davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
RED PODOLSK.
The Former Singer Sewing Machine
Plant Near Moscow

half apologetically. I'VE don't
have as fine furnishings as some,
our family is big and our income,
while enough, doesn't leave much
room for fancies. And to tell the
truth, we don't care about that"
At present Alex is earning 200
rubles a month, Olga 80, and Victor
receiving a students allowance, in
addition to free tuition, of SIS
rubles. Next year he'll get rs, and
the third term ITO. Tonga could
also receive an allowance, but the
Betkins find they can live COM
fortably on their present budget of
345 rubles, so they do not ask it
from the school.
Home Secure from Evictions,
Unemployment
THE main thing" Alex adds, is
we feel secure. The haunting fears
of our old days, of being turned out
Of our home, of me losing my job
these are gone forever. 1t used to
be, when anybody fell sick or
child was born, we worried how to
get doctor and with what to pay
him. Now all this is free. For
instance, Tonga fell i'll some time
back. You wouldn't guess it, now,
would you, to look at her. Lung
trouble it was. She was sent, with
all expenses paid out of our state
social insurance fund. to Marsesky
Sanftorium, near Moscow. And
there she stayed, until entirely we'll.
1--WE can't be evicted. Our work
is steady, and when Olga and I are
too old to work longer, We'll get
pensions.
"All this makes our minds con-
tent, and free for other things"
Olga breaks in, "Of course we
still have to scheme how best to
manage. And there are many
things we want, that we haven't
yet got. Sometimes meat runs short
at the store, or sugar gets low. But
the big thing for Alex and me, is
how our children are getting such
fine educations, and we're studying,
too"
Young Pioneers.
1t is true, every member from
Kolya up, is studying hard, enjoy.
ing it. Each one is absorbed in his
special social activities. This,.also,
is characteristic of most Soviet
families, although not all are as
active or developed as the Betkins.
Paul Kolya and Vera will tell you,
breathlessly and in relays, how
their Pioneer bands go to the fac
tories, during noon-hour, to check
up on the way workers are keep
ing their machines and doing their
work. when we find a careless
fellow" Paul declares, 1--WE clean
up his machine for him, and he's
ashamed of himself. We find out
if everybody is iterate and gets his
papers every day. Oh, and lots Of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16

This concerns Olga, who watches to
see that the girl does not overdo.
and gets her fun along with the
rest. Next year a community house
in the workers town will be opened
up, with its modern laundry and
public dining hall. Then the fam
lily can take their evening meal
there, Vera's shopping trips will
end, and Olga won't spend part of
her free day doing the wash.
How They Live
Olga prepares breakfast before
she leaves with Alex for the plant.
Here they eat two nourishing, we'll
cooked meals each day. The chill
dren have their breakfast together,
and warm lunches at school, At
night. everybody eats home, al
though frequently someone is away
attending class or meeting.
The Betkins home is like dozens
Of others where I have visited.
tidy, simple, with plants in the
windows, fresh counterpanes on the
bed, a table loaded with books and
papers, and a beautiful crocheted
tablecloth laid out in honor Of
company. On the walls and chest
are family photos: the children,
taken at summer camp; Olga, in a
gym suit, snapped with friends
while on her paid vacation in
rest home. Alex, sitting in an
oyster shell frame astride rock
near the Black Sea. In the back
ground rise cliffs and picturesque
villa, which once pleased the fancy
OF rich merchant, but now houses
vacationing workers.
In an honored place are pictures
Of Lenin, Stain, Krupskaya and
Voroef1ilow.
Olga glances around, smiling
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
"a New, Militant Organization is Arising
Workers Laying Basis for Fight

