davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
THE FIRST REAL FIGHT IN
GRAND RAPIDS

like cats; Schenk, a Legion man, was laying on
with the blackjack in all directions like q mad
dog with foam drolling out of his mouth. Many
fists landed on the cops noses. but the Legion
men caught the most OF it. More arrests took
place the workers fighting all the way
Police cars pushed through the crowd making
an internal din with their sirens, the cops in
side holding up tear gas bombs to threaten the
crowd; the cops struggled hard to get the crowds
back on the sidewalks with no success. Cars
were driven into the packed mass at low speed.
A fiddle aged woman who was pushed by
cop used her fists on him and knocked him
down; more cops closed in on her and pounded
her severely, around the waist line, SO that the
crowd couldn't see what they were doing.
In the back of the mass hegionaires Of the
yellow dog type were stooling on the workers
who had hit police. One Of these heroes, named
Bill Elliot, who runs a gambling club with police
protection, grabbed fellow half his size around
the neck and shrieked: 81 got one! Come and
get him" At about four o'clock the workers
decided to call it day, and the crowd began
to break up. They had done their bit,
AT the Jail as the workers were brought in
they were dragged by their necks forcibly over
the eteps into the jail, punched and beaten,
thrown on to the cement floor. An ex-soldier
who was taken for having placard reading:
Pay the tombstone bonus now! was peaVen
about the head by Legionaires and the police
so frightfulIy that he screamed for hours with
pain A young worker, just out Of the hospital
after an operation was also beaten badly in the
Jail and pitched in cell with his clothes COW
cred with blood; his crime consisted of having
placard concealed under his coat, which read:
mo instalment payments while unemployed"
Yen Bissell was brought into the jail, the
cops who had him in charge said to the others:
"You can kill the red son of bitch, if you
want tot"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
A Question of Geometry

This business OF nagging at Mdssolini has gotta
stop! Tt went so far already that in the case
of General Butler it had the imitation social
lists" all paving the air and crying out to their
"hero" the commander of the U. S. Marines
Now, undoubtedly, they will have t. rush to
uphold the First Assistant Attorney General of
the United States, Mr.. John Lord O'Brian. 1t
seems that this gently pure accident Of
course-in a speech at the Union League Club
of Brooklyn on Feb. H. remarked the following
remark
THANK God, we do not live in country such
Italy, where dictatorship of one can
make horizontal slice in wages"
Now that the Italian ambassador, who has a
name like cocktail and a disposition like cor
rosive sublimate, has demanded an explana-
tion," we perceive that the Italian Socialist
paper, II Nuovo Mundo, with the Brookwood
Labor" College progressive" A. j. Music, ON
its staff, will have to repeat the trick they did
for General Butler.
In coming to the defense Of the u. S. Attor-
ney General, however, it is to be noted that he
was telling how--"The American wage scale has
held up in the face of the industrial depression
And only mentioned Italy "for comparison"
We have heard that comparisons are odious.
But if the socialists can swallow the comman-
der of the Marines they ought not to strain at
an Assistant Attorney General who objects to
horizontal" wage cut, but who contends that
perpendicular wage cut is to be defined as none
at all. Perhaps it is only matter of geometry.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
BY BOB FITZGERALD.

