davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
District Is Conn.
Outstanding Gain

The most outstanding gain for the week is
found in District Is, Connecticut, which put on
a gain Of 541, Of which 2o4 are special orders
This figure is aided by Danbury's regular order
of $50 copies a day which the fur strike there
stimulated
A number of Red Builders News Clubs have
been planned in various parts of the country:
Saginaw, Mich, San Antonio, Tex, Mobile,
Ala. South Bend, Ind, Barberton, Ohio, Mil
waukee, Wis. and San Francisco, Cal. We
would like to get some reports from these Sec
lions SO that these may be added to the list of
functioning News Clubs, or be assisted In deve-
Looping their organizations. Unemployed coun-
ellis recruiting their members into the
News Clubs, and Barberton Ohio, is the first
TO form one independently.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Special Orders
for the Week

Following are the special orders for the week;
District @ Perth Amboy, 348; Dist. 4. James
town, N Y. ZIG; Dist g. youngstown, Ohio. 498;
Dist. 6, Moline Ill. 90; Chicago 16; Dist TO- Salt
Lake City, 300, San Antonio, Tex. So Center
vile, Ia. IL: Dist. 49, Ansonia, Conn. 16, Dan
bury 900, New Haven, 300.
Circulation figures in the tables this week
show a decrease of SOB. This may partly be
explained by last weeks special orders Of L.
009 which boosted the total gains. These are
now taken off, leaving gain, apparently, Of
400. However, figures in this weeks table are
also stimulated by special orders to the extent
of 500, so that the net result for the week is
a loss Of 100 day in bundle orders. While
this drop is mainly due to orders boosted too
hastily, 1t also shows that circulation Is be-
coming solidified. Solid growth is what counts,
and not flashy, spectacular advance orders
which later must be dropped.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Terrible Harvest of tuberculosis
and PelIagra Growing in Arkansas
Investigation" Shows Farmers and Workers
Starve Together, While Wage
Cutting Drive Is Pushed

sections of the state-and they are
wide spread-have suffered from a
series Of floods. The failure OF the
American Exchange Trust Company
early in November precipitated our
crisis, as it took one-third Of the
purchasing power of the city Of Lit
tie Rock right off the map and was
followed by perfect debacle of bank
failures, more than hundred, or
one-fourth of our total number of
banks having closed in the past sixty
days, and the end is not yet. A few
Of them have been reorganized, but
there are counties in the state with
out single bank. You will realize
also that this has so terribly crippled
the people who had something and
who certainly would have stood by.
Our Christmas Seal Sale has been
terrible and the letters which came
in were absolutely heartbreaking in
their revelations Of restitution and
stark want. We open many of them
in this Office and a great many were
referred back to our county chairmen
for attention Of the Red Cross chap
ter. The local Red Cross units have
done everything humanity possible to
meet the need. but they have not
behind them adequate funds from
National headquarters, the press
statement Of the National chairman
TO the contrary Notwithstanding. The
attitude Of division and National Red
Gross has been incredibly blind. The
England food riot was not disorderly,
but 1t was determined. When chap
ter has $4,000 and thousand families
on its hands the situation is evident.
IN one of the worst hit counties, Yell,
was advised by a worker yesterday
that Red Cross headquarters have
~6een closed three weeks with a sign
cn the door stating the chapter was
out of funds. That county had a
ornado In December to add to It's
ether tragedy.
The Red Cross Is making plans"
The time has now arrived for action
and not plans The increase OF Pei
lagra is already alarming and we
can expect q terrible harvest Of tu-
bercuIosis with thousands OF half
clad united children. I ana quite GER
tain that business interests have
sought to suppress the true situation.
The state health officer is In close
touch with the terrible situation and
he says conditions are appalling ex-
cept that three or four counties in
northwest Arkansas are better OF for
food than the rest Of the state.
W. wiz certainly h 6sglaxtIng
A.-+.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