being discontinued by the COM
panies. Thirty-five of the men said
they had no washing facilities OF
any kind at the steel mills. Only
81 per cent had hot running water
while only 81 per cent had any
shower baths. Twenty-Five do not
even have any lockers in which to
keep their clothes. Only SO per
cent of the men needing protec-
ton from injurious gas or smoke
were given any kind of protection.
Although most of the men said
they were working under conditions
of excessive heat just 48 per cent OF
those needing it had any protec-
ton from heat Even though the
state is supposed to have industrial
commissions which inspect the
mills and enforce provisions of the
safety code safety conditions are
very bad.
Accidents have become fewer in
number during the past few years.
Because the number of man-hours
worked have become SO much fewer.
If taken in relation to the amount
of employment it would doubtless
be found that there has been a con-
siderable increase in accidents due
to the speed-up and lack of atten-
ton to safety devices. Reports
were received of men having hands
and legs cut off legs and arms
broken severe burns, loss of fingers,
being killed by falling objects and
receiving infections due to careless
ness in dressing the injuries. AL
though compensation was some
times paid it was utterly inadequate.
For death of their husbands widows
received $4,000. Fifty-one per cent
of the workers had observed Or been
involved in accidents within the
last three years.
STOCK SELLING
PROGRAM
The companies have attempted
various welfare" devices to create
an illusion that they were in
terested in the well being of their
employees and also to reduce turn
over, prevent unions from entering,
and breaking strikes. Ninety-one
per cent of the men stated that
they were carrying some kind of
company life insurance. Seventy
per cent of these men said they
strongly disliked this insurance sys-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16

things like that" Kolya, grinning,
describes how the Pioneers gather
before the factory gates in the
morning, chanting taunts at the
late-comers who're hindering our
Five-Year Plan"
From Drudge to the Vanguard
Tonga and Victor are active in
the Comsomols, and four years ago
Olga Joined the Communist Party.
When she hesitated, asking, do I
know enough? 1t was only few
years 1 learned how to read. And
how will manage extra duties?"
Her comrades at the plant told
her, you're the kind that belongs
in the Party" and they reminded
her of what Lenin said about work.
ing women helping to run the
State.
This has become true for me-"
Olgla said. "Once I was a drudge:
today I'm a member from our shop
to the Soviet. 1 chose to work in
the health section. Sometime I'll
tell you how we work together with
the doctors and nurses, to improve
our city hospital and care Of the
children.
+ "Of course, it makes it harder in
a way, here at home, for me to do
all these things. I'm gene lot.
But Alex understands and helps
out, in a way a lot OF men won't.
If there's something to be done
here at home, he does it as will
ingly as l."
Paul leans close to his mothers
chair. That's the way, amt It,
Ma? We're all comrades, amt
we?"
The samovar gives q friendly
snort, reminding US of our vaatfne
tea. ------
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16

the charges that we're most fire.
quently mentioned were the dis
placement of steam engines by
electric gasoline or Diesel motors
requiring fewer engineers for their
operation. New types of furnaces
were quite common SO designed as
to hold more tonnage with the same
number of attendants. New roll
ing machinery increased production
four or five times. The significant
thing about all this naturalization
taking place during a period of
depression, was that it accentuated
production and unemploy-
ment by turning out more ton
mage with a smaller labor force.
The benefit of this increased pro-
ductivity does not go to the work
ers, as it does in the Soviet Union,
but to the owners of the machin-
cry the capitalists who are des-
perately trying to find profitable
investment for the profits which
have been ground out of the sweat
and blood of the workers.
SPEED-UP
RACES
Speed-up or the pushing of the
men to get out more production
with the same machine and meth
DDS of work was found to be TAX
ing place even more widely than
naturalization. Seventy-siX of the
men said that the bosses were
pushing them by various means to
force them to get out more work
than they had ever done before.
When the 18 men who were doing
piece work are excluded this
means that practically all the
workers were driven to work harder
and harder for the profiteering
capitalists. This is part of the
desperate attempt of the employers
to cut their overhead and labor
costs in every conceivable way to
avoid placing the burden of the
depression upon the huge SURPRISES
which were amassed in the preced-
ing years. Workers said they could
not even stop to get a drink of
water eat sandwich or wash up.
Efficiency men and "pushers" were
engaged by the employment de-
partments to figure out methods OF
making the workers move faster.
Men were made to work six hours
without break. Even the fore
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
TYPICAL
RELIEF

