The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-15
By BILL LAWRENCE.


battles. The increasing unemployment, the
numerous wage cuts which lead towards the
further rehabilitation of the American work
ers, and the growing discomfort of the workers
with the A. F. of L. leadership, which is trying
to enforce wage cuts agreements on the work
ers, is the best proof of that.
The Philadelphia District, which includes
such important industrial centers as Kensng
ton (textiles), Bethlehem and Sparrows Point
(steeD, Baltimore and Philadelphia water
'front.', Wilmington (chemicals) Anthracite
(hard coal), will certainly play an important
role in these coming struggles.
In some of these industries the workers have
gone through two or three wage cuts for the
last several weeks, and the bosses with the
conscious help and approval of the A. f. of
l.. officials, are trying to enslave more these
workers, and completely shift the burden of
the crisis on the shoulders of these workers
through thei' famous wage cut agreements.
Militancy Grows.
During the month of September number
of agreements expired. The Marine industry
is one of those. The conditions and sentiment
of the longshoremen on the Philadelphia water
front is such that it may break out in an open
revolt against the stevedores and their agents
the LILA. at any moment The thousands of
unorganzed longshoremen work under inhu-
man conditions and low pay. Those Organ
lied" in the LILA. not any better off.
The LILA with its chief henchfnan, Polly
Baker, is aware of the sentiment on the Phila-
dephia waterfront Baker knows that the
LILA. is completely exposed and discredited.
He knows that the longshoremen will not &C
cept any wage cut agreements, and are dis
gusted with his outfit. Thus he is looking
for other means how to ell out these workers
to the stevedores On the other hand, the
nd al TT~;o Sc
more and more effective on the Philadelphia
waterfront The organized and unorganized
longshoremen are looking upon the MW.LU.
as the real leader on the waterfront. True
enough, some of them are still scared because
of the terror launched by the lila Some of
them are yet afraid to throw away the LILA.
button, but the fact is that the militancy of
these workers is growing daily. They are more
and more responding to the call of the NV.
lU., and when the proper time comes, they
will openly revolt against these miserable con-
ditions and the LILA. The LILA. knows this
and is already trying Though hopelessly) to
prevent the revolt by delivering these long
shoremen to stevedores through the IW.W.
Delivering the Goods.
The I.WW., who went dead for the last
few years on the Philadelphia waterfront, sud
denly revived and have undertaken the duty
posses.
characteristic of the degeneration of the l.
WV, that while in their leaflets they "at-
tack" the LILA. Ben Bletcher, an IWW or
ganizer is writing the leaflets for the LILA.
attacking our union. 1t is clear that both
the LILA. and the I.W.W. are working hand in
hand to betray and sell out the longshoremen
The longshoremen are aware of this through
the numerous leaflets issued by our union, and
IN the near future we may real battles
on the Philadelphia waterfront.
Another important industry where the mis-
leaders are trying to enforce wage cut agree
ment is the textile industry Here we find I'M
employment has reached its highest stage. The
biggest mill in Kensngton, the Hancock is com.
pletely shut off for the last couple of weeks.
The Abere mill (the mill that was recently
on strike and striker killed., only recently
reopened with part time work. Same is true
OF the U. S. Hosiery Mill and many others
Here, too, the conditions of those employed
mot speaking of the unemployed are pretty
rotten.
The recent agreement between the textile
barons and the socal-fascists of the Full Fash
Toned Hosiery Workers provides a wage cut
of % per cent. In spite of the terror of the
officials, and the packing of the meeting with
loyal people, 254 workers voted against the
agreement, with 316 for. At the meeting the
workers of the Hancock and U. S. hosiery
mills demanded the rejection of this agreement,
and after the vote definitely stated that they
were not going to pay dues to the company
union.
The workers Of other textile factories are
similarly aroused by the new sel-out of the
social-fascists and with the increased activities
of the National Textile Workers Union in
Kensington we may look out for very serious
developments and class struggles in this Sec
ton in the near future.
The latest developments in the PHILADELPHIA
mems clothing industry point towards very
important struggles. The workers will recall
the alarm Hillman, the bosses of the Anal
gamated and his gang made throughout the
country about his infamous Organization
drive" in Philadelphia Instead of organizing
the workers, these takers of the AC.WA.
spent thousands of dollars giving parties for
the bosses, called faxed stoppagas which re-
suited in the check-off system, and TODAY the
workers in the mems clothing industry Of
Philadelphia being discrimiratcd worl:
without any protection Of tie COMPANY rcion.
and undergoing one wage cut after
another.
Conditions reached such state that a
former hundred PEI cent supporter Of The Hill
man machine refused to take a wage cut he
went to the A. c. w. Of A. for protection, and
when these burearccats refused to do anything
for him, he went back to the boss and at the
moment Of desperation and under the pressure
of economic conditions shot at the boss
In anothe! mems clothing shop the workers