tin mill dispensary, where an iodine
expert" told him to 60 back TO work.
The worker then went to the main
dispensary, and there the iodine ex-
perts" demanded that he 60 back TO
work, despite his protest that he was
very sick. The opener said II I go
to work, you will be responsible. The
doctor said he would not be respon-
sible for anything, and with that one
doctor opened the door and the other
doctor kisked the worker out of the
dispensary. The worker was forced
to pay "a for treatment Of injuries
received from the doctor and In the
mill.
At the very outset, the doctor said
to the man. "You 20 to wo'l- hut
don't tell them I sent you over to
work, but that you aged to ~ n
work yourself" They use this scheme
Of forcing sick and injured workers
back to work. because they know that
the starvation wages received on part
time work compels many sick work.
ers back to the job.
At the relief office. the worker was
bawled out aud when he reported to
the employees representative" he
was told that nothing could be done
about it because there were no out
ward MARKS IN show what the 1octor
did.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

enough to pay up.
Each Guatemalan peso is worth
one and one-third American cents,
and, examining the books Of thirty
Indians who had, in desperation, run
away from the plantation Eel Ia
pote," owned by Senior Hasiastiche
Plantagen, where they had worked
for nearly ten years, from October.
1920 to February, 1880, selected one
book as All average example.
There were six entries showing the
wages credited to the worker from
October, 1920, to February, 1880, q
total for nearly ten years work of
6,605 pesos, or what in American
money would be about S88.07l No
wonder, with such wages, their labor
had to be obtained by force!
This is wage that, however mis-
cradle may be the workers food and
clothing, he can not help living up
and exceeding. and thus being bound
in debt for life to the plantation,
and even if he dies his children are
obliged to work out his debt to the
plantation owner!
He is bound to the plantation and
sold with it! In fact the value Of
plantation depends on the number
of contracted Indians
Fifty million dollars of American
capital are invested in Guatemala
absolutely because these Indians are
force to do work for 2 ID cents day,
and thereby produce enormous super
profits.
GO where you will in Guatemala.
you will see the branch offices Of
Grace and Co., and other American
coffee merchants.
I'm the cities you will see the
branches of Morgans National City
Bank, financing the coffee and sugar
crops, half of which is imported into
the United States, More, you will
find there, group Of corrupt labor
leaders with paper organization
called a Confederation Of Labor
which Is part of Matthew VOLS and
Bill Green's Pan-Ameyican Fedora
ton Of Labor, but which prevents
organization of these Indian workers
and acts as tool Of the government,
just as that government acts as a
tool Of American Imperialism"
Workers! Matthew Vol and Con-
gresham Fish howl for an embargo
on Soviet products. They gable
about forced labor"--in the. Soviet
Union--but they are silent on the real
forced labor Of million and half
workers Of Guatemala, here at Amer
ica's door! Why? Because American
capital cannot profit from the work
e,s in the Soviet Union where the
workers have overthrown capitalism,
while 1t does profit from the slavery
of Guatemalan workers. And VOL
and Fish are supporters Of American
capitalists!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

OF IS grinders. More machines Ike
this are put in every day, laying off
more workers.
The conditions in this foundry are
SO bad that the workers hate to think
CT the place when they come home.
When you ask worker how the place
is inside his answer will be: cts
hell" When entering the foundry
you can hardly get your breath be-
cause of the dense smoke and fire.
The plants are so old that the
WORKERS lives are in danger at all
times. In many of the plants ex-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Pennsylvania Towns Come Out
For Insurance for Unemployed

received that United Mine Workers
District President Boylan sent orders
to the hall owner not to let the job
less use the hall, and OH being told
that the meeting was going to take
place, himself called In the state po-
lice.
The Times Leader" reports that
the rank and file of the u. M. w.
are criticizing their officials because
nothing is being done in the way
of relief. The U. M. w. instead is
helping the companies enforce their
new and harder rules about clean
coal. big car loads, etc, and is
planning to agree to wage cut.
Council Grows.
CHESTER, Pa. Feb. II. - Five
hundred Nero and white workers
demonstrated for unemployment in
surance here yesterday, at the call
Of the Chester Council Of Unemploy.
cd. They stood throughout the IN
tense cold, and cheered the speakers.
Afterwards they marched to the
headquarter Of the unemployed coun-
Gil, held another meeting, with 100
present. and many joined the coun-
Gil.
The day before, there were so at
the unemployed council meeting and
10 of them were Negroes.
The same council will hear the
report of its delegate to Washing
ton. at an open meeting tomorrow,
at 100 West Third st. At 1880 a.
M. there will be an hours talk over
Radio W3vx, direct from, the meet
ing. with MacHarris, organizer Of
the Trade Union Unity League,
speaking on 1.-THE World Economic
Crisis and unsmploymsut Sngwsnee"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