AN February IS the crowds began to gather at
" O'Clock on the sidewalks around the City
Hall; in a short time the police began 70 march
in and take positions and clear the sidewalks
surrounding the hall; about one hundred we're
modified
When the clock doomed three times deep
silence fell over the crowd one minute later in
full view of the crowd packed on the opposite
sidewalks Alfred Bisser stepped from nowhere,
seemingly, on to the parapet edgng Of the side
walk behind the police and the Legionaires and
called out: Workers! The Demonstration has
now of5cially started We are here today to
demonstrate for immediate unemployment re-
lief!-tben the cops and their allies woke up and
rushed him.
About IS cops and Legionaires grabbed him
and hustled him toward the closed car. He
struggled like a tiger and hollered: How about
our constitutional right of free speech" They
were unable to handle him for while. Elsie
Ziegler fought to hold him back, screaming, Let
him 60" She was handled brutally by the
Legionaires The crowd on the sidewalks started
toward the City Hall to go to their aid, Squads
Of cops and over hundred Legionaires, some OF
the latter wearing uniform caps and red, white
and blue arnbands, fought to drive the crowd
back to the sidewalks and finally began to drive
their cars into the crowd; stool pigeon, named
Schenk. stood on the running board pushing
people back and when he found they wouldn't
move back he pulled out a blackjack and be-
gan laying it on in all directions. At once the
rest of the cops and Legionaires began black
lacking with all their might and the crowd came
back strong with fists.
One yellow plain clothes man, named Buck
stood on the hood of a car, well out of harms
way with a blackjack about 10 inches long
ehopping into the crowd, which was holding the
auto to keep it from moving. The crowd fought
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
Farm Women in North Dakota
BY ELLA REEVE BLOOR.

COR the past few weeks have been staying in
L the homes of the farmers of North Dakota,
speaking for them in homes, schoolhouseS, and
towns halls, and just wish all the women
workers of the cities could realize what heroic
characters these women are. Just now, many
of the children have clothes to wear, but food,
of sort, is still within reach of most of the
poor farmers, although the Red Cross doled out
$4,000 last week in one county-and their in
veStigating committee said thousands more were
needed. One of our members of the United
Farmers League a Swedish woman who staked
government homestead here years ago-has been
a widow for ten years bringing up three little
boys Now she is in constant danger of evic-
ton as she had no crop at all this year. con-
sequently no food for the family or the stock
The members of the U. F. L. in her township are
watching constantly for the agent Of the bank
ers who will come to evict her, or will send the
officers of the Law" Our members will mo-
blze not only the township farmers, but also
the county to protect and defend her.
At all our meetings-one every day, sometimes
two-we are deeply impressed with the large
number of women and youth in attendance
Driving over rough roads sometimes fifty miles
to meeting our own woman comrades Gall farm
ers' wives) never fail to take their responsibility
for arranging and helping to promote the cause
No matter how heavy their own burdens, Sophia
HuSa, mother of Mabel and Lillian and six more
bright boys and girls living on bleak hillside,
toiling from morning to night, is always eagerly
in touch with the world Communist movement
Hilda Pearson, young mother Of seven chill
dren forced to bring them up in small farm
house with only two rooms and kitchen, with
nothing beautiful anywhere inside or outside Of
the house except the children, is one Of our most
loyal comrades never fails to attend the units
or mass meetings helps to promote the village
entertainments nearby When her husband,
county organizer Of the UFL, has to leave for
two or three days on the League organizational
business, she always cheerfully helps him of,
saying, eve will do the chores and milk the
cows" The children are bright young Bolshe-
viks eager to read, without books or pictures. OF
course on all our visits, we take papers and
books, show them new games, ETC.. but oh! How
hungry they are for joy and beauty!
One of the children an eager boy, said to me
recently mother, I do wish the revolution
would hurry up and come so could get more
education. I've gone as far as I can in the
country school and will just have to settle
down on this old farm with no more schooling.
And all I will be here is "just another farm
hand" This boy is only 10 years old.
: lis week I spent beautiful two days in
far-off countryside called Bonetrail. Here I
found man comrade whose wife died eleven
years ago leaving ten children, the youngest II
months, the mother only 81 years old. Now they
are all stalwart comrades-seven boys and three
girls all home. Three boys belong to the U.F.L,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
Come On, Fellers! .

