davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02
5000 J0bIess in
Grand Rapids:
Rest Sbeeded
(By a Worker Correspondent.


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--Condi-
tons in the Grand Rapids furniture
shops are getting worse and worse,
lay-offs and speed-up, wage-cuts etc.
With more than $4,000 unemployed
in Grand Rapids those that are
lucky enough to he slaves yet are no
better off than the workers that are
unemployed. Tie boss tells us better
snap out Of it or you'll be walking
the streets looking for another job,
even though the worker is working
as fast as it is humanity possible. The
bosses even cut the workers wages for
little things as only donating only
one dollar to the Welfare Union, for
this a worker got cut 10 percent and
some are thrown out Of work for not
being able to give donation to the
Welfare Union.
Get Wage Cut.
At the Luce Furniture Co. the
workers get a wage cut almost every
day, their piece work prices are cut
so now a worker has to work very
hard to make 2 or dollars in IL
hours work. Some workers who gets
a job at Luce Furniture Co., work
the first day and make as low as go
cents for whole days work. This has
happened many times and many
workers don't even come back to
work the next day.
Many Shops Closed.
Many shops are shut down and the
rest are working only q few days a
week, but the bosses try to make the
workers turn out as much work as
they did when working full time.
Even in the shops where the work
ers work on day rates instead of piece
work the workers are speeded up so
it's no better than if we were working
on piece work, the boss is constantly
watching them and keep track of the
work done by each worker. Those
that do not turn out as much as
the faster worker get bawled out and
is told to do more work if he wants
to keep his job.
Young Workers,
Many young workers and women
are employed in the furniture in
dustry, they work on machines as
helpers at very low wages.
Workers with the present bad con-
ditions getting worse it is time We
do something about it, the only way
that we may expect to get any better
conditions is by organization. Join
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02

Finally however on December 81 eight
days after the strike vote was taken
and arbitration voted down the
Philadelphia Record came out with a
story that the general strike OF the
weavers was to be submitted to arbi-
tration. The story admitted that the
bosses wanted Is per cent wage cut.
Whether the weaVers will accept
any cut at all as proposed by the
bosses thru arbitration" remains to
be seen. 1t is unlikely. After the
new year the workers of 81 mills, all
in Kensington, will in all likelihood
go out on strike.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02
GERMAN WOODWORKERS
FORM new RED UNION
Gable BY Inprecorr.l

BERLIN, Dec. 31.-Yesterday the
national conference Of woodworkers
opened here and organized revolu-
tionary trade union movement to re-
sist wage-cuts and the treachery of
the reformist trade union leaders.
Many delegates, employed and I'M
employed worrworkers, we're present
from all parts of Germany.
Yesterday evening an armed fascist
attack took place against group of
workers in YorkstrasSe, Berlin. The
Communist, Meyer, was shot through
the neck.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE)
l920-22 crisis, when Hoover himself
admitted there we're 100000 out of
work. The figures for 192o-21 are
1876; Tor the crisis Of 1907-09, 1877 per
cent and for 1884 1856.
What Stewards Figures Show.
Taking Or. Stewards percentage Of
drop Of s5.7 and applying 1t to 35,-
100000 vage-workers who were sup
posed to have jobs. the result is the
figure 12,6o0,000 unsmployedl This
does not count those who were out
Of work before.
Here is little Information on the
normal" amount of unemployment
which the bosses do not even pay any
attention To-: Senator Wagner in
1928 said that on the basis Of figures
4 psvs Il the Dept q sbor thsrs
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02

