The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-02
Bv SAM NESTN.


TO begin with I will briefly mention some OF
the activities thus far in our unemployment
work
The tremendous March 6 mass demonstra-
tons which threw the lie into the teeth of the
bosses about their so called prosperity.
The signature drive for the Unemployment
Insurance Bill and the Washington delegation
elected by local conferences
The october 16 demonstration in New York
where we exposed the graft and corruption and
forced million dollars to be appropriated for
immediate relief.
The state hunger marches dramatizing the
fight for unemployment insurance.
The prevention of hundreds Of eyictions by
petitions threats of rent strikes, by the tenant
neighbors and putting back furniture after it
has been thrown into the streets in hundreds
Of cases
Forced the return Of fees to unemployed
workers, robbed by employment sharks.
Issued thousands of leaflets dealing with
neighborhood issues and the holding of open air
meetings
Participation OF unemployed branches on
picket lines in strikes, as in the Eagle Pencil,
against the wage cut, zelgreens Cateter'a
against the injunction needle, shoe, tobacco
workers etc.
Broke down the five day month rule and the
general practice of forcing workers to work
without pay in the Municipal Lodging House
Forced the Seamen's Institute to install more
free cots for sleeping accommodations.
Recruited unemployed workers into the T U.
U, L.. Ex-servicemen's League and the Party
The organization of the Red News Club, in
creasing the sale of the Daily Worker and Labor
Unity.
Organization and Struggle
There is more regularity in the functioning of
the Unemployed Council than ever before. The
functionaries and committees are made up en-
tirely of new forces. The approach of these new
forces to the masses is much more effective than
that of many old members. They do not use I'M
necessary language and are more concrete in
their demands and organizational proposals to
secure them in many instances
Organizational advances and the direction in
which we are travelling in our unemployment
work can best be related in the following re-
ports.
The Madison Square Branch of the Unem-
ployed Council in its weeks activities from May
to Is reports as follows:
Two hundred members-70 good standing-17
new members-2 business meetings, average at
tendance SO, educational meetings, average at
tendance rs; open air meetings, average at
tendance 500; 2 executive meetings. 1900 leaf
let's distributed, 20 Labor Unities sold 179 Daily
Workers sold. Block of concentration, seth St.
between Ninth and Tenth AYES. Leaflets dis
tributed at Municipal flop house. Salvation
Army line and st. Vincent line Seventeen fam
lies canvassed in two houses. One family agreed
to permit the use of their apartment for meet
ing of the tenants The branch collected $50
for a group of Negro workers from a contractor
With -.
s34.5o collected for five workers from four en-
ployment agencies; pickets sent out 10 food
workers strike, 10 pickets to a needle strike, 7
pickets sent to Middle Village strike against
high cost of food. Money collected for initiation
fees IS cents, dues So cents. Expenses S12o.
Turned into the City Committee II cents In
the space for remarks on the weekly report
blank we have the following: The expenses of
s12O was for fare of delegates elected to the
Foster-Muste debate. Five out Of the II fami-
lies canyassed are enthusiastic about the forma-
ton of a house committee.
The composition of the branch executive com
mittee is also of some significance. Here are
their names: Richard Sullivan, Joseph Mack,
Robert Young, George Benton, Tony Perrin
John Lembke, Albert Young, George McBurney,
John O'Gara. Three of these are Negro workers
Many women workers are members of our Par
ty in this section, but none are active in the
Unemployed Branch. You can easily see that
the old members of our Party are conspicuous
by their absence in looking over the list of the
executive committee
Struggle Against High Rents.
The next report is that of the formation of a
house committee of tenants in the Bronx Out
of house of twenty tenants at 1856 E. 1920 St
meeting Of nine. was held in one of the apart
mentS Several others promised to be present
and support whatever demands were to be made
upon the landlord but were unable to attend
for one reason or another
At this meeting secretary of the House COM
mittee was elected. Apartments not represented