The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-23
By a Ford Worker

Grim, In the lashing cold wind five thousand
workers marched to Ford's on Monday March
7th. Many workers who did not participate did
not realize the meaning OF the march, the causes
the hopes Ford, today, completely Unmasked
and recognized as the most typical specimen Of
a calculating and cruel class had promised time
and again and publicly announced through the
seryile press that he was hiring thousands Of
men, that all he was concerned with was the
happiness and welfare Of his men.
AS early as three years ago, when unemploy-
rnent was already great, he had announced the
hiring Of $4,000 men. From all over the country
came T1ocking the hungry, the hopeful When
the crowds from all the states came to the gates
asking for jobs after standing in the bitter
cold all night and some even part Of the day
before MIGRANTS were turned on them, and those
that we're not quick in leaving we're dubbed
nnercilessly.
Meanwhile, within the factory the amount OF
work required Of each man was mounting geo.
metrically. The speed-up in every department
was Internal and the profits for the man that we
shall brand forever q murderer was mounting
constantly.
GGs-offs ~
Then came the lay-offs, Those lay-offs were
denied or ignored by the press and by Ford, but
we know better. With lay-ofs came a stricter
discipline in that already penitentiary-like fac
tory and their wage-cuts Men who had worked
most Of their lives within those walls and who
had the illusion OF having gained a lifelong
right to employment were fired. thrown on the
scrap heap. The others were kept within mail
ing reach with promises, with short periods of
employment,
In many departments, men were required to
come to work daily for an hour or two Often
they were not even allowed to start working. No
concern was felt for the expense Of transporta-
ton often quite high. There are men who must
spend as high as forty cents daily to go and come
from work. Often the total weekly earnings
were less than the transportation expenses. The
number Of unemployed kept on mounting, but
the wealth Of the murderer was not diminishing
False statements given to the knowing press
we're eagerly published informing the public c
a rise in the employment Of men, in the payroll
These statements we're given out with the pur-
pose Of lulling the unemployed into the hope of
a general resumption of work. They were meant
to stop the growing resentment against Ford.
The American Legion Convention
At the time of the American Legion convention
last September. Ford made great gesture for
four days. Many thousands were put to work
and word was allowed to go abroad that employ
nent would soon reach a new record The gaping
legionnaires that went through the plant carried
home stories Of great employment, of what some
call prosperity.
But before the filth and vomit Of the drunken
legion hoodlums brought to our shores by Frank
Murphy could. be mopped off the streets Of
Detroit all those men were laid off and still are
The winter saw hunger and despair in those
homes. The city Of Detroit, at the behest of
Mayor Murphy, had made pact with Henry
Ford and the Wall Street banks that relief to the
hungry would be cut to nothing in exchange of