CONTINUED ON PAGE THREED
headquarters at room 900 Markle
Bank Building in Hazelton under the
name of direct Sales Co." He also
gets mail delivered under the name
of qualified Chemical Co." Downey
is a f1esfy, bulldog individual OF
about 24o pounds.
Downey's stunt at first was to i'm
port ten under cover spies who under
the cover of statesmen" visit the
homes Of the strikers, spie on them,
report the most militant ones, and
do everything to discourage them.
Strikers Use Good Means.
Since the strikers, despite their
nisleaders, have been INDUCING in
mass picketing going over to Kings
ton, Pa. across the river from Wilkes
Barre where the Dryplan Silk Co. has
a mill, attempting to get the workers
there out, Downey got hold of 10
statesmen strikebreakers."
The bosses want to open the plant
soon and are carrying on q furious
propaganda to get the workers to go
back to work. Downey's instructions
are to spread the lie that the strike is
lost. His instructions to the sales
men strikebreakers' "a copy of which
the Daily Worker was able TO obtain
says:
Spread Lies.
'-The strike in Hazelton has been
lost. It was lost before it started"
The instructions go on to tell the
boss spies that "You may find that
some of these prospects are
afraid that their sons and daughters
may be tntinlidated or assaulted. AS
sure them that the company will
provide them with ample protection,
as they would not allow any of their
employees to be intimidated or as
saulted by any outside agitator. ."
Under the caption In Bold Type
IMPORTANT" Downey instructs
his strikebreakers that:
Under no circumstances ask the
prospect questions. because you
yourself would naturally feel sus-
picious, II you were asked ques-
lions by a stranger. Let the con-
yersation drift around to the point
you wish to cover in your report"
when a party looks at you with
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02
LYONS CARMEN STRIKE.

Three thousand street carmen In
Lyons went o nstrike yesterday under
revolutionary leadership to secure the
reinstatement of a victiraized worker.
They are also demanding wage in
creases. The municipal council is
trying to maintain a skeleton service
with scab labor.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02
WEAVERS' STRIKE
LOOMS in PHILA.
Hosiery Strikes Are
Holding Firm
(By a Worker Correspondent

(By a Worker Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA. Pa.-The three
hosiery strikes now on at the Master
Hosiery Co., the Buck Hosiery Go.
and Schletter and Zander continue.
There is regular picketing and tho
weather is cold and Wares armies of
police are always around, the spirit of
the strikers remains undaunted.
Boss Papers Mum
None of the capitalist press saw fit
to mention the oncoming strike of the
carpet. rug and tapestry weavers.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02

the Furniture Workers Industrial
League located at 756 S. Division
Ave-, Third floor.
The F. W. I. l.. holds a meeting
each first and third Wednesday Of
each month, attend this meeting and
learn more about the program of the
Furniture Workers Industrial League.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02

M. c., Brooklyn, says:
81 like, very much, Comradc
Walkers work, fine work, very in
spring and admirable indeed.
am very glad also because our chill
dren are crazy about funny papers
which we now have"
T. E., Columbus, Ohio, writes
Receive Is copies of the Daily
Worker. Sell out every night. En-
closed three subs"
This from A. E. NJ, Wisconsin:
your paper is a mighty paper
for the toling masses. Everyone
whe works for wages, especially I'M
skilled labor, are anxious for a
Daily to satisfy their hunger. 1t
takes only a few editions to wake
up strong desire for the Daily.
1t opens their eyes so they can see
their enemy"
DAILY WORKER GETTING
BETTER AND BETTER"
D. M. c., Harrington, Wash, writes:
Say, comrades, you should see the
CONSERVATION the Daily Worker is
causing among the fascist elements
of this little farming community.
The proprietor of the local grocery
store threatens us with the American
Legion for distributing the Daily.
1.-THE Daily Worker is getting bet
ter and better every isue."
From IAN American Slave" in Or
lando we hear:
Have sure been slow raising the
Sc enclosed, Sure can't do without
the Daily Worker now, as we need
it to sow the seed of discomfort and
the air is full of it everywhere. A
person can sure see change going
on in the workers minds. Before
they would not care to read the
Daily Worker. Now they want it,
L. L., st. Louis, writes:
"Three weeks ago we started a new
method of getting weekly subs. We
are getting satisfactory results, We
distribute the paper at the same
houses and then send a committee to
visit the workers and try to get them
to become regular subscribers. The
first week we distributed 40 papers and
took 8 subs. Now we have 10 subs
on the carrier route. We intend to
build"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-02
BOSSES TRY TO SMASH HAZELTON
STRIKE BY IMPORTING MORE SPIES

CONTINUED ON PAGE THREEp
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
The Hospitals Responsibility.

