The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-06-06
BY IuNE SAKS

The Block Aiders finding them
selves more and more embarrassed
by the piercing questions they are
asked when out making their collec-
tons, have found it necessary to
devise new methods by which they
hope to squeeze the last few pennies
from the workers for the Block Aid
fund.
Using Threats of Jail
Various. methods of intimidation
have been most widely used on the
foreignborn because their scant
knowledge of the language leaves
them without an adequate weapon to
fight back.
For instance, workers have signed
the card pledging themselves to con-
tribute so much Per week for twenty
weeks After a week or so, discover
ing the racketeer nature of the
Block Aid and refusing to pay up
any more, the collector will show
them their card with their written
signature. These foreign-born, hardly
understanding what is said to them
but seeing their own signature, are
led to believe that imprisonment
could follow if they refused to con-
tribute any more. They know not
where to turn and out of fear Of
punishment keep on contributing
each week.
Taking Care of Our Own"
In order to appeal to the sentiment
Of foreign-born workers, bulletins are
being issued in every possible tongue
with a heartrending call for con-
tributions. These bulletins, in the
tone Of appeal, make it seem as if
the relief agencies were mostly con-
cerned with the distress among these
elements who in reality are among
the first to be thrown out of jobs.
1t does not need much TO show up
the vicious character Of this appeal
Let any applicant for. job tell you
if in filling out his application
whether the question, Are you a
citizen" was ever omitted. Certainly
not
The question of citizenship has
been one of the major loopholes for
the relief sharks Their very fine
answer TO aliens seeking jobs are.
"Oh, you know we must take care Of
our own first" Kindly ask them why
they do not collect from their own
first, their own-the ones who really
own and run this country as they
wish,-th big business interests.
Then the manner of handling re-
lief cases. Up TO about three weeks
ago there were practically no three
day-a-wesk Jobs given out despite
the fact that the campaign was
solely TO raise funds for such Jobs.
The constant excuse for this was that
not enough money was coming in
despite the weekly reports of how
many thousands had been raised.
Finally, when everybody including
tllC WuihClh NOlh4llz AO4 llAc batl4-
paign rose up in fury and demanded
to know where the money was going
to and why no Jobs we're provided,
the campaign managers got busy
Plenty of Forum-But No Jobs
What did they do, did they begin
placing some of the applicants on
Jobs? OF course not, they began
spending money. On What? Forms.
Forms FOR job relief, forms for
clothing relief and any othr kind of
forms one could wish. So one now
filled out form and kept coming
back over and over again to discover
if anything had been done about his
application. And always he was told
it was being considered and you
know there are so many ahead OF
you and Just be patient, it takes a
little time, you know" So it went
on as far as any actual relief was
concerned
The Clothing Racket
Then l. there was a request for
clothing, the clothing form was filled
out and of course you take it right
down TO the warehouse and there you
will receive any clothing you desire.
But wait minute, you see, ahem-
there is cleaners strike and all the
clothing was at the cleaners to be
put in order and, ahem-the clean