The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-18
By JOHN sCHMIEs.

OVER 225OOO workers who were directly en-.
Y ployed in the automobile industry in N1chi-
gan are idle at the present time. This large
number does not include many other thousands
who used to work in auxiliary and accessory
branches of the automobile industry.
Whole company towns such as the city of Pom
tiac and Flint are practically idle. These work
ers together with their families number far
into a milion-men, women and children who
are directly suffering from the deepening eco
nonlic crisis as it affects the automobile in
dustry.
The optimistic headlines in the capitalist
press are proven to be lies by the very fact that
auto production is steadily and very sharply de-
Ginning. Auto production decreased 80 per cent.
in 1890 In every month of 1881 so far produc-
ticn all the way down the line has decreased
more than 80 per cent, and all indications point
to the fact that automobile production during
the year 1881 will decrease so per cent if not
more.
In the early part of the economic crisis the
automobile bosses used all sorts of schemes in
order to stimulate automobile sales. An eX-
IRENE program Of naturalization was Sappied
Wage reductions to the amount of 40 per cent
were carried out. Feyerish attempts were put
into motion to hqudate the growing and deep
the automobile workers.
But all these schemes and the whole ration
aization program only developed the contra
dictions much more shsarply in the industry
and as result of it wer witnessing a condition
OF mass misery and hunger which is facing
many thousands of workers and their families.
The latest announcements in some of the
plants such as Fords General Motors, Murray
Body, etc, are to the effect that practically the
whole factories will shut down for period of
six to eight weeks. Over $4,000 workers were
laid off in the last four weeks. In the Ford plant
alone more than 10000 workers were paid off
and instructed to turn in their badges.
The Trade Union Unity League office in De-
troit received the following letter from the wife
Of a Ford worker:
We have received your address from friend
who said that you would be able to help us. My
husband has been killed or rather died from the
heat in the Ford Plant He expired last Thurs
Gay at 2:30 pm. We inquired about help from
the Ford Plant, but they said they could do
nothing about that.
If you could be able to help us or recon-
mend any good person we shall appreciate it
very much. We are not very sure whether he
died from the heat or not. Please answer as soon
as possible whetreh you could help or not.
&C. k"
The above letter gives very good picture of
the conditions under which the workers in the
automobile industry are compelled to work. 1t
explains in a very simple language the starva-
ton program which is being forced upon the
automobile workers in order to shove the bur-
den of the deepening crisis upon the shoulders
Of the workers and their families
H.
The following is a comparison of the actual
trend OF developments in the industry Automo-
bile production at the end of 1880 declined very
sharply. All sorts of schemes were evolved to
stimulate automobile sales. New models were
gotten out in December, 1890 in order to force
sales at the automobile shows. Despite this,
production in 1881 has been distinctly below the
severe crisis of 1880. The total production in
1880 up to May was 100000 cars. In 1881 it
had dropped to $4,000.
Reports in the Iron Age" in the latter part of
May, state that automobile consumption of pig
iron and steel continues to decline . de-
cline in production next month is becoming in
creasingly certain"
The usual trend from May on is a rapid cur
tailment of production. While there are no
complete figures of automobiles in relation to
production, it is apparent that there was a great
a4Ou4lG VI OFCL ldSJ year ana IN SplJe
of the decreased production this year, the out
put was greater than the demand. The decrease
in farm prices, the continued drop in the stock
market lowering of the standard of living of the
workers rapidly cut into the diminished market
for automobiles.
The drop in automobile purchases is shown
by the registrations of new cars April 1881
registrations dropped 80 per cent below the same
month the year before In May the registrations
dropped below May of 1880. Sales in May were
far below production.
That even the sharply curtailed production in
She early part of 1881 resulted in considerable
overproduction is shown by the drop in ssales
and registrations of new cars as well as eX-
ports. The New York Times (June g. 1881
stated that April new passenger car registra-
tons total 263,0o0, as against 100 for March
and 357o65 for April 1890, Ia drop of over 30
per cent below the 1880 registration) April
exports OF passenger cars showed no improve
ment over those of March, and April truck ex-
ports, allowing for seasonal fluctuations, were
practically as low as for any month of the de-
preston Early returns indicate a sharp de-
crease in new passenger car registrations for
May which is unusually significant because the
April gain over March, sharp though it was
was somewhat less than the usual seasonal adj
vance
Auto financing also shows the contraction of
auto sales. Most automobiles are sold in the in
StaLment plan. In the first four months of
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