It is not believed that any OF Wash
ington's hospitals suffer from lack
of public confidence and esteem. 1t
is believed that every hospital Is sub
ject to the foibles of human judgment,
and that hospitals, like any other in
stitution, make mistakes. And nothing
so far stated by the hospital authorities
serves to lessen the conviction that q
little more reliance on the elements OF
tact, sympathy and human understand
ing; @ little less reliance on rete and
rule, would have prevented recent TRACE
dies that placed the hospital authorities
on the defensive. Not, enc must UNI
deYstand, the tragedies that lay In the
death Of two children. Ne enc can
maintain that they could have been
prevented. The tragedies lay, and still
lie, in the picture of harassed parents
transporting dying children from hos
pital to hospital. That should not be.
The Star asked, editorially, that the
hospital authorities advise parents what
to do in cases of emergency in order to
prevent tragic and possibly fatal mis-
understandings in the future.
Their answer Is. first, to call Q ply
stefan. But what Is more important
If for any reason one Of these ply.
sciaus Is not available or cannot be
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
Gold and the Gold Standard Are to Be
Discussed by President and Premier

the part they lose and because Of the
argument to the effect that they should
have equal treatment with the British
they will stop paying U.S. That is the
general expectation in Washington.
So far, then, in the matters here con-
sidered the French are or fairly euqal
terms with us. In the matter of the
frozen credit loans to the Austrian Gen.
trail Bank to the Hungarian Central
Bank. to the German Central Bank to
the Bank of England and to the British
treasury they share equally with us the
hardship OF payment postponement. In
the matter OF reparations and of debts
they lose some reparations and We lose
corresponding amount OF debts.
In two other matters, however, they
have clearly the advantage over us.
Early next year the period expires
during which the worlds bankers have
consented to allow their short-term
credit advances in Germany to remain
there without withdrawal The Ger
mans will then owe to American banks
some six hundred million dollars. They
will owe to French banks hardly any
thing. The Germans will be able to
pay us little. We shall suffer a fur
Their Imprisonment of large resources
OF ours in Germany. The French will
suffer virtually nothing of the sort.
The other matter advantageous to
the French is that they have large as
sets in the United States which they
can transfer into gold and recall to
Paris. We have few assets in France
which we can similarly transfer into
gold and recall to New York.
X X
In the last week of record we lost
$210, 100000 of gold, largely to Paris.
This was happening while simultane-
ously the boarding Of money within
the United States was still proceeding
at rapid rate.
Both France and the United States
are suffering from boarding, but the
United States is suffering from it much
more than France. The United States
is losing gold and France is not losing
it at all, but gaining it. Our difficulty
is thereupon a double one. For us the
task of remaining on the gold standard
depends upon our ability to rise above
the combined shocks of currency with
drawals into private boards at home
and of gold Withdrawals into French
pockets abroad.
x x
If those two shocks should continue
in their present combination and in
their present strength for six weeks
more, our Federal Reserve authorities
would be extremely anxious about our
situation.
1t is clear, then. that Prime Minister
Laval will not be approaching President
Hoover as a suppliant. France and the
United States in the conversations be-
ginning next Thursday evening will
talk together on terms of at least
equality in sustaining the worlds gold
standard burdens.
(Copyrisht, 1917
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
Smith and TammanY.

The speech delivered by Alfred T..
Smith at the Tammany rally Wednes-
day night has stirred politics, State and
National, with big ladle. His appear
ance with the Tammany leaders and his
declarations in support OF the Tammany
candidates in the coming elections. in
the face of the revelations by the Legis-
lative Committee of the activities OF
Tammany officials in New York City,
has done a great deal to align the for
mer Governor again with Tammany in
the eyes of the country. 1t was widely
reported at the time that George wash
ington Olvany retired from the leader
ship of Tammany that Gov. Smith was
at odds with the organization because it
had picked Jonn F. Curry, a district
leader, to take Olvany's place. The for
naer Governor, it was said, believed that
a man of a different caliber should be
made leader. A great deal had been said
during the Smith campaign for the
presidency in 1928 about the new Tam
many" The present investigation, how
ever, indicates that there is little new
in Tammany unless it be the size Of the
profits Of the Tammany bosses. Gov.
Smiths realignment with Tammany at
this juncture makes any chance of his
denomination for President even more
remote when the Democratic National
Convention meets next year.
But while Gov. Smith may have lest
nationally by his Tammany Hall adj
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
SHOOTING STARS.
BY PHrLANDER JOHNSON.

