The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-14
Wanted: Orderly Meetings

We don't know just what can be done about IT,
but every time there is big meetir - In New
York City, poor old Krock has to go INTO hiding
to escape torrent Of complaints about the
disorder and general bum management of it.
Evidently" said Krock, looking over the corr
respondence about the Daily Worker Anniver-
saty Celebration. "the Party and League COM
rades conducted themselves like it was one vast
and awful unit meeting"
Says one letter signed by three comrades:
I'VE we're to the 9th Anniversary OF the Daily
Worker, and it sounded like Luna Park. Only
Luna Park is better, because each amusement
does not interfere with another"
Says another letter, signed by two comrades:
"The results of the affair are surely catas-
trophic. 1t will take sympathetic workers quite
some time until they forget those disgusting 4
four and half hours which they spent at the J
Coliseum. Our friends took along laugh at
Us II we ask them 10 10 other affairs
They refuse to be bored for hours. We try
best 10 bring along new elements, but we
hear the same story about picnics, hikes and
other affairs"
Again, says a letter:
1--WE were also to the Pioneer Buriesque They
had n wonderful program, but spoiled II them
selves. We went home disguised, yet not dis
couraged, because we know that in time 1t will
be efficient. But why not NOW?"
Correct! Why not now? Some letters contain
suggestions: Elect capable committee :"
No, it says ELECT MORE CAPABLE COM
mittee"
Then: mo more than three four speakers"
The crocodile is inclined to agree with that; fog
why in the name of common sense do we have
TO have a parade of speakers? Each speaker
has to make the meeting and stop all other work,
but he or she never gets to say anything Of
Importance.
No speaker makes a real speech, one that
might teach the thousands Of new workers
something, just one important and definite thing,
about the movement. No. it is all hash and
If worker can get anything out of it but con,
fusion he's wonder.
But while this persistent absurdity might RESI-
on the management, the comrades In the au-
dience might also sit still, even under such
punishment SIS bad management infIicts on them,
instead Of making mass meetings into bedlam
OF thousand private debates, discussions and
exchange of personal experiences with their
neighbors.
II that disorder were absent the non-party
workers who have como under the impression
that they might learn something from the
speakers, and the speakers who have come in
hope that they might sneak some particular
point across in the few minutes allotted time.
might get to first base.
But, as the crocodile suggests, the Party and
League comrades think that a mass meeting -
just big unit meeting, and since everyone talks
at once and at the top of their voice. at unit
meetings-why not at.mass meetings, too?
oh, yes, one more suggestion says: Elect cap
able comrades, not mechanical bureaucrats."
"Astonishing!" remarked the crocodile II
thought that bureaucracy had been wiped out,
externlinated, in New York; that 1t was all
| "kaput"-by a resolution and a couple Of
| speeches"
| The Truth Is Enough: IT have friends that
| insist that the Daily Worker Is a lying sheet,
like the capitalist press, but ON the other side.
| OF course, they have never read the Daily
| Worker, but they claim 1t tears down things"
says letter from San Francisco Well, we
| tear down" capitalism the best we are able all
right And it needs tearing down. But Also the
truth about 1t is damning enough to justify its
| tearing down to any worker And we don't care
| what the capitalists think about it, We have al
ready said in this column that the Daily Worker
doss Not want Its correspondents to cxsggerass.
EnE MSsw do rS - saet