The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-07
CARRY ON THE UNEMPLOYED
STRUGGLES BY COMPACT
ORGANIZATION

/, attend lectures where they can have an occa-
sional social evening. The wives and children
of the unemployed must be especially interested,
and methods must be found to win the wives of
the unemployed workers as members of and
fighters in the unemployed councils.
2. We must give the unemployed the initia-
tive as fighters for relief. The battle against
starvation must be placed into the hands of those
who need bread. Our unemployed councils have
suffered disintegration because we impose upon
them mechanical and bureaucratic orders from
above. We impose methods of work and strug-
gle, falling to allow the unemployed workers to
discuss and decide upon them. Consequently
we create the feeling among the unemployed
that we are just another agency that is trying
that promises to do something for them This
creates passvity among the unemployed. We
assume all the leadership. We do not develop
sufficient leadership out of the ranks of the
unemployed. The biggest task we give the UNI
employed is that of crowding around when,
every month or so. we call a mass demonStra-
ton. The result is leSsening interest in demon
STATIONS by the unemployed in many cities,
failure to hold steady membership in our
councils, failure to increase their membership.
3. There has been lack of consistent action
and struggle in behalf of our demands upon city
governments. We hold demonstration at
and city council, and let matters rest there.
The initial attack upon city hall must be fol-
lowed by the attendance of large committees of
unemployed workers at every city council meet
ing, at every meeting of board of estimate or
finance committee of the city council. The
original demands for relief and our strategy must
continually be adjusted in accordance with the
attempt of the capitalist politicians to evade the
issue, their demagogy, their fake promises the
forces they use to hinder our movement, clarity
the situation constantly to the unemployed out
whiting the enemy in every maneuver they make.
4. We fail to take sufficient cognizance of
our achievements acquaint the unemployed
workers with them we do not examine and re-
port every struggle to the unemployed workers
so that they may understand its shortcomings
and its success. Generally speaking we must
say that the relief being given by charity or
CARNATIONS, by city administrations, has been
forced from the ruling class by our militant
movement. Specifically, taking the one million
dollars given by the New York City administra-
ton for relief after the unemployed stormed the
city hall, as an instance. we fail to inform all
unemployed that this is their achievement their
victory. We fail to follow up grants of money
and other forms of relief with the demand that
it shall be spent and controlled by workers
commission. We still fail to expose the charity
to carry sustained activity for unemployment
insurance.
Rectification Of these shortcomings will aid
materially in building real movement, an Or
ganized movement. An immense number Of
neighborhood unemployed councils which have
contact with and influence over unemployed
workers in the neighborhoods which understand
the nature of the economic crisis and its effect
upon the employed and unemployed workers;
unemployed councils that constitute the very life
and spirit OF the starving workers families; I'M
employed councils in which the unemployed and
their families plan, decide and carry on strug-
giles; hundred or more neighborhood unem-
ployed councils in every large city connected by
Central Committee which, upon the basis of
initiative from the neighborhood councils, plans
and executes its attacks against the city admin
istrations-this will result in demonstrations and
mass struggles, against the immensely of which
the ruling class and its police will become more
and more impotent.
Today we depend almost wholly upon leaflets
to mobilize workers for our mass struggles and
demonstrations. We distribute hundreds of thou
sands of them, and hope for the best Organize
the unemployed and they will constantly be
modified. Organized masses of unemployed
workers will win relief