The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-14
By C. CLARK.
(Organizer, Los Angeles Section.)

Organizer Los Angeles Section)
THE last week in March, the Party units were
reorganizeI in Los Angeles. Here it was
not only question of the absolute absence of
any shop nuclei but also of an absolutely
wrong organization of the street units. The
reorganization brought to light many weak
nesses existing in the organization and ex-
posed to the light of day serious manifesto
lions of right tendencies on the part of certain
sections of the membership. The section COM
mittee has been aware of outright opportunlst
tendencies, theology and activities existing In
the fraction of the N.T.WIU the coopera-
tive and number of language fractions. 1t
is not the purpose of this article to analyze
the situation in these various parts of the
organization. 1t is necessary only to point out
that the comrades who participate in the ac-
Invites mentioned and who commit right mis-
takes carry their theology into the units and
there leave a definite impression. The reor-
ganizaton of the units, therefore. brought
out and exposed these manifold weaknesses.
Old Form of Organization.
Prior to the reorganization there were nine
street units, five of these met in the section
of the city known as Boil Heights All of
these units met in the Cooperative Center.
They met on the same night at the same place.
The remaining four units all met at the head
quarters of the Party located in the downtown
section of the city. The independent political
activity of the units absolutely lacking.
Even in a purely organizational sense all lnl-
tiative was absent in the work of the units.
In arranging for distribution under the old
methods two or three comrades would be sta
toned at the Cooperative Center and the same
number at the Party headquarters. The men,
bership of the five units meeting IN the Co.
the members of the other units to report to
the Party headquarters and there each COM
rade reporting would be assigned his factory
or streets for the distribution of literature.
The units therefore, were deprived of the
initiative in organizing their respective men,
bers for this work and developed no indie
pendent methods for the selection of territory,
factories, etc. The membership as a whole
was assigned to the various units absolutely
without plan or selection of territory for the
units. 1t was therefore, one of the main prob
lens of reorganization to establish the units
on correct organzational basis.
The activities of the Party prior to reor-
ganization were very largely confined to the
Boil Heights section of the city and further
to the Jewish section of the population. One
of the immediate results of reorganization was
the distribution of activities throughout the
city, Units were organized on basis of
where comrades lived. The factories and per-
spectives of factory work as we'll distribu-
ton of functionares in the units were the i'm
portant problems involved in reorganization.
Thirteen street units and two shop units re-
suited from the reorganization.
Developing Political Initiative.
The reorganization laid the basis for be-
ginning of solving of one of the main prob
lens and that is developing of political initia-
tive of the units. One of the first tests of
independent initiative on the part of the units
came with the arrangement of meetings for
the defense of the Soviet Union organized
throughout the city. All units were instructed
to organize such meetings. The meetings were
to be organized entirely on the initiative of
the units themselves The units to pre-
pare leaflets, to include in the leaflets not
only the general purposes of the meeting but
such issues as would appeal to the workers in
the particular factories or neighborhood The
units were to arrange their distribution,
their own chairman of the meeting, their own
Defense their own drive for new members,
speakers etc In connection with the first at
tempt five meetings involving seven units
nlateralized. The other six units failed to ar
range such meetings However, the meetings
that took place indicate the tremendous pos
sbities and value of this work. The meetings
modified a total of five hundred workers, took
applicants to the Party and reached workers