Late last year we were impressed by the fact
that no forward-looking Communist daily could
do without radio to nail the hokum being
peddled over the air. We asked that some COM
rade who might have an extra radio, to make us
a Christmas present. n
Seemingly, the over production Of radios does
not extend into the army of readers of Red
Sparks. We got one, just one offer. And while
it was the best the particular comrades in ques-
ton could do, commission Of experts who sud-
denly appeared magically after our recent APP
peal for radio doctor to diagnose the case,
decided:
First: The box on hand is marketable in
Czecho- Slovakia. M -
Second: That the difference in cost between
fixing it up, and in getting new electric set
is not enough to make up for the incomparably
better reception guaranteed by new set we
can get for approximately $40
Third: That the Commission OF Experts itself
opens the kitty with $40, and proposes through
Red Sparks that 80 or more friends Of this column
who have--and can spare-the price of radio
tube, which is about a dollar, send their mite
in as a special aid to speed up what is begin 4
ming to look like Five-Year Plan to get the
Daily Worker radio. AL donations to be ad \
dressed to and acknowledged by Red Sparks in
cold type 5sfg "a
Considering the painful situation OF the Daily's
treasury (and, say, it's getting too painful for
wordsD we are taking the advice OF the Com
munist Radio Commission and herewith declare
the game open. Now, it's your move /! Raise the
ante or pass the bucki fiesiogss~
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04

lions On the highlands they get about 20 cents.
Rubber is produced as a result Of this cheap
labor, at is cents pound.
Suniatra exports for 1929 to the United States
we're valued at $9O94S,0OO The amount Of crude
rubber sent to the United States was 202,8 900
pounds valued at S47,5O0000. The Rubber plant
atoms in Sumatra are run by contracted labor,
and forced labor. The United States imports
this forced labor product into the United States,
knowing full well that it is the product Of truly
forced labor
Even Senator Stever recently admitted during
the discussion on the ban of Soviet products that
forced and indentured labor are employed in
Sumatra, and various other parts Of the world"
Besides Shaving on the rubber plantation, In
the panglong, or on the coffee plantations, the
servants, also imported Jayanese, are continually
threatened with beatings and Of being sent to
the rubber plantations. In the July, 1880, issue
Of Asia there is letter. telling of the life of
native rubber plantation owner The writer
tells OF a woman's threat which she holds over
the servants. She says that when the servants,
the Javanese, annoy lis, they sent back to
the fields or the rubber forests where the work
is much harder, and therefore, more or less
dreaded: this Is our only valid threate !, trs ~
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
By HELEN KAY

1THE opening up and bringing under cultiva-
l ton of appropriated regions would be impos-
sible without the help of coercive measures which
compel the work people to carry out the obliga-
tons which they have incurred" Thus, DR.. Kirk
Fock; former Goyernor-G General OF the Neither
lands Indies justifies the barbarous system of
forced labor practiced in the Dutch East Indies
composed of Suinatra, Java, Borneo Celebes
Madeira, and other islands in the archipelago.
These coercive measures, the brutal realities of
which can hardly be expressed in words, are not
only enforced by the Dutch Imperialists they
are also used by American Imperialism, which
brazenly and cynically pratties about "forced
labor" in the Soviet Union
In order to compel the imported coolies and
Javanese to slave submissvely and quietly under
the horrible conditions enforced by Dutch In
perialisn1, "strict government control is neces-
sary." Therefore, "a clause was introduced into
the ordinance to the effect that a workman who,
on insufficient grounds lays down his work or
quits the service, is liable to punishment"
The system Of contract labor is used. Workers
are induced to come from various surrounding
islands and countries to settle in the sparsely
populated island Of Sumatra. They are con-
tracted for periods Of from one to five years,
and then may be contracted further for three
years.
Thirty per cent Of the total population Of the
Dutch East Indies are under obligation to carry
out compulsory services, according to the I'm
dustrial and Labor Information" League Of
Nations.)
In the Dutch colonies compulsory labor, or
forced labor. is exacted by the government in the
form Of labor tax upon the native population.
The government may force the natives to work
up to maximum varying from 80 to 40 days
a year. Workers are not paid for this work
The International Labor Office says, "by far the
greater part Of the compulsory labor levied from
the population Of the Dutch East Indies is I'M
paid"
In an article appearing in the December "A
issue OF the Nation" Raymond Leslie Buell.,
cays ct conditions IN the wood cutting camps Of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
&4,..A.
for Farmers Detoured
BY JORGE

