The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-05-22
Party Life
Resolution on the Workers
School, District Ii

THE organization and the successful conclusion
of the four weeks full time District School
is one of the major achievements of the Party in
the California District With the help of the
school, we were able to train 80 more new func-
tionareS for the Party. This was the first school
of its kind in California. In spite of the pes
sin1istic attitude expressed by certain leading
comrades regarding the organization of this
school, we were able to pull it through financially
and otherwise. Especially great was the under
estimation of the school in Los Angeles. OF the
IL students allowed to them only we're sent
OF these were from the League and from the
I. L. D. lone was Spanish comrade, who could
hardly understand English and couldn't get
much out of the SCHOOL, AS result of this
underestimation and negligence on the part OF
the Los Angeles Section, the question Of devel-
oping new leading cadres remained in a not much
improved position as prior to the school.
In other sections, the selection of the students
was left until the last minute, with the result
that very little initiative was given to the units
in the selection of students. The chief charac-
teristic in the selection of the students their
relatively short period in the Party or Y. c. L.
(about rs percent of the students less than a
year in the moyemenD and the absolute lack
of previous political training of the majority of
the students This situation came as a result Of
the lack of elementary classes in the units and
sections, which must be Immediately corrected.
Financially the school was success. We were
able to collect over 5000 in period of weeks
which was more than enough to put it through.
About 500 was donated to the Weekly West Coast
paper
The social and national composition was very
representative. Among the 30 students there
we're is different occupations represented, % were
American born and Z foreign-born There were
also representatives of all the races and by par
entage there were students from IL nationalities.
The age of the students was very young, 10 were
Is years or younger and no one over "a years.
The average age being % years.
The main shortcoming of the school was in
sufficient instructors and lack of the necessary
books and material. The Party organization class
for the second and third weeks was very poor.
This was mainly on account Of the fact that
we tried to use various lecturers for various
subjects every day. There was almost no direct
training in trade union work. (even though 1t
was taken up partly in the org. class and also
in the class on the History Of the Communist
movement"). Lack of books did not allow the
students TO concentrate on individual study Of
the assignments
But in spite of all these difficulties and short
comngs the school was a success. Every student,
no matter how backward he may have Deen
politically before, has acquired the basic primo
iples Of Communism and mainly how to apply
these principles in his every day work. All OF
the students were eager to go out To the various
fields for Party or YCL work On the question
of the special committee, that took up the as
signment of the students for various functions:
where do you prefer to go?', almost all of them
answered: wherever the Party sees fit. All
the students accepted fullheartedy the Party
assignment, and we are confident that they will
prove worthy of the responsibility the Party has
entrusted them with. All the 80 graduates have
been given definite responsible jobs all the way
from district organizer secretary down to unit
organizers. AS result of the district school, we
now have YCL and Party new unit organizers,
3 section organizers, 3 TUUL section organizers,
3 district heads of departments and the rest
field and organizers and functionaries in various
departments.
The obvious success of the school proved once
more the great possibility of recruiting new lead
ing proletarian cadres if only systematic at
tempt is made in this direction.
The success of the first full time school in
California must serve as an incentive to our dis
trict TO widen the net of periodical full-time dis
trict schools from time TO time. We must inn
mediately begin working for another school only
with more forces and more systematic prepara-
ton so as TO be able TO get the maximum re-
suits of our efforts to build new nroletarian
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