The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-05-11
PARTY LIFE
Conducted by the Organization Department of
the Central Committee, Communist Party, U.S.A.
Unemployment In Sacramento
Sacramento, Calf.
Dear Comrades:

Sacramento, Calf.
Dear Comrades
Well, just little low down on unemployment
conditions in Sacramento, Cal-the poor half
starved families who somehow or other have
been able to keep body and soul together last
winter in the jungles in Yolo County across
the river from Sacre-were given three days no
tice to get out 1t was pitiful to see the efforts
they had made at making home-pieces of
cardboard and old parts of autos, and so on
anything to be out of the weather Of course,
some had tents or could sleep in their car, but
most were little rusty shacks made of this and
that.
Well, on the third day the law started in
burning down these peoples only home and if
they stayed they were threatened with Jail. Wlel,
they went, some here, some there-looking for
another place to do the same thing or maybe
find cheap master. 1t did not solve the prob
lem for the poor people, but was good alibi
for the boss gang of that locality, as they had
got rid of those huban derelicts let someone
else worry what to do with them.
In regards to organization a very queer thing
happened in the Yolo jungles. An old helpless
and supposed to be inSane) man lives in an old
tent there. When these boss representatives
went around ordering the people out they came
to the old man-"You got to get out, dad" He
says, Who said SOP" THE law" they said. The
old man says, II don't know whether I will or
not" Then they threatened the old disabled
man with pick and shovel and Jail. But no
ticed on the third day he was still there when
the o-called wise slaves were gone. The idea is,
if they had had much CUTS as this poor in
old man and stuck together, they still
would have their shack homes. VIII they ever
get wise to themselves and organiez for their
own protection?
Some of the comrades left three days before
eviction day to thin fruit at IS cents an hour.
Some comrades talk Carl Marx and so on in the
Hall but do not function on committees when
elected on them. I average 40 copies a week,
but times are bad with many out of work, the
Southern Pacific R.R. shops, the canneries near
ly closed, only working part time at starvation
wages. 1t seems as thought the petty shop
keepers are waking up and starting to wonder
what it is all about. And as I go over my route
I find quite a few of them pretty radical.
find the rank and file of the AFL are OK, but
the leadership is the bunk. 1 met an AFL men,
Der last night and sold him paper he was
very sore at conditions in the S. P. shops. I
sold Daily Worker to an American Legion mem
ber's wife, the next time went to their house
the man ordered me away, said all the damned
Communists should be shot down like rats.
I think between the members and sympathizers
hall could be built of our own here in Sacra-
mento by throwing in donations, and I know
of several people who would throw in dollar.
Now want to say right here before the Party
get anywhere here the local must be cleaned
up of lot of useless and undesirable members
as they are bad example for the Party. If they
had carried out the orders of the district office
during the last demonstration we would not have
lost our hall. There is lot of turboil in the
local here and it is seeping out into public and
is hurting the Party's progress in Sacramento
very much. -JKS.