The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-06-18
FORD WELCOMED
IN UTICA, N. Y, AS
HUNGER FIGHTER
Communists Have Led
Fight for Jobless
in Cotton City

alities, most of whom have not seen
job in two years, greeted James w.
Ford, Communist candidate for vice.
president, at Patriarch Hall last
night. Yesterday afternoon Ford
spoke to 300 more at an open air
meeting in Chancellor Park. Ford is
Negro worker and a world war vet
eran.
A month ago most OF these workers
had never heard of the Communist
Party, but yesterday they came out
to applaud its program of unemploy-
ment and social insurance at the ex-
pense of the state and the employ
ers.
Communists Fought for Relief
A month ago, the $1,000 jobless and
hungry workers in this cotton mill
town of 10000 did not know what
to do to ward off starvation, but the
Communists came to Utica with
message of organization and struggle,
and today, less than four weeks later,
a fighting unemployed council with
40 members in two branches has been
established, the city hall has heard
the demand for relief for starving
families, and has been forced to
grant concessions to the workers.
Dress Strike.
Charles Bronson, a Communist.
and leader of the unemployed move
ment here, spoke from the platform
with Ford, and told the crowd how
the "a girls at the j. Daniels g. Co.
shop, now getting so cents a day, are
going on strike today under rank and
file leadership supported by the
Communist Party, demanding 30
cents an hour and better treatment
from the boss. The Daniels Co. came
to Utica from New York about two
weeks ago because the Utica cham
Der of Commerce promised it cheap
labor.
The workers at Ford's meeting
pledged to support the strike of the
Daniels girls.
No mills in Utica are running full
time and those that are still operat-
ing do so only one or two days
week, paying a starvation wage of
1914 cents to 30s cents an hour.
Relief Discrimination.
The Utica city welfare pays from
So to 81 in food checks every two
weeks to unemployed families. There
is discrimination against single work
ers and foreign born workers. The
chamber of commerce men on the
welfare board are supplying their
offices with new furniture bought
out of the $4,000 which is all the
city has appropriated for the jobless
until some time next year. The well
fare board is offering men 10 cents
an hour to work in private homes.
Wage Cut. and Speed-up.
The Mohawk Sheet and Pillow
Case Co., giant factory here, has CIV
en- its employees 25 per cent wage
cut, the fourth cut. Workers who
used to run four machines, or eight
sides, for $22.80 a week, now run
eleven machines or % sides, for SIC
a week.
Ford exposed the Democratic and
Republican party alliance admins
tratlon here as typical capitalist
OF mill owners and
foundry owners.
Mayor Donnelly, a phrase singing
demagogue, was elected for bringing
the Globe Knitting Mill and pros
perity' to Utica. Today those that
are still employed in the Globe get
from IL and half cents to 25 cents
per hour.
IA Join Party
Fourteen workers applied at the
meeting for membership in the Com
munist Party, and five young work.
ers asked to join the Young Com
munist League.
The meeting ended only after 10
delegates were endorsed for the
Communist State Nominating Con-
vention to be held in Schenectady
Sunday
Ford will speak today in Schenec-
tady, at Crescent Park. He speaks to-
morrow at Engelmand's Hall, 113 So.
Pearl ST., Albany, at 7:30 pm. Sat-
urday he is scheduled for a meeting
at Bleek1r So, Gloyerville, at 6 pm.
He will be in Boston Sunday.