Only Al per cent OF the workers
reported their companies as carry
ing on some sort of unemploy-
ment relief program. In most cases
the amounts given were ridiculously
inadequate as in the case of the
family which waited two or three
hours in line for a box of groceries
worth $3.50 which was supposed to
last for a month. Many Of the
companies only distributed the
Red Cross flour claiming that their
own relief relief funds were ex-
hausted although their balance
sheets show millions of dollars set
aside as reserve funds.
Some of the steel mills operated
company houses for which exhor-
bitant rents were charged. These
rents were never found to have
been cut as much as wages had
been cut since 1929. Most Of the
rents had only been reduced 10
per cent although wages had fall
len 80 per cent in many instances.
Since the rent was deducted dir
ectly from one pay check every
month and the insurance from the
other pay check, it happened in
some instances that employed
workers saw little or you pay after
the deductions were mace.
The companies spend thousands
of dollars for the maintenance of
a ruthless, underhand spying and
blacklisting system. This system
detects workers who carry on any
union activities or even are pre-
sent at union meetings. The men
are then summarily dismissed
without any trial or chance for
consideration. Reports were re-
received of as many as SO workers
bgeing dismissed at one time from
one mill. After firing the names
of the men are sent around to the
other mills so that their chances
of unemployment in the steel in
dustry-the only job they know
are very small.
However, in spite of this terror,
a new militant organization Is ar
Using out of the wretched condi-
lions Of the steel workers. This
organization, the Steel and Metal
Workers Industrial Union, is con-
Quoting an intensive campaign
among workers through leaflets,
shop stickers, mass meetings and
demonstrations as we'll as by per-
sonal contacts. A policy OF rank
and file control rather than bur-
eaucratic dictatorship, as in the
Amalgamated Association of Iron
Sheet, and Tin Metal Workers, is
maintained. The continuance Of
the crisis with its wage cuts, mass
unemployment and starvation will
undoubtedly soon see q more sue
cessful repetition Of the great
steel strike OF 1919.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
Result OF Pinchot's Special
Session

cEyEN ago pncho governor Pennsylvania s-
considering problem
unemployment the special session 27th
following I'VE cannot gamble the security of public order
welfare people surface indications For well know
interested public ORDER lie, maintaining the
the schwab the the starving
of the mghet American industries
the had helped
certainly tuthfuIy
has done anything help the hungry workers and farmers weather the
storm deprive
the storm of the capitalist crisis
police military attacks against The workers the government
resorts to failing working class
the infamous Flynn sedon law At the
special Pinchot has made plain that his
chn OF suppression of the working class
consabuy demagogcay
abuay working class the
Western Pennsylvania coal strike and in the Anthracite
In the legislature there political
parts of the state republican party They are the Mellon machine with
Pittsburgh the notorious machine Philadelphia
Pittsburgh have cut off all relief unemployed meagre
administered in Philadelphia by the Lloyd
. the Ieo into session seven weeks ago since the beginning
between these three
f not-sHs al
them unemployment ree-a of them talk about It,
relief the legislature
liberal " one" They proposed that
@ Sn w oethne sacred something that should under No ccum
other than road building Its
that it this fund that Pnchot
machine is Pnchots
Pnctot
the they want to point
depriving of graft At
political legislature that with the Of the
forced the liberal
demagogy
building entirety
socialist members of the state legislature,
Reading,
contribute for this
appropriation be administered the
deserving" unemployed.
foster illusions public
capitalist
increasing that
unemployed any
relief this Only by fighting immediate relief
employment insurance through meetings demonstrations
united front the neighbohoods
the leadership the militant
forced relief the This
the election the
Is elsewhere
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
BY MYRA PAGE
Our Correspondent in the Soviet
Union.
PART \.