Conferences.
When folks would talk plain politics
Down at the corner store,
They didn't play the fancy tricks
We notice more and more.
We didn't call for splendid speech
Nor give the happy hand
To one whose thought so deep would
reach
We wouldn't understand.
Down at the corner store we hear
No argument by night.
Far ADLER speakers persevere
With intellectual might.
High hats and tailored coats they wear
And dine across the seas.
We ask no lunch. The store can't spare
The crackers and the cheese.
Plain politics that once we knew
Yields to the fancy kind.
Our meetings are no longer due
TO aid the public mind.
The formal gathering must trace
The Nations future plan.
The homely toiler now gives place
To the white-collar man.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
THE SPIRIT OF LIFE
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES E. FREEMAN D. D., III. D.,
Bishop OF Washington.

1t represents in terms of capacity or
in terms of mere physical value.
The pressure that is upon us today
Is compelling us to seek new standards
of valuation. Life is basic and its con-
servation and security are indispensable
to our veal as well as to our prosperity.
Our youths are caught by the fictitious
values that widely prevail. Even educa-
ton and culture itself are considered
in the light of what they may con-
tribute to material well-being and
prosperity. In our efforts to realize the
ideals of some superman we seem to be
forgetful OF those deeper, finer values
that grow out of recognition OF the
soul. That was fine phrase that the
late war President struck of in his
latest hour: THE world will not be
saved materially unless 1t be redeemed
SPIRITUALITY. We doubt not that in his
latest days as he restudied the values
of life he saw the futility OF the present
trends Of thinking and the failure to
place proper emphasis upon those
deeper. truer values that have to do
with the development and enrichment
OF men by compelling them to recognize
the finer qualities Of the soul. We can
not but believe that the very gravity
of the present world situation Is COM
polling men to think more seriously of
these things. The head Of one of our
great corporations has recently af1irmed
that men are to be considered as of
more value than machinery and that
their well-being is q first concern as
well as a FIRST charge upon industry.
The above text challenges US to
recognize the true dignity Of life. The
call to man to stand upon his feet
implies a recognition of his true stature
and worth in the sight Of Almighty
God. That a man is Of more worth
than sheep was long ago affirmed
by the prophet, but no one has so
finely taught the true worth of the
dignity and purpose of life as did Jesus
OF Nazareth. In no one did He witness
a situation beyond redemption. To
rehabilitate. to restore broken lives and
to invest them with a new sense of
their possibilities, this was His high
and holy aim. We sorely need His
spirit in the world today.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
u. S. Dollar Becomes World Standard
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The American dollar in any form
today is the soundest money ever known
in the history Of the world.
It is the only currency of major
nation which has stood successive on
slaughts on the gold standard Even as
the American Government stands as
the Oldest government today, the
United States currency stands as the
senior gold standard medium.
Established in 1900, the American
gold standard has stood firm against
stress of the World War, the depression
of 1920-21, the period of currency in
fiation AN over the world, and today is
supporting a richer currency than at
any time in these 80 years.
In that period, the sturdy English
pound sterling twice has collapsed.
After the World War, the Bank of
England was unable to continue gold
payments. The German mark. the
French franc, the Russian ruble, in
short, every major currency Mt down
the steep path of infiatio., some to
destruction. Once again, the British
pound has been forced from the gold
standard, with some other European
countries following
Although France Is being pointed
to as strong in her gold position with
an unassailable franc, such an estimate
Is less than fair. France has, indeed, a
stable unit, but 1t Is q debased one.
The stable franc of today is not the
franc of the days before the war. The
old franc was worth 20 cents; the pres
ent one but cents. Yet the American
dollar is the came dollar that was set
up in 1900 and has not varied q hair
breadth in value in all that time
The newspapers recently have printed
the story of an eccentric old woman,
Mrs. Ida E. Wood of New York, SO
years of age. who was found TO have
been boarding 100000 in actual cash.
She had kept this money in hiding
from 80 to so years. No matter what
form that cash. Is in. whether gold GER
tificates or greenbacks, she can, after
all these years, take that money TO the
Treasury and get gold for it, dollar
for dollar. She can deposit it in a
bank and her bank book will be cred
tied with the full face amount.
Reasons for Stability.
The American need but consider this
for q moment to realize how splendid q
currency he possesses. Had the woman
been a German, Frenchwoman, an
Austrian. q Russian, or Of almost any
nationality other than American, the
paper money issued so long ago which
she presented today would be laughed
away. 1t would be useless. or greatly
deprecated. There are doubtless many
persons in America who had on hand
odd amounts of German or French
money or even English money before
the war Upon presenting that now
| they would find most of it entirely
worthless and all of it worth less than
it's par value. 1t requires little imag-
nation to visualize the reception one
would receive upon presenting a 1900
/ Russian ruble to the state bank at Mos
COW today. A 1900 franc would indeed
be recognized, but the holder would not
get 20 cents for it: he would get but 4
cents. A British pound worth s486 In
| 1900 would bring the days quotation
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18

