The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-21

affecting not only the unskilled and semi
skilled workers, but also sections of the skilled
All of these developments are rapidly giving
rise to sharper and sharper class struggles.
With the rapid development by the bourgeosie
OF fascist repressve measures, the struggle is
rapidly assuming more and more of political
character. By accelerating the process of the
concentration of capital and the impoverish-
ment of sections of the middle and petty
bourgeoisie, by increasing the proletarianiza-
ton of the masses of peasantry, the economic
crisis thus intensifies all the social contradic-
lions Of American capitalism. The sheer
economic weight of the crisis tends to effect
political awakening of the proletarian masses
A revolutionary upsurge grips the working
masses, opening the road to the Communist
Party for organizing and leading these masses
into struggles. The revolutionary upsurge of
the working masses of the United States is
evidenced by the growing unemployment dem
onstrations (the national response of almost
million and quarter workers on March g.;
by the growing political character of the &C.
tons of the workers in strikes and demon
strations: March g. Haiti and Mexico demon
STATIONS, etc.; by increasing militancy Of
the workers in resisting the violent suppress
sion Of strikes and demonstration (the histo-
rical struggle in the South centering around
the Gastonia easel; by the tremendous out
pouring Of fifty thousand workers to
the funeral of Steve Katovis killed by the
police on the picket line; by the mass interest
in revolutionary trade unonism, and growing
movements for organization, especially in the
South and in basic industries; by the rapid
growth Of the Communist Party in member
ship and influence. Under these conditions,
the detailed and fundamental work of mobil-
izing the masses for resistance against ra-
tionalization and wage cuts and for unemploy-
ment relief campaigns, the organization Ct
revolutionary trade unions, the strengthening
and building of our Party, become the all over.
shadowing tasks.
Crisis in Agriculture.
9. Agriculture, already in chronic crisis
since 1920, has been especially deeply affected
in the last months. The vast unemployment
and general wage cutting for those employed
has sharply curtailed the mass consumption of
agricultural products Producers of crops for
the world market COTTON, wheat) are faced with
the most catastrophe decline in prices. Whea.
dropped one third in price since last August.
Cotton dropped rs per cent during the past
year, and II per cent during the last two
months. At the beginning of the year already
the U. S. Department of Agriculture is pub
licy advising the farmers to curtail their
production this year by Is per cent, which
gives an indication of the extent of already
visible curtailment of the market In January
it was estimated, on the basis of the then-pre-
valing prices, that prospective farm income
for 1880 had shrunk by more than a billion
dollars. The effect of this is, of course, not
confined to agriculture; for industry it is
equivalent in effect to the loss of the same
amount in foreign markets. Agriculture is thus
hard hit by the crisis and then in turn con-
tributes heavily to the deepening of the crisis
preparing a fertile field for the extension of
our Party influence and organization among
the poor farmers, and the mobilization for
common struggle with the revolutionary work
ing class.
TO- The past failure of the Party to do anv
work among the agrarian masses is the out
growth OF an lndefensible underestimation of
that work. The Party has failed to respond
on the rapid industriaization of farming. espe-
claily 1rult growing and truck farming, which
has led to the transformation of the farmer
migratory worker into a sem-industrial agri-
cultural worker. The California district of GU,
Party especially is obligated to work among
these workers and to drive the roots of our
Party into that category by organizing Party
nuclei among Them The possibilities of such
work were clearly demonstrated in the Imperial
Valley strike. Similar work must be done in
the sugar beet industry of Colorado and Mich.
igan, and also in the dairy farms surrounding
big cities, largely run by wage labor
Another important agrarian base for PARTY
work are those sections, like in the metal min
ing regions of Northern Minnesota and Michi
gan, the coal mining regions of Illinois, Kansas
and Indiana, and sections of the newly indus
tfIallzed South, where the connection between
the industrial proletariat and the agrarian
masses is very close. Especial in strikes in
these territories, the organization of relief
work for the strikers among the farmers of
these territories can be carried on with a view
OF establishing close organizational bond be-
tween the industrial workers and poor farmers
Still another and most important immediate
field for Party work among the agrarian
masses is presented by the masses of Negro
tenant farmers and share troopers in the
South. The Central Committee must at once
work out concrete program of work amone
these masses and must take definite steps for
speedy extension of the Party work in the
South from the industrial centers to the rural
masses Of Negro tenant farmers and share
troopers
Development of Fascism.
ii. In the political field, American CAPITAL
ism is rapidly developing putspoken fascist
methods of government. This manifests itself
IN three main groupings of forces: First. tho
direct mobilization of the heads of finance ears.
q NIL ttAyv s,%,,,, Ia -