the, coming elections.
The tour covered nearly two thousand miles
during the period of a month. Twenty five
thousand leaflets were distributed in over fifty
cities and towns. Three thousand Daily Workers
were sold and distributed, and three hundred
Party platforms and pamphlets were sold.
The best meetings were held in Sheboygan,
Fond Du Lac, Oshkosh Red Granite, and Owen,
Wisconsin. At the Sheboygan meeting the police
and American Legionnaires interfered but were
unable to break up the meeting for half all
hour due to the militant spirit of the crowd of
five hundred workers who were listening to Com
nlunist speakers for the first time. Finally by
calling for reinforcements the dicks were able
to arrest all four comrades-Ed Nehner, candi-
date for SECRETARY of State, Ted Witt, Young
Communist League Organizer, John Hilty, who
served three month in the House of Correction
at Milwaukee for his participation in the March
for State Senator. We were all released after
lecture.
Good Meet in Oshkosh.
The best meeting of all was held in Oshkosh.
Five hundred workers came in response to our
leaflets and many shouted approval when we
pointed out Hoovers lies about mo wage cuts"
and the crisis will soon be over" Especially
did they agree that they must organize and
fight against the lumber mill barons who have
been exploiting them for years at average
wage of 80 cents an hour! Now wages have been
cut to between "a and q cents an hour, and
nearly half are unemployed.
Red Granite, which is the home town of Fred
Bassett Blair, who led the March 9Th demon
stration, and is now serving one year in the
House of Correction while the Communist Party
is carrying on campaign for his election as
governor of Wisconsin,-tflis little quarry town
of only thousand produced meeting of over
two hundred workers who came to hear our
speakers. We pointed out especially the swing
of the American born workers to the Communist
Party, and showed how it was that one whom
they knew raised in their own environment,
and worked in these same quarries had become
a fighter for the working class and leader in
the Communist Party. Several hundred of these
workers have already signed petitions for
Bassett's release, and many told us that they
would vote Communist.
Owen, Wisconsin is also a town of only a
thousand, but over two hundred came to our
open air meeting. Conditions here are also bad
the town being practically owned by the Owen
Lumber Company Wages in the lumber mills
have been cut to Is cents an hour-s25o a day.
And the workers listened closely to our speakers,
bought lot OF literature, and applauded en-
Enthusiastically at the close of the meeting.
Meetings were also held in Wansan Appleton
Brentwood, Phelps, Waino, Wentworth Hurley
and Superior. The Superior meeting was not
very good, due both to the bitterly cold weather
and to the fact that the Superior comrades did
nothing to help distribute leaflets or mobilize
the workers. Outside of little help from the
effect that it was not well received
wonder II Mr.. VOL is aware of the fact that
the unions have representatives in almost all the
leading governing bodies of the Soviet Govern
ment They select the Conmissar of Labor.
They also select many lower officials in the de-
partment Of labor. and are we'll represented in
the departments which operate the extensive
system Of social insurance All legislation affect
ing labor is passed with the consent of the
unions and after the most thorough discussion.
In other words, the conventions of the unions
are in sense, legislature for the country, sup
plementing the Congress Of Soviets On the
economic and industrial organs OF the govern
ment they also have their representatives They
are on the State Planning Commission which
devised the Five Year Plan They are repre-
sented also on scores Of committees and councils
that operate the various departments of the
government.
1t is clear from all this that the trade unions
are powerful force in Soviet economic and
industrial life. And their members are I'M
doubleday the freest, most active and intelligent
trade unonists to be found anywhere in the
! world