The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-27
Philadelphia Workers Feel
the Capitalist Curse
Unemployment
BY Fl. ROBINSON.

THE chief topic discussed thruout the entire
city of Philadelphia by all workers is the
growing unemployment. Both unemployment
and Unemployment growing at rapid rate
weekly. Those workers still employed are
asking: "How much longer can I hold my job?"
That the spirit of Lenin and Leninism is
gaining ground is evidenced by the ever grow
ing miltancy of workers, both employed and
unemployed. A food worker relates how
worker approached him and asked to use the
phone but | will lose my job if the boss
catches me letting stranger use the phone.
I'll take chance tho, if you are looking for
work" The strange worker replied: S'You must
be a Bolshevik shake hands, brother" An
other worker relates how he asked friend If
he were working. NO." said the friend "and
l can't find JOB. The way it looks, I'll not
get any work either I've been fooled before
by both republicans and democrats, now I'm
Communist These workers were from the
Northeast (Kensington) district of Phadel-
phia and changes of the sort related are not
isolated, but becoming more and more frequent.
mo Work" Signs.
Now during the latter part of January,
when hosiery mills have resumed work with
new orders during normal times, workers are
confronted with signs nailed on the entrances
Henry Brown & Sons, First and Ontario Sts.,
employing more than 1000 workers, are COM
pletely shut down as are literally scores OF
smaller hosiery plants. In all other textile
industries here, general stagnancy prevails. l..
H. Gilmer, rubber betting is averaging two
days week. Carpet mills as we'll as dye houses
are doing nothing or next to nothing.
With this enormous surplus of textile work
ers to choose from, it is but natural that wage
cuts as we'll as speed-up is the order Of the
day. However, the militancy of the workers
force some labor takers to call strikes, as at
the Aberle Hosiery Plant, where 1400 workers
struck after wage cut of 80 percent. The
labor takers of the Full Fashioned Hosiery
Knitters working in cooperation with
Aberle to effect compromise settlement. It
remains to be seen whether the workers will
permit this kind of collaboration.
At the Link Belt Co., 21st ana Hunting Ave.
workers report for work every day, but during
the past several weeks have been lucky to
average hours day. This concern manufac-
lures machinery of all kinds and workers at the
plant tell that by the placing of the newest
methods of production, anybody can operate
the mechanism; SO that skilled machnists are
replaced by young be-, operating levers. (,
Identification Plus Lay-O Offs.
The Pennsylvania railroad has nearly COM
pleted the Identification Of its road between
Philadelphia and Trenton. Upon completion,
the usual climax--lay offs. Three men were
killed recently, falling from the tops Of the
poles to the tracks where they were cut to
bits. these workers had received 80 cents
an hoI. and paid with their lives. The capital
list !. ess, as usual, concealed these deaths Of
workers.
Only by the workers Of Philadelphia realiz-
ing and accepting the teachings of Marx and
Lenin whose memory was recently COM
memorated by mass memorial at one Of Phi
ladelphia's largest halls, can the workers lift
themselves out of the bitterness imposed upon
than by their rulers. the capitalist class