The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-09-12
From Mass Relief Campaign to
Mass Relief Organization


to build mass organization out of this his
toric solidarity movement We worked through
campaign committees and when the campaign
was over these committees dissolved.
Then came the Passaic strike and again COM
mittees were successful again in arousing ire
mendous mass sentiment for the fighting Pas
sale workers The strike was over and our whole
campaign movement disappeared.
Then came the Miners Strike in 1929 in
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Relief
committees were set up and through them hun
dreds of thousands of workers we're modified
but no serious attempt to build up a permanent
mass relief organization.
Again the same error repeated in the Gastonia
strike.
These lessons stood sharply before the Nation
al Conference Of the W.IR The increasing in
tensity Of the struggles the fact that millions Of
workers are living close to the level of starva-
ton makes the need for permanent and strong
relief organization very evident.
Relief is an important weapon in the struggles
facing the American workers. Starvation is the
weapon that the bosses count on to defeat the
fighting workers when terror and murder have
failed. And the working class can defeat this
starvation by organizing mighty and wide
spread united front of all workers who are
slavery.
Ahead of us are many battles and the need of
relief from the moment that the struggle starts
is evident and can only be prepared by the build
ing up Of the Workers International Relief The
conference in Pittsburgh understood these tasks
and concerned itself with thorough discussion
OF what Is being done and what can be done to
meet this responsibility to be ready to help every
fighting section Of the working class.
Delegates came to the conference with truck
loads of tod. Delegates brought donations and
nearly 5000 was turned in at the conference.
When one of the fighting miners of Kinloch re-
ported that is eviction notices had been posted
that day. the delegates Immediately came for
ward with pledges to send tents at once to Kin
loch. In place Of Is tents pledges for rs were
spontaneously made.
These relief workers coming to build the or
ganizational base of the WIR. for mass mem
bership organization saw how heroically the
miners were carrying on the fight The dele
gates visited the mining camps. They saw feudal
towns where the coal baron owns the stores,
houses and streets and issues his own money so
that the workers cannot buy elsewhere.
The miners told the delegates that there Is
very little that they want just enough food to
keep going and they will carry on the fight
Miners told how they were collecting relief and
how workers from the steel mills, railroad, glass
and chemical factories were sharing their last
pennies with the miners.
One miner at the conference raised his foot
and showed the soles and heels of his shoes
worn away from the daily march on the picket
lines and touring the countryside for relief An
other miner told how pair of shoes would one
day be used by one miner and the next day by
another miner. These fighters were making
every sacrifice in the face Of terror, starvation
and suffering to beat back the bosses attacks
1t was these struggles of the miners and tex
tile workers that made the W1R. conference
face the task Of building UP broad member
ship AID being prepared to enter each struggle
to bring the backing of the working class to its
fighters.
The W1R. set itself the following concrete
tasks To carry through with the building OF a
mass organization:
y Support the strike struggles. Increased re-
lief for the miners. A more extended campaign
for the textile strikers.
o Preparations to effectively support impend-
ing struggles in the steel, metal and other in
dustries
81 To participate in and strengthen the strug-
gle Of the unemployed for unemployed insur-
ance and immediate relief from the government
and bosses. To be active in all hunger marches
a To join in and support the fight for social
insurance
81 To join in the struggle for Negro Rights and
21 UsAatiaA1lI In the fight to end all discrini-