The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-12
BY REBEccA aREoHT

THE struggle of The unemployed workers in New
Kensington and Arnold has given striking
evidence of the militant mood, the rising spirit
of resistance of the of workers suffering
under the intolerable burden OF Unemployment
and Wage-cuts.
The twin boroughs OF New Kensington and
Arnold constitute the principal industrial center
of the Allegheny Valley-scene of turbulent bat
tie in the recent strike of 10000 coal miners in
Western Pennsylvania. Blacklisted and iinem-
ployed miners driven out of the mines surround
ing New KenSington, form large part of the
population. Here also is the home of Melons
American Aluminium Company which presented
its workers, whose living standards had already
fallen heavily through part-time employment
and indirect wage reductions, with 10 per cent
wage-cut on October l.
The campaign for immediate unemployment
relief begun under the leadership of the Com
munist Party and the Unemployed Council, met
with immediate stirring response. Within one
week, the workers of New Kensington were mob
ilized in the biggest demonstration at the Boro
Council building the town had ever seen. The
masses took possession of the streets, and COM
PEELED the Boro Council to listen TO the demands
of the committee of unemployed Wc;kers. Dur
ing the week following, as it became clear that
the movement was involving ever greater num-
beers of Negro and white workers, united in COM
mon struggle, the governing bodies of New Ken
sington and Arnold, dominated by the coal oper-
ators and the aluminium trust, commenced a
policy of terror in their efforts to crush the I'M
employed workers and smash the Unemployed
Council and the Communist Party.
A second demonstration for unemployment re-
lefrwas brutally attacked by the police For
several hours the workers battled with the police
u III
ready for action, failed to drive the workers off
the streets. The headquarters of the Unemployed
Council and the National Miners Union in New
Kensington were boarded up. The headquarters
of the Communist Party in Arnold were raided
and three leading local Communists arrested
Threats OF arrests, Imprisonment, flooded the
towns, and an atmosphere of sharpest terror was
dellberately created in the attempt to disorganze
the lighting ranks of the workers
significant feature of the attack upon the
unemployed and the National Miners Union was
the active participation of Governor Pinchot's
state troopers. Thus, while Pnchot makes dema-
gogic pledges for unemployed relief, his state
troopers attack the unemployed workers when
they demonstrate for bread and express their
determination to fight for their demands.
The Communist Party and the Unemployed
Council reacted Immediately to these cttacks
in protest demonstrations Both III New Kensing-
ton and Arnold, which became demonstrations OF
the workers OF Allegheny Valley against the ter
ror and for the light to organize and fight
against Unemployment and wage cuts. Through
this action, the terror drive was checked and
the basis laid for developing a more intensive
campaign for unemployment relief
Events in New Kensngton and Arnold have
clearly revealed the growing influence of our
Party In Allegheny valley-an influence that is
based on actual leadership OF the struggles OF
the workers. as in the recent coal miners strike
The fact that through their mass pressure the
workers compelled the Boro Council to take some
relief action for the first time making an i'm
mediate appropriation OF $4,000 for relief, issli-
ing an order to the Sheriff that there shall be
no eyictlons during the winter for non-payn1ent
Oh rent-showed that 1t is possible to force con-
cesslons from the capitalist government through
determined, militant mass struggle and encour-
aged the workers to continue the fight for all
their demands
Furthermore, the fight against the terror drive