we buy on the spur of the moment.
The druggist has learned the value OF
selling through sight and touch. He
caters to what may be called impulse
buying. He knows that articles well
displayed in his store can often sell
themselves more readily and easily than
a clerk could do by talking. There
fore, the druggist finds himself nat
urally called upon to push pioneer
merchandise and novelty goods.
In this survey now being made the
prescription department Of the drug
store will be studied for its profit-pay-
ing possibilities and its relation to other
parts Of the store. Customers will be
asked what pleases them and what
they do not care for in the drug stores
they usually patronize.
X \ + X
The investigation has gone far enough
already, Mr.. Anderson says, to predict
quite confidently that the destiny Of
the American drug store lies for the
most part in the field of merchandise. d"
"There is" he concludes, mo doubt, a
place for number Of strictly profess
sional establishments engaged only in
filling prescriptions. Only small pro-
portion of the $4,000 drug stores in the
country can find an outlet In this direc-
ton. Most druggists will be forced
to become merchants to very increas-
(copyrisht. 1879 80
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
Drug Stores and
Merchandising
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Conversion of the modern drug store
into general merchandise shop is now
recognized officially as an inevitable
trend of American business methods
that will make the old function of the
apothecary less and less of a factor in
the present-day establishment, which
still is called pharmacy. This it was
disclosed today. is in effect the first
finding in survey of drug stores of
dertaken by the Department of Com
merce,, with st. Louis as the sample"
city for initial study.
The prime purpose of the survey is to
find out how the druggists can help
eliminate some of the waste that causes
our American distribution costs to be
so high. Wroe Anderson of the De-
partment of Commerce, who is one of
those directing the inquiry, says the
preliminary studies indicate that by
a careful survey of the drug store as
merchandising rather than as pro-
fessional establishment the druggists
may be able to lop off some of the
tribute all of us are now paying out of
our nickels and dimes to the national
habit of waste.
X X X
The departments investigators found
that large burden-an Enthusiastically
large one-is being carried by the mod
ern drug store in this country in the
form of overhead expenses, which are
required by the maintenance of a pre-
scription department. 1t is found also
that the capacity of the average store
to fill prescriptions is many times more
than the present demand Moreover
In many cases, it is found these pre-
scriptions do not show an adequate re-
turn on the outlay for the prescrip-
ton department.
\ 4
The druggist is, first of all, Of course.
professional man who has trained
himself to perform most difficult task
in the community. But in the mod
ern scheme of things, he must also
be a good merchant. Even in supply
ing the public with the newly developed
medicinal preparations, he must know
how to conduct a merchandising es-
Enlistment. He sells nearly everything
from tooth paste and thermometers
to stationery and cigars, to say moth
ing of soft drinks and quick lunches
Most of these things, however, answer
to the two types Of needs: The pre-
scription, toilet goods and medicinal
business on the one hand, and what
may be termed, on the other, the things