Now it all comes out! The meaning Of the
Arkansas compromise" on the $20,o000o0
"drouth relief" Robinson republicans and
Hoover democrats swore by all that was good
and holy that Secretary Hyde would administer
the $20,0O00O0 with sympathy" for the starv-
ing farmers and their families ~
Borah beloved and Robinson roared and
Caraway said, ME, tool" Hoover wrote a letter
and Hyde wrote telegram and Watson cor
rected" it, all to help keep the dreaded phrase
food for human beings" out of the appropria-
ton resolution. But all these capitalist scoun-
drels agreed to say that Hyde would have sym
pathy'; that the wording Of the resolution
would permit food for human beings.
Now, what has been the result? On Feb 81
Secretary Hyde said that half the $20000,oo0
would be used to help agricultural credit cor
porations, if they have "a capital stock of at
least $250O0." That is, the Farm Board merely
gets more money to aid the rich farmers and
bankers. But the browning glory of all is this:
"One relaxation of restrictions relating to
food for human beings" says the N. Y. Times
of Feb. 2S, revised regulation providing
for loans up to SIS for buying feed for live
stock, dairy cows, hogs and poultry, used for
producing food for the farm family"
q Now, the term dairy cows" excludes any bull,
and the beast must die, unless Secretary Hyde
interprets his contribution as ''feed for dairy
cows used for producing food for the farm FAM
lily" And what about which has gone
dry because of the previous demise of all avail
able bulls? Hens who deliberately refuse to lay
eggs-are they to be coaXed or killed on the
spot before loan will be approved?
Maybe Secretary Hyde can compel part of that
$75 to be used for importing grass-hoppers so
that if the chickens don't eat 'enl, the farmers
can, after the fashion of the locusts devoured
by the victims of Pharaoh when he hardened
his heart
Only Pharaoh didn't make any pretensions Of
sympathy" es-.4
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
They Didn't Like It

The. Cleveland Press" recently printed the fok
lowing letter. from somebody who evidently hal
got next to the fact that unemployment is abol-
ished in the Soviet Union:
ITO the Editor Of the Press:--I wonder II
this country couldn't make . bargain to trade
Hoover for Stain. The Russian government
needs an engineer pretty badly, think. and
what this country needs is the man who gives
everybody job-Andrew Poloha, 1856 Lisbon
Road" Naga@e5
The editor of the Press" put headline ovel
1t: I'VE Don't Like This Trade Which in
clines us to be in favor of it, What If we could
get some of that forced labor here? oh, boy|
At trade union wages the seven-holir day, worl
four days and off the fifth A vacation at ful
pay, no loss of pay by sickness, and free med(
cal attention for the whole family
Bring On Stain and forced labogS -tlaotD r.
votsl -" '---- $1,000. is-~-''
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
Editor, Daily Worker,
so East 18th Street,
New York, N. Y.
Feb, %, 1881.


New York N. Y,
Dear Comrade:
On Wednesday evening Feb. %, we sent
night letter, describing the demonstration IN
Grand Rapids stating that $4,000 workers
participated in it, The report was printed IN
the Feb. Of issue (Which reached us on the 28th)
giving the number of participants as twenty-five
hundred.
In the same issue (Feb. I'D is an editorial
Against Exaggeration" Probably the comrade
who was responsible for changing the number
from twenty-five thousand to 25 hundred
thought that we exaggerated the figure
However this report was correct. There were
fully twenty-five thousand people in the demon
stration, according to every conservative estl-
mate both by comrades and enemies. The Dis
trict Representative, Alfred Goetz, a, member OF
the District Secretariat was present at the DEM
onstration and was one Of the authors OF the
telegram
On January % we had demonstration be-
fore the City Hall which was not broken up by
the police and at the very least, $500 attended
this demonstration On Feb. TO- the first demon
stration to be broken up and at which IA were
arrested we estimated the crowd at least TO-
600 ard notified the Daily Worker to that effect
The Associated Press dispatches which we're
printed in a number of newspapers estimated
the crowd at from $4,000 to 17,oo0 while we said
10000 in order to avoid eXaggeration. We ex-
pect the capitalist press to play down the fig
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
one will be delegate to the regional confer
ence at New York Mills on March 8.