Union.
PART \.
This is the last of series of
articles which contraSted the work
ing and living conditions of work
ers In the Podolsk plant in the
Russia of Czarist days, with the
conditions of workers in the same
plant in the Russia of today-the
land of the construction of the
system of Socialism.
The contrast actually depicted
the difference between two systems
capitalism versus SOciaIism-and
showed what workers can do to
improve their conditions after they
have overthrown their exploiters
and set up a government owned
and controlled by workers and
farmers)
There are seven in the Betkin
family. Alex, the father, is a
sandy-haired, quiet mar nearing
fifty. He repairs transmission at
the plant. When not busy with
Party and union work or attending
meeting Of the workers housing
committee, mis- main pleasure is to
sit hunched over his pipe, listening
to the radio, reading the papers,
studying one of his technical books,
or helping his youngest children
with their lessons.
Study hard" he urges them.
I'm your Mas and my time, work
ers' kids didn't have such chances
as you. She never got, even, to
read and write. Do your best, be-
cause you're to help run this coun-
try. We're our own masters now"
Last year Alex was delegate
from his shop to the town Soviet
(counciD. When he talks of the
old, bitter days, Olga's more ready,
colorful tongue breaks in, running
ahead.
Olga Betkin is one CT those
countless working women whom the
revolution has brought to life. She
is on fire with growth-her own,
the thildren's, and above all, "our
Pyatuetka."
Nez to Victor, who is twenty,
CONES Tonga. Her eyes are the
deel blue of the neat blouse she
is wearing. A toboggan cap is
perched on her fair, straight hair;
her cheeks are still flushed from
skiing.
Paul and Vera
Paul, just entering his teens, and
little Kolya like outdoor sports, too
They spend their mornings on their
skates or sled, as their school does
MT begin until noon.
Vera, who is fifteen, doesn't skate
every morning, though, as she helps
out with the housework and shop
ping, while her mother is at work.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16

them. The usual premium for this
insurance was 81 month per $1,000
although other rates as high as
$190 were reported. This was de-
Quoted from one pay every month
no matter how small it might be.
Sick relief was carried by 81 per
cent of the men in addition to
the life insurance.
Another device which attempts to
deceive the workers regarding the
ownership OF the steel corpora
lions Is the stock selling program
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16

men were required to work in some
departments so that there was no
extra man to spell worker for a
few minutes. One man exhausted
by tending two machine had Slip
ped and was badly scalded bya fall
into vat of hot water.
ACCIDENTS
INCREASE
Even such seemingly inexpensive
conveniences as hot water for
washing and protection from ex-
cessive heat at the furnaces were
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
ny BURCK

which was reported by 81 per cent
of the men. Only six Of these men
had ever been able to spare enough
money from the small earnings to
buy as much as one share of stock.
One mar who had bought stock at
SIPS share found that when he
wanted to sell it he could only get
$35 share for it. 1t can thus
seen how shaky is the foundation
fol the small investor in the steel
mills.
A few of the mills went so far in
their welfare" programs as to
carry on baseball games, play
grounds and classes for their mill
hands. In this way they hope to
gain a complete control over the
spare time of the workers as well
as during the time at the shop.
The drumming up OF company en-
thusiasm in sport leagues helps to
deter the workers from militant
labor organization.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
In the Ohio Steel Mills

THE following article is especially
timely in view of the formation in
Pittsburgh, on Sunday, of The
Steel and Metal Workers Industrial
Union)
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-16
WANT ONLY
YOUNG SLAVES

The work in the steel mills is so
taxing that only the youngest and
strongest can stand up the strain.
No man is hired after reaching the
age of As years Only 10 per cent
of the men stated that their en-
ployers maintained old age pension
systems. Even at these mills men
said that workers were laid off
shortly before becoming eligible for
a pension. If financial circum-
stances do not permit the COM
pany granting a pension, it is
simply not given and the worker is
left to shift for himself Men who
break underneath the speed-up and
strain of working in the hot dusty,
smoky mills and have accidents are
discharged since the payment Of
accident compensation is costly to
the company.
NATURALIZATION
INCREASED
Naturalization or the intrdouc-
ton of new machines and methods
OF work which reduce the necessary
labor time has been proceeding
rapidly. Fifty-three per cent of the
men said naturalization had taken
place in their departments. The
workers said that one-half to 80
per cent Of the men had been
eliminated from production as
result OF these new machines.
There was a tendency to cut
wages especially on the jobs that
were On . pdeee-work basis. Among
The Kusko times., 1932-03-05
SEW ARD MAYOR WARNS AGAINST INVASION OF
 .ALASk A BY JAPANESE
5tContinued from Page ?.

