The daily worker., 1931-05-19
BY F. G. BIEDENKAPP.

NOT more than 20 minutes as the crow flies,
N lie two shoe manufacturing towns known as
johnson and Endicott cities where some 1900
shoe workers are employed at wages ranging
from $6 to s25 per week. The cities are named
after the two shoe magnates by that name, also
called the Square -Deal-City.
The shoe companies own the entire property
workers live in company houses and have-con-
pany priWlegeS-Such as a library, a bathing pool,
a ball ground, a dance hall, a merry -go-round a
hospital and medical service and Hunger Wages
The medical service and hospital are no longer
free.
Workers may buy the houses they live in by
paying double rent but they cannot buy the
ground. They have the privilege of living in
the houses and paying interest on the companys
invested CAPITAL, but cannot sell the property no
matter how much they may have paid in. If
they want to quit, they can bargain with the
company, who might pay them back the original
purchase price, though the property might have
been contracted for 20 years ago.
Profits Are Only for the Company.
May First the workers celebrated by holding
a mass meeting, which was attended by many
shoe workers. Being National Organizational
Secretary of the Shoe and Leather Workers In
duStrial Union, it was natural that I go to
also to meet with the shoe workers and discuss
organization and T. U. U. l.. work.
Though we held our organization meeting
quietly and privately, the bosses, nevertheless
snelled the presence of an organizer and issued
the following article, no doubt prompted by the
big boss Geo. F. Johnson himself and signed
by a stool-pigeon and bosses agent by name of
A. Very. This article appeared in the Labor
column OF the Binghamton Daily Sun (owned
by the shoe boss, Geo. F. Johnson) who writes
whole page labor articles every week for his
wage slaves
"Handbills and Cuts" is the title of one ar
ticle from which we take the following:
We seemed to have been showered with hand
bills the past two weeks-all along the same
line: Strike! Down with the Bosses"
just why are these union agitators so SYM
pathetic because we got S per cent cut? Surely
they don't expect to organize us free gratis
just out of kindness of heart. Why should they
care whether we make cents or $50?
Down with the Bosses" Huh!l All they
want us to do is SWAP bosses-trade the ones
we have now for their own bosses.
Soft pickins! couple of Hubs!
We don't know what business competition or
stockholder "howls" forced the company to give
us our five per cent :ut But we know that in
sure, have apparently had our interests at heart
and given us more than most companies give
their workers. We can at least be grateful for
what favors we have had.
Truth is most of us in this community have
been spoiled with too much "free" stuff until we
all more or less have developed the "give-me's."
But it will take more than a 5 per cent cut
or the curtailment of the many other privileges
I've enjoyed in the past to ever make me trade
Geo. F. johnson" rule for union rule. We have
been having work when shops dominated by
unions haven't. Stick to the "Old Man." he is
grand guy to tie to-heu see us through-and
for one am for him hook, line and sinker "
even If I don't enjoy the S per cent cut for
medical relief.
Don't let these agitators 'ldd" you They
can't bring you better times" or any more pros
perity, or half as quick, as Geo F." could or
would
Pity the "agitators' with their "frothing"