one will be delegate to the regional confer
ence at New York Mills on March 8.
This boy has just returned from visit to his
grand parents in Norway. AS we sat around a
huge table in the kitchen and talked about the
world movement for the workers and farmers,
felt reverence, almost, for the father who had
kept them all together alone, had kept them
growing mentally as well as physically. &
Some of the sophisticated city women workers
will say, "Why don't these comrades strive Tor
smaller families?' This question would show
the utter ignorance Of the conditions on poor
farms-no bath rooms. no privacy whatever, in
two, or at the outside, three small rooms with
out doors. We are quite used to making our
morning toilet, jumping out Of bed dressing
witt, large audience" Of children. "a.
Are we sorry that these comrades have such
large families of strong, healthy boys and girls?
mo- we are not" They will make the strong
buwarks Of the Red Army Of our revolution
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-04
BY I. AMTER.

THE Negro in industry is a growing factor. The
bosses recognizing that they can play one
section of the working class against the other
are employing foreign born workers to antago-
nize the native born and the Negro workers;
and again, in other situations, are using the
Negro workers in order to antagonize the white
workers, both native and foreign-born.
In the present crisis not caring what becomes
of the workers, and yet understanding that the
entire American working class is being aroused
by misery, starvation and wage slashes, the
bosses are doing everything possible to divide
the working class. For unity of the working
class. with definite working class purpose and
militant leadership and policy will be danger
GUS to the interests Of the bosses.
The Negro workers, although fearfully affected
by the crisis, are playing big role in industry.
The Negro worker not only in the past, but at
present, earns the lowest money at the hardest
work. He has to pay more for living in the in
duStral cities than the white workers. The rents
are outrageous, and the result Is that the Negro
workers have to double up in flats in order to
meet the rents. Negro workers are unable to
pay their rents, and in all industrial cities and
towns evictions of Negro workers are very nume-
rous.
The Negro women and girls in industry are in
creasing in number. They are entering all the
industries in which women are employed And
yet for the same operation, even though it be
an unskilled operation, they receive less pay.
They are given places in factories where it is
more difficult to work, thus lowering their
earnings.
The Negro workers, and particularly the
women workers. are far from organization. The
American Federation Of Labor, with its tradi-
tional policy Of keeping the Negroes out Of the
unions, does absolutely nothing to induce women
The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-06-02
GEORGE O'BRIEN
 IN STAR ROLE IN
 COLISEUM PLAY
Story of Woods Is Laid in Tnmbered Areas Near
 Tacoma, Wash.

Rough Romance" starrin 2 George OBrien, will begin showing at the Coliseum theatre tonight. The play is a story of the woods and OBrien enacts the role of a stalwart young lumberjack.
 It was necessary that he learn the use of climbing irons and of the lumberman'S axe.
 After brief schooling by actual lumberjacks in the forest country inland from Tacoma, Wash, in the Cascade Range, where the con- pany went "on location" OBrien swarmed up a big tree and top ped" it in approved fashion, much to the astonishment of the real lumberjacks standing below.
 Thrilling Dog Race
 Some of the high spots of Rough Romance" include a thrilling race between two teams of malamute sled dogs, a rough and tumble free-for-all battle between the log gers and trappers at a logging
The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-06-02
HUSTON COMES TO CAPITOL IN
 CRIMINAL CODE
Screen Version of Famous Stage Play Begins Its
 Showing Tonight

The many crime commissions at tempting to curb the present epi- demic of lawlessness in the United States are attacking the problem from two distinct angles. They are first attempting to do away with vicious social conditions which es- tajblish breeding places for crimi- nals. And they are trying to give convicts a motive for good behav- for while in prison and the hope of some future happiness when they are released.
 Columbia Pictures "The Criminal Code" showing at the Capitol the atre tonight, presents a vivid pie ture of the breaking and mending of a youthful convict's soul
 Lcve Transforms Prisoner
 Love transforms desperate, srve-shattered boy who stares in dumb misery at his surroundings with a mind that is almost blank. He dares to hope-he sees a glim- mer of possible happy days to