The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-22
BY A. G. NJ.

BY A. G. NJ
THE seventh annual conference of the National
Unemployed Workers Movement Britain's or
ganized unemployed took place on Saturday,
Sunday and Monday, February 81 3D. and %,
1881, in the industrial city of Bradford. In the
Workingmen's Teetotal Hall, well decorated with
bright red banners and forceful slogans plus an
interesting display of 100 photographs giving
vivid ten year history Of the struggle of Dritain's
organized unemployed including many Of its
hunger marches, 1913 delegates from England,
Wales and Scotland listened keenly on Saturday
afternoon to Comrade Elias, the chairman who
dealt with the problems confronting the N. u
w. NJ. and gave fighting lead to the confer
ence. After a technical report by Comrade
Llewelyn, national secretary, dealing with the
growth of the movement since the 9th confer
ence, Conlrade Harrington, the national organ
izer, gave the main report. Harrington referred
to the twenty-five million world unemployed as
positive sign Of the break up of capitalist eco
nony. He contrasted these conditions with those
of the Soviet Union where the unemployment
problem had already been solved ard an actual
shortage Of labor existed After dealing with the
fact that the workers standards of living were
being forced down in all capitalist countries
while the workers of the Soviet Union had re-
ceived a 81 per cent wage increase above their
1914 standard, the report stated that only in
a
working day. Under capitalism the workers
poverty increased with his powers of production
The report then dealt with the desperate strug-
gle Of the British bosses, who were helped by the
British labor leaders and labor government to
force down the wages of the workers. The policy
OF Empire Tariffs, which was supported by many
labor leaders in Britain merely meant higher
P,ices and increased misery and poverty for the
British colonial workers The tariff scheme was
desperate effort of the British bosses to keep
the already disintegrating British Empire from
final collapse.
Britains main industries were in rapid de-
cline The resulting wage cuts and speed-up
in industry, caused more long standing unem-
ploynent and threw an increasing number of
better paid workers out of work. The one and
half million increase in the number of the
unemployed since the advent of the labor gov
eminent, gave clear proof of the labor party's
hopeless inability to deal with these vital prob
lens. In Britain (where National Insurance
exists the bosses were driving down the relief
standards of the unemployed as, well as the
wages Of the employed while in USA unem-
ployed workers were flung to charity. This all
clearly proves the urgent need for mass demon
STATIONS and mass mobilization of the unem-
ployed. The failure of many district sections
of the NUWM. to carry out effectively this
mass work resulted in the poor success registered
IN many areas the struggle for definite ma
tional standard of relief. In London and Brad
ford. two extremely important centers where
efficient mass action had taken place, splendid
results had been achieved. Emphasis was put
upon the need for organizing the unemployed
against the labor government policy of relief
cuts and relief disallowances. 1t was of vital
Importance, the report declared, to combine the
struggle of the employed and unemployed under
the leadership of the national minority move
ssient, in fight for workers charter of de-
mands. This was an appeal to all workers to
struggle as a class and fight for new leader
ship against the trade union and labor bu-
reaucrats and their boss partners. The rapid
growth Of unemployment in Britain had caused
the bankruptcy of the national insurance fund
which, already showed deficit Of some s275-
100000. The labor government had set up a
Labor Royal Commission to investigate matters
and suggest plans for making the insurance fund
solvent This meant further attack on relief
especially that Of the lower paid workers The
need was seen here for special N.U.W.M. organ
zaton among women and youths whose scale
Of relief was very low. Tho main task of the
N.U.W,M was stated to be that Of oyganizing