The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-17
ORGANIZATIONALs - AGTT ATIONAL - PROPAGANDA
WORK AND THE RECRUITING DRIVE


ization results but also the fact that we did not
organize our agitation propaganda activity SUI
ficiently well SO as to result in concrete organ
ization.
What do We mean by this? BY this is meant
that the question Of the need for organization
is not followed by our explanation of things to
which workers agree more and more. For exam
pie, although very frequently we convince work
ers Of the correctness OF our program through
shop papers we do not point out to them what
actual organization can do to better these con-
oitions and what organization has ac-
cornpished in the past An outstanding case in
point is the Wright Ahplane Co. In Paterson,
N. j. There the Party had much influence, was
issuing shop papers regularly for period of
months When the strike broke out there how
ever. In 1880, we found that the workers agreed
with us political party but asked the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor for leadership which
resulted in the sell-out Of the strike. We could
not convince the Wright workers to fight behind
the Metal Trades Workers Industrial League
Or take another case. Very frequently our
organizationa1 departments send comrades to
visit organizations for funds. Comrades 60 out
They give convincing speeches, showing how the
bourgeois parties are supported by capitalism
and that our support can come from workers
alone. We convince them Of the need for aid
ing us in all our campaigns, elections anti
lmper1allst war, Lenin etc. But after we con-
vince workers to give funds to the Communist
Party, which in most cases means sacrifice,
after good agitational speeches what are the re-
suits? few dollars-but no members.
Let us take third case. Where even to a
little degree we popularize the need for organ
ization, we see. results For instance In the
Fisher Body Co., Cleveland manufacturers of
automobile bodies, the Party shop nucleus
issues paper called Spark Plug
Through popularization of the need for joining
the Party and the Auto Workers Union in the
Spark Plug and, Of course, through individual
agitation in the shop, we hvss Party nucleus
of about is and a union group OF IS members.
Although this is not a huge organizational
achievement, 1t shows the possibilities of build
ing the Party and union in the mill The COM
bined written agitation and propaganda In the
shop paper, plus the individual agitation OF the
nucleus comrades in the mill resulted In the
organization mentioned. It is Of greatest i'm
portance for the org-agitprop departments to
discuss the question OF the shop paper in rela-
ton to the activity OF the comrades In the
shop, the question Of development Of struggles,
etc.
This is also true in regard 10 the series Of
anti-war meetings held In Ohio On FEB S, where
though the attendance was poor, each meeting
found organizational results-workers applying
to the Party and Y. G. L.
The manner in which to develop struggles In
the shop is very important This Is matter
for org-agitprop discussion. For instance only
recently the torch soderers organized themselves
into a grievance committee demanded that the
company shall pay the foreman his wages In
stead Of having them taken from the soldererr
wages and demanded . letting up Of he ter-
IL o. 49, 49,.
committee we're won. This WIS Q dirsct result
Of the agitation for the organization q griev.
ance committees, which was often stressed In
the paper.
This gives little indication Of the need for
pint org-agitprop meetings. Such meetings will
develop ole and bring forward new methods of
work, new methods of bringing our campaigns
to the mills, to workers generally, 50 that the
general agitation viii be linked with the local
conditions and with the need for organisation,
as vel as, in this wag, develop struggles for
better condft+one ~