plosions take place and many work.
erS lose their lives.
The speed-up system is put more
and more into practice. The mold
ers, grinders, clippers, laborers and
the other workers have to speed up
to make anything. In this speed-up
many workers are injured and killed.
Some of the workers carry hot iron
and they are made to speed up so
that they drop the hot iron and burn
themselves. Something like this oc-
ours every day. M. J.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Angered at 10000 Demonstrators
Angeles Cops Raid All Offices

employment insurance. Six hundred
marched on the capitol building
where the joint unemployed councils
committee presented demands for the
release of the Imperial Valley pris-
oners and OF al! political prisoners.
The demonstrators then marched
back to headquarters Of the Councils
Of the Unemployed. where they we're
attacked by the police and the crowd
broken up.
Nine were arrested. Many we're
badly beaten up. The headquarters
were smashed
The demonstrators resisted mill
family.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

the property, Of 2,70o landowners.
These feudal barons are Germans
native Guatemalans and Americans,
the UniteS Fruit Company monopol-
izing banana production.
Every worker is held in bondage
to the landowner by a develish sys-
tenn Of debt" The symbol of slavery
being a little book, carried by every
Indian worker in Guatemala, in which
his wages" are entered by the land
owner. and the debt the worker
owes to his master.
On the inside cover of each little
book is the contract" by which the
worker is bound by the law of Guat-
emala to lifelong servitude at forced
labor. This contract" printed in
Spanish, translated into English
reads as follows:
Contract of work of the 'mozo
cuardillero' agricultural worker)
with the plantation BLANK for the
name of plantation) owned by
blank for name of plantation own
er).
81 declare 70 owe, in account
with said plantation tits name
owned by (owner's name) for an
indefinite time and at the rate of
pay used in said plantation; de-
Quoting with my own personal la
Dor the debt contracted; and re-
signing to look for work with any
other contractor not to leave the
plantation without permission from
the boss, and without having paid
my debt. agree to remain sub
jected to the conditions above men
toned and to fulfill the obligations
contained in Articles 23, 81, 2s, and
20 Of Decree No. 1856 and Article
1878 and 81 of the Civil Code"
So the laws of the nation of Guat-
eiaala guarantee the feudal slave
holders the forced labor Of i,50o.00C
workers. And the usual wages" OF
these workers for IA hours day is
two and one-haH cents!
An American, worker who recently
visited Guatemala examined these
horrible little books. This is his stor,
Of what follows the contract on thei,
pages:
THE rest OF the book serves Il
record what the Indian gets from thu
landowner, in goods or In cash wages
But he never gets TO see penny o
cash wages. Because on the opposit,
page he is charged with every i'm
aginable thing, beginning even with
the fee demanded by the labor con
tractor who obtained the workers 70
the landlords. Their land has beer
stolen and they have no way to nv,
unless they do agree" to this slav'
contract.
"They are charged also with work
ing instruments (machetes or work
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
STEEL DOCTOR
KICKS WORKER
Sick Nan Thrown Out
of Dispensary
(By . Worker Correspondent

tBy Worker Correspondent
sPARROWS POINT, Mds-Feb. II.
in the Bethlehem Steel Mil a sick
worker is looked upon as undesirable
and hated by the little bosses and the
doctors. All these small flunkies are
so sold TO the company, body and
soul, that when sick worker comes
before them they worry and fret
themselves sick until the worker gets
back on the Job to produce profits
for the company.
An opener in the tin mill strained
his back and chest from lifting the
heavy pseu q tn. % reported 10 the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Fraternal Organizations
Join $4,000 Campaign

The Finnish Workers Federation of Column
bus, Mont, is the first fraternal organization
to enlist Its membership in the Daily Worker
campaign, and has alreau. appointed Daily
Worker agent to speed the work in the organi-
cation. Fraternal organizations sympathetic to
the revolutionary movement can thus assist the
Daily Worker in its drive for $4,000 readers.
Glass conscious workers must intensity their
fight against unemployment and boss exploita-
ton by organizing against mass lay-offs, wage
cuts and starvation. The Daily Worker is the
sharpest weapon in the fight for immediate I'M
employment relief. Mass circulation will rally
thousands for hunger marches and demonstra-'
tions, demanding Unemployment Insurance.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Philadelphia Shows
Largest Cut for Week