lfContinued from Page O..
 And yet Alaska has given over a billion dollars of wealth to the United States.
 "As the Mayor of the most strate- gicaily important town in Alaska, l appeal for some immediate defensive protection for Alaska, especially here at Seward, the ocean terminus of the Government railroad. the Gateway Key to Alaska.
 "A swarship in time would save nine,' and I believe few of those one hundred warships thould be stationed in these waters immediately to show that Alaska will not be wholly de- fenseless and to relieve her citizens of anxiety.
 At least pne harbor in Central Alaska should be fortified at once, to be safe base in time of need. Years ago a beautiful naval reserve was established near Seward with the intention of developing it and fortify- ing the harbor entrance, but there it lies, withdrawn from homestead entry for fifteen years, and yet not dollar spent on it. Millions of dollars for protecting ever other Territory, but nat one for Alaska. Why?'
The Kusko times., 1932-03-05
lV1E KIlsMO AsMkts SATURDAY. MARCH .. lss44

vestigating conditions, and The Times recalls that he was in the Territory several years ago. Remembering what he had to say about the Alaska Railroad after he returned to the States on that occasion, it is not sur- prising now to hear that he is trying to discourage the building up of a local industry out in the Bristol Bay district which is proving really help full to resident fishermen.
 It is not the contention of The Times that a floating cannery is any better than q shore cannery in any respect; this statement has to do with a. particular floating ~cannery and the manner in which it is operated by particular company in particular district. and it is the belief of The Times. that it would be very unfair to the operating company of that par ticular plant and to the many resi- dent fishermen who benefit through its operations if Congress should en- act any prohibitory legislation affect ing the:opsrations of the company un- less ample time is given to conform to such regulations as, may be deemed necessary for the further safeguard ing of the salmon fisheries. The pend- ing legislation. .has much the appear
The Kusko times., 1932-03-05
QUESTIONABLE MOTIVES.
.1AnchorAge Times.)

Congressman Free, who apparently is trying to put the Associated Fish ermen of Alaska out of business through the enactment of Legislation which will prohibit the operation of floating cameries in Alaska, comes from California, home of the so-calleta fisheries trust which is said te- have had lot to do with the framing of fisheries lagistlation in the past. It is even limited that the California congressman shas ore than a casual interest in fisheries operations in Alaska wates. Howeve that, may be. reports coming to The Times from the westward encourage the, belief that the floating cannery of the As sociated Fishermen uf Alaska is far more helpful to the resident fisher men of the isolated Bristol Bay dis trict than are the Free-suppnrted shore canneries which operate there and which annually bring large num- bers of Orientals, Filipinos, Mexicarts and other cheap labor into the Terri tory, to the detriment of local work CTS.
 Congressman Free stated that he spent two months in the Territory in-
The Kusko times., 1932-03-05

When Representative Buchanan spoke on the amendment to the agri- cultural bill that would provide for the continuance of the Matanuska ex- pertinent station he said: "It may be that it is in the interest of the coun- try and the development of the rail- road, and that, therefore, there would be n smaller deficiency necessary.tfo1. tbe operation of the railroad. Let us see what Alaska gets under this bill. She gets $27.O0O from the Hatch and Lever extension acts; s$25,705 under the reindeer appropriation; $16;90n for muskox investigation; for the en- forcement of the Alaska game law there is .$106,966; for forest high waysways, $350,0oo; or total with out this Matanuska station of $525,- IT, These are the facts. I submit the question to you.'