The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-17
After the Chicago Massacre

our Party will continue to lead the Negro
masses in struggle for their immediate needs
and demands and for equal rights for the Ne
gro masses.
The workers on the south side are well aware
of the schemes these takers are attempting to
put over. Seeing that, the takers on the south
side went a step further and they are now at
tempting to organize workers in the name of
the Communist Party They printed the follow
ing membership card
international Labor Defense Society, South
Side Protective Unit-Communist Party:
"This card Certifies that the bearer has
pledged his or her support against the high
cost Of rents and is in favor of rent
tor4um.
Name.
Fee paid S1OO to worker.
"Stop evctions of unemployed! Feed for
unemployed! Down with high rent!
Unemployed Counc! Trade Union Unity
League and League of Struggle for Negro
Rights.
WIN MATTHENSON. Secretary,
"25 South Lincoln St."
This shows very clearly that the agents Of
the capitalist class are attempting to mislead
the workers, to organize the unemployed in the
name of the Communist Party, into what is
really movement against the Party, in order
to discredit the Party But this job was done
so cumsily that anyone who has any knowledge
can clearly see that this membership card is a
A1rgery and none of the five organizations nor
Comrade william Mathieson the secretary of
the Unemployed Council has anything to do
with it, 1t only exposes how desperate is the
bourgeoisie in its attempt to keep its grip on
the masses of Negro workers on the south side
who are rallying around the banner of the
Communist Party
In Chicago the Federation of Labor, for the
first time in the last ten years. is very ener-
getically, with the full support of TIT capital
ist press, organizing a parade on Labor Day.
They want to get 100000 workers in their pa
rade, and in order to accomplish this they are
attempting to force workers who are still mem
bers of the A. F. Of L. to come to the demon
straton. Local No of the Tailors' Union
passed a motion that any worker who is
member Of the local will not participate in that
parade will be fined So, but there are num-
Der of local unions, especially machnists unions,
who repudiated the parade Of the Chicago Fed
Grafton of Labor and refused to take any part
in it. Workers who are still members of the
Chicago Federation of Labor must boycott the
parade which is being organized by the order
of the Chicago Association of Commerce and
come en- masse to the T. U. U. L. mass meet
ing and picnic on the same day.
The unemployment situation is growing from
bad to worse daily. The Illinois Department Of
Labor reports for July describing the situation
in Chicago states:
This indicates that Chicago factories have
laid off mere than One-fOurth of their work.
ers since the beginning of the depression.
The weekly earnings of employed factory
workers also have declined sppreciably since
September, 129 144 per cent for male work
ers and 11.3 per cent for female workers. Chi
ca1o 0avrolIS have hecn
duced 1876 per cent during the period, indicat-
ing drop of more than two-fifths in the in
come of Chicago factory workers."
The number of unemr...ed in the city &C
cording to official figures "as in January, 1881
800 999; today it is more than half million
and totals in Cook County 100000. Consider
ing the fact that these unemployed are already
unemployed for months, and some for years.
having exhausted all their resources, loss of
their credit, and find themselves in a desperate
situation it may be concluded that the third
winter of unemployment will be much more Sc
we're than the previous two winters, and this
winter the workers will fight for social insur-
ance and against evctions, as can be clearly
seen by the events of August Bird in Chicago
For the purpose of pacifying the workers and
preventing them from building their organza-
lions in order to carry successfully their strug
giles the local bourgeoisie, through Mayor Ger
max, is beginning to promise relief, They al
dy set a task of raising $13,OOOoOO through
rIiblic contributions. But it has already :,3en
stated by Commissioner of Public Works Mil
Honaire A. A. Sprague that:
"Tt will be practically impossible to raise
S5,OOO,OOO amongst so-caIIed rich for the relief
of Chicago unemployed during the coming
winter"
The proposal to raise S13000OOO is also an
attempt to shift the burden of unemployment
on the shoulders of the working class. Last
year the bourgeoisie undertook to raise $5,000000
for the United Charities, and the bulk of that
amount was forced contribution from the work
ers in the factories railroads, offices etc. This
year the bourgeoisie doubled the amount of
forced donations. The workers in the factories
must refuse to donate penny to the charity
racket and must give the fullest support to the
struggle for social insurance at the expense of
the bosses and the government.
In order to carry this plan of forcing the
workers to pay for unemployment, Governor
Emmerson is calling meeting of his Commits
sion on Unemployment for next Monday Aug.
II, at Stevens Hotel to undertake the drive.
The Unemployed Council will send mass dele
cation to present their demands and fight
against the attempts to put the burden Of I'M
employment on the shoulders of the working
class.
The events of August Bird in Chicago have
had a tremendous effect not only on the masses
of unemployed but on employed workers as we'll.
Workers from many factories came direct to
the demonstration and there is more than ever