District 8, Philadelphia, has the biggest drop
of 494 after last weeks increase of $50 in special
orders District Detroit, Is rseyt with less Of
296, following solid increase last week of 244.
District 13, California drops by 248 due, prin-
cipaIy, tc Sacramentos cut in bundles from $50
to 90, recorded in Mondays issue. District T..
Buffalo, shows decrease of no. mostly due to
special orders which boosted last weeks figure,
but which are now dropped.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNE>

this mornings paper and does not
represent local conditions only.
When the Red Cross announced
In September that they would furn-
ish no food, those on the inside of
social work felt 1t was a wise an
nomcement at that time as it forced
the planting Of fall gardens by many
who might not otherwise have done
so. The Extension Division advised
us that some $4,000 gardens were
planted, which far exceeded anything
ever done in spring gardening. Thous-
ands Of families canned meat in
August. though Of course that was a
new venture and they had to depend
on the direction Of the demonstration
agent and the ability to chill the
meat. AS the fall moved on most of
us felt that we would be able to
handle our own situation, with a
question mark about some of the
poorest counties.
You may remember that certain
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
WALL ST. PROFITS ON
PEONACE and FORCED
LABOR IN GUATEMALA
Even Children Are Forced Into Slavery to Pay
49, Debt of Parents -
VOL Is Silent About Convict Labor in Latin
America; Wants War On Soviets
BY HARRISON GEORGE.

WHAT about this forced labor workers? You have read
that on Tuesday, the American capitalist government
has barred Soviet lumber But it does not bar Cuban sugar.
which last week the Daily Worker exposed as produced v
forced labor
Today the Daily Worker takes up another case of forced
labor by American mperast bankers plantation owners
in Guatemala.
Not single grain of coffee enters the United States from
Guatemala but what the product of forced labor It is picked
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

ALLENTOWN, Pa, Feb. II. - Two
thousand Allentown unemployed
demonstrated yesterday for insur-
ance, and presented local demands
to the city council for s1,0oo,ooO
fund from the city government, and
1925 900 from the community chest,
for SIS week relief, etc
Three of their seven delegates,
Fisher, Steve Appel and John Mack
finally forced their way into the Of
fees and found the city council
cringing there behind a screen of
bulls. dicks, and guards.
J When the demands were presented
the councilmen were silent, but May
or Gross quavered that the city
council could not appropriate any
thing for relief. Fishers answer was
that the johless know the city coun-
Gil never. intended to do anything
for the starving unemployed here,
bit that the jobless will refuse to
starve.
The demonstrators marched thru
1.-THE streets, held another rcating
and rot A more members for the I'M
employed council.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

grateful II you will present this mat
ter to your delegation in Congress and
ask them to carefully consider meas
ures for food relief.
We are sending this letter TO sew
eral other state secretaries and q
copy to the National. We wired you
last night direct without waiting to
60 through the National because we
we're afraid Of delay as we saw the
newspaper reports OF proceedings in
Washington.
Thanking you In advance.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Erie Chamber,
Executive Secretary,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
Mass Semi-StarvatiOn Is Lot Of ID
Workers Employed Under HOover'S
Stagger Plan In Dayton Malleable
New Machinery Installed and Instead of Cut
ting Hours Lay Off Workers
Iron Workers Risk Their Very Lives In This
Speed=Up Hole
Dayton, Ohio.
To the Daily Worker:

The workers in the Maleable Iron Co. of the largest
foundes here Dayton working three and four hours
day. This done that these workers cannot call themselves
unemployed.
The majority of the workers in this foundry make $40
and $12 week less With such they have to feed
and clothe their families
In the No plant grinding machine is taking the place
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

ny ttIS IldIlClS Oh 4no1an pIanLauon
workers, which the 1881 world AL
manac" itself on page 666 admits are
"held under a system of peonage? or
practical slavery.
The population Of Guatemala is
2,5oo,000, And so per cent of these
are pure blood native Indians. And
these so per cent-these 100000
workers-are practically the slaves,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

knives, sacks and baskets to pick cof-
fee). They are charged with "ad-
vances," usually for their chear cot
ton clothes and their miserable 4Ood
ration, They are charged with fines
imposed at will by the boss, and de-
signed to keen the worker in debt no
matter how hard he tries to make
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNE)

ynstration in support of the Work
srs' Unemployment Insurance Bill,
which developed into a demonstra-
ton also in support of the Com
munist candidates in the coming city
election.
A speaker at the demonstration
was Otto Wangerin, Communist can
didate for mayor of Chicago. Other
speakers and leaders of the demon
strators were Phil. Frankfeld, Ma
thewson, Poindexter, Banks, Gray of
the Trade Union Unity League. Ru-
bicki of the International Labor De-
tense, Williams, Bydel, Poansjo, Ross,
Ware (for the Communist Party) and
Marks and Andrews for the Young
Communist League.
DENVER, Colo, Feb. 11.-Five
thousand demonstrated here for I'M
employment insurance yesterday. The
police saw the jobless coming and
threw a Gordon around the 'Piggly
Wiggly" warehouse in the vicinity of
the meeting.
The whole police force was out
armed with riot guns. There was
also a mobilization Of federal and
state detectives.
An American Legion stool-pigeon
tried to disrupt the meeting by at
lacking Daily Worker salesman
The Workers Defense Corps beat up
the stool-pigeon and threw him out.
Then the police arrested the Daily
Worker salesman and one member of
the defense corps.
Battle In Johnstown.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa, Feb. 11.-Five
thousand jobless gathered around the
city hall yesterday in mass demon
stration for unemployment insurance
and for some local demands. There
were 300 police around the hall, be-
sides the yellow dogs" detectives
and plain clothes men, who walked
around and pushed and provoked the
demonstrators.
At 1890 sharp, when the speakers
began, the elected delegation tried to
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12

Organize Unemployed Councils to Fight
for Unemployment Relief. Organize the
Employed Workers Into Fighting :.
Unions. Mobilize the Employed and
Unemployed for Common Strug-
giles Under the Leadership of
the Trade Union Unity League
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
1000 Demonstrate.

DULUTH, Aim, Feb. II. - Two
thousand demonstrators for the Wor-
kers Unemployment Insurance Bill
presented an ultimatrin to the city
council here yesterday. They we're
out in weather two degrees below
zero. There was a great militancy,
and the crowd forced the police to
release two speakers they had ar
rested.
Hundreds OF unemployed marched
through the steel city under placards
carrying slogans: eve Will Take It."
The demonstration forced a con-
cession. a-pronlise not to shut off gas
of unemployed workers, and to abolish
the vagrancy laws.
March on Socialist Mayor
READING, Pa, Feb. ia thous-
ound marched to the city hall here
yesterday and demonstrated for the
Workers Unemployment Insurance
bill.
A delegation of seven interviewed
Mayor Stump, and this socialist party
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-12
March on Socialist Mayor

LOS ANGELES, Cal, Feb. il.--Ten
thousand unemployed here demon
strated in the face of 500 police, ma
tional guard and the fire department
yesterday.
The city hall was guarded by pol
ice and machine guns. &
A Japanese worker was brutally
assaulted by the police red squad"
while addressing the crowd.
placards were displayed and leaf
lets thrown out announcing the meet
ing which will be addressed Feb. 10
by William 2. Foster, general secre-
tary Of the Trade Union Unity
League.
The police raided the offices of the
Trade Union Unity League, the Com
munist Party, the Needle Trades
Workers Industrial Union, and the
cooperative. They held A. Romari
on suspicion Of criminal syndicalism.
The International Labor Defense
office was raided and everything brok-
en- up.
The police have closed Plummers
Park against the meeting Sunday
for Foster. The meeting was to be
. picnic. Another arrangement has
been made. Foster will speak at a
banquet at Z p. m. Sunday, at The
Cooperative. 27oe Brooklyn.
On wednesday. Feb. 10, in the eve
ming, Foster will speak at a mass
meeting at Walker Auditorium, 73o
South Grand st.
8 Arrested In Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, Cal. Feb. 1.-two
thousand demonstrated in the plaza
Of Sacramento. the state capitol Of
QAu1oguiA yegtsrday, demanding m-