The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-10-17
PARTY LIFE
Arizona The
Party After
SeVen Months

ONLY seven months ago Arizona
" was unknown quantity as far
as the revolutionary movement Is
concerned. In January, 1882, there
were no Party units, not a single
Party member, nor any other
branch Of the revolutionary organ
izationS, only a few readers of the
Daily Worker. At present we have
two Party units in Phoenix, one
in Tucson and one Glendale.
We are selling ten Daily Work.
ers a day and 80 Western work.
ers in Phoenix and 10 Daily Workers
in Tucson, as well as other Party
literature. In the last five months
over $50 workers registered support
Of the Unemployed Council, which
has several neighborhood councils.
OBJECTIVE SITUATION
The main industries of Arizona,
are copper and mining and agricul-
ture. The copper industry, because
of over production, is almost at a
stand still. AL the mines which
formerly employed over 1000 miners
are now either completely shut
down Qnspiration Mine, Miami
Copper, Old Dominion etc.,, or
operate with the maintenance crew
only. The Smelters in Miami, Globe,
Morency and Bisbee are completely
closed. In Douglas, where the
smelters formerly employed over
300 workers, operate at present with
only 40 workers. The few pennies
that the miners saved UP for
"rainy day" were stolen from them
by the bankers. In Superior, Miami
and Globe, the same week that the
mines were shut down the banks
closed their doors.
IN THE agricultural industry the
i conditions are just as miserable.
In addition to the other evils of
capitalism like high taxes, mort
cages, usuary interest rates ETC.,
there is in Arizona an additional
problem of exorbitant cost of irri-
cation from $500 to $1,000 (near
Tucson). When the price went
down to cents per ID. last year,
thousands of farmers went bank
crupt. Even the Farm Buro admits
that so per cent of Arizona farmers
are on the verge of bankruptcy. The
wages of agricultural workers are
as low as 10 cents per hour.
PARTY WEAK ORGAN
NATIONALLY
These are the objective conditions
that the C.P. has to work in. Have we
equalled our task in this favorable
situation? BY no means! In spite
of the spontaneous achievements
that the Party and Unemployed
Council have made in the brief pc
riod of the last seven months, for
instance; the May Day demonstra-
ton of 1000 workers, mass demon
stration in front of the state capitol,
Maricopa County Hunger March of
400 on June 90; Fosters meeting
of $500 the same day, collecting
1000 names and officially placing
the Party on the ballot in Arizona,
yet from the organizational stand
point, we are still very weak.
MAIN SHORTCOMINGS
The Section Committee, which was
organized recently, is still inexpe-
rienced and lacks in initiative and
firnneSS in action. The attend
ance of the unit meetings and the
dues payments is very low in COM
parision with the number of Party
applicants. The Party units, es-
pecially the new ones in Phoenix,
lack leadership and initiative, the
Unemployed Councils attendance
has also dwindled down during the
summer months, and in the main
experiences the same organizational
shortcomings as the Party units do
There is almost no difference be-
tween the Party and the Unem-
ployed Council leadership, which is
very wrong, if the latter is to be-
come a mass organization with de-
finite tasks to perform. All these
weaknesses and shortcomings are q
result of the fact that the Party
organization is still very young in
Arizona.
TASKS OF PARTY
First and foremost to establish
a firm and capable section lead
ership. To develop the inintiative
and promotion to leadership of new
cadres of functionaries, by giving
them responsible jobs in the units.
To establish Party training classes
in the cities where Party units ex-
list. To encourage every member
to attend these classes and to read
the Party literature.
WITH the coming of the winter
w months the suffering of the
unemployed will increase greatly.
The Unemployed Councils should
be Immediately organized and be
placed on the correct basis of Block
Committees. To promote to the
leadership rank and file workers,
who are not yet Party members.
To organize in the coming three
months at least 20 Block Commit
tees 90 in Phoenix, in Tucson
and in new toWns) Every Party
unit must take the initiative in Or
ganizng the Block Committees in
its own territory--to interconnect
the work among the unemployed
with the Election campaign.
We must organize an intensive
drive throughout the state for the
general elections, send out various
candidates to every important town
in the state to address mass meet