The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-11
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Teaching Scar-Face AL
By JORGE

In Chicago we have one of the most innocent
looking D. O.'s of the lot. His pleasant smile
lights up the whole Northwest side and along
with Sam Hammersmarck he makes up a che
rubic pair one would expect to find the
mural paintings of the nearest cathedral
But he isn't interested at all in the Daily
Worker Whether it sinks swims or lives or
dies is matter in which he manifests not the
slightest interest. In fact it would be hard to
find in Chicago anyone in the District Office
of the Communist Party who really is inter-
ested in the Daily Worker
The D. o. is SUPPOSED to be, both inter-
ested and responsible. But his responsibility is
to see that the Agit-Prop which is SUPPOSED
to supervise, among other things, the distribu-
ton of the Daily, really does it.
But here is where we strike knot, as the
Agit-Proper is extremely devoted to what is
known as "hoch Potik" and finds it necessary
to spend all his time keeping the D. o. on his
theoretical trolley. In short he must do all
the heavy thinking for everybody in the dis
trict and has no time for such trivial matters
as seeing that the official organ of the Party
is properly distributed MISUNDERSTANDING
for.
So there is another "chenovnik" appointed,
who is CALLED the Daily Worker Agent You
will notice that the system is beginning to look
like AL Capone's cabinet" in which there is
a Secretary for Beer Minister of War with
out portfolio but with machine guns), and so
on.
But the way they do things in Chicago does
not provide that the Daily Worker Agent has
anything much to do with the Daily Worker.
Such supposition would be grevious error.
True, he is understood to get bundle of spe-
cial editions now and then, payment for which
was recently made in $23 rubber check that
bounced right back when our Business Manager
laid it on the cashiers window ledge.
But the main distribution of the Daily Work
er in Chicago has long ago, some time between
the time John Pepper went to Mexico and the
disappearance of the movie magnate Bill Kruse,
fallen into the hands of racketeers.
Thus we find that neither" the D. O., nor the
very proper Agit-Proper, nor the Agent of the
Daily Worker has anything at all to do with
distributing the regular bundle of 725 Daily
Workers sent each week day into Chicago $3.50
copies on Saturdays.
All this is turned over to somebody who
is down on the books as "Freiheit- Burba," way
out on Roosevelt Road. Whether "Burba' is
connected with the Capone gang or the Moran
gang we don't know. But what we DO know is
that he takes too much "freheit" with the Dali
ly Worker.
Before our astonished eyes the Business Of
flee lays down the account of ''Freiheit-Burba"
beginning with an old unpaid balance back in
February of $426.4S. Papers are billed to chi
cago at Sl.60 per hundred, and while in other
places at the same cost the sales price of $500
per hunired pays for distrbution-all bets
are off on such thing in Chicago.
7 Of the 725 Dailes sent, for which our Bust
ness Office sends bill of SLIGO, and which
should sell for $2l.l5, leaving comfortable
difference of $1015 day, the Daily Worker
has received not one damned cent since the
Lewis and Clark Expedition.
linus the balance of $426.48 of last Feb
ruary has fourished like green bay tree,
until on August 81, it had attained the mag
nirIcent proportion of $2,5S9.65! And not
cent in payment all this time!
Our Business Manager, being a curious cuss,
| has inquired occasionally of "Freiheit-Burba,"
only to get the reply that it costs more than
! $21.75 to distribute $2175 worth of Daily Work
| e. and hint We should end him check for
| the difference!
Perhaps it's the stockyards, but there's some
! thing smelly about this. Maybe the Workers
| and Peasants inspection could find out.
| Maybe the D. O., the Agit-Proper, the rub
Der check Daily Worker Agent, the Control
| Commission and the Gay-Pay-oo could send us
| thesis on the theory of diminishing returns,
| the bottomess crisis in the Business Office and
| negotiable reliance on spontaneity of the
| masses that would suffice to pay the printer.
| But we would much rather receive some money
we could bite on.
|