The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-07-15

eSr3et5<St
the Trade Union - @sssss
Unity League and
the Natio nal ppownER
Textile Workers T. JAW "
Union sent a de-
legation to Washington to appear al
the hearings on the Textile Cooe
proposed by the manufacturers. This
delegation spoke and made proposals
in quite a different sense from that
, of the representatives Of the A. f.
of L. and quite different from the
position of the Socialist Party.
Comrade Croll, a spokesman for
f, the delegation, boldly exposed the
whole purpose and effect of the Re
coyery Act as the enslavement and
impoverishment of the workers. She
declared that the workers would not
surrender their right to strike
against any conditions unsatisfactory
to them. Then she proposed amend
ments to the Labor Code, the COM
plete rejection of which exposes dra-
natically the true purpose of the
Code before all workers who follow
ed the proceedings. The rejected
amendments called for the establish
ment of a guaranteed wage of not
below S720 per year, based upon
guarantee OF not less than thirty nor
more than forty hours per week.
The fact that the administration
re uses to consider any provisions
directed towards really raising the
standard of life of the textile work
crs, or giving them any guarantee
Ct employment, exposes the whole
purpose Of the Act as being merely
a guarantee OF the profits Of the 'bos-
ses and to stifle any resistance by
the workers. In addition to the
wage and hour provisions, the T.U.
U.L brought forward a series of pro-
posals for othsr safe guards for the
workers, which were also rejected.
IN line with the excellent example
given by the T.U.UL. and Mt.
WI. in the textile hearings, it is
absolutely necessary that every reYo-
lutionary trade union and group
shan develop in their own industries,
similar actions and broadcast them
to the largest number of workers,
Z The presentation of our demands in
the formulation Of the codes must
( be made an instrum mt of mass agit-
alton and organization. These are
the first and simple elementary steps
in the education of the masses in
the real meaning of the Industrial
Recovery Act and preparing them
for the coming struggles against this
slavery law.
The role of the A F. of L. in the
Z textile hearings is very instructive
for us, We must study it and learn
how to expose these manouyers be-
fore the masses. 1t is not enough
for us merely to shout that the A.
F. of L. is helping the government
and the employers. We must prove
it. And this means that we must
learn concretely how to expose all
of their nlanouvers. The A. F. of
l.. burocrats are not so stupid that
they think they can get away with
their treachery without masking it
with all kinds of clever and flexible
tricks.
Thus, in the textile hearings, Will
liam Green succeeded in getting him
self quoted in the newspaper head
lines as being opposed to the Code
because the wage scale was not high
enough and demanding SIS mini
mum. MacNahon, president of the
United Textile Workers, then also
found it necessary to speak for a
higher minimum, must more modest
1y demanding S14.40.
Then one of the government COM
rniSsioners, Mr.. Allen, was evidently
inexperienced in the game and hasn't
learned how to play BALI with the
labor leaders and allow them theil
necessary publicity as loyal oppo-
sition." He let the cat out of the
bag by Indignantly exclaiming thai
Mr.. MacNdahon had worked with hin
in the preparation of this Code, hac
expressed his entire agreement with
it and had never before said a wore
to indicate that he had any different
proposals whatever.
This revealing little incident il
especially valuable and should bt
widely popularized, especially in view
of the fact that in future hearings
Mr.. Allen and his fellows commission.
ers will undoubtedly be better coach.
ed beforehand on how to help thu
A. F. of L. leaders to preserve theil
prestige before the masses by putting
up fake opposition to bargains they
have already made behind the scenes
and which they are prepared to carr!
out to the letter.
1T is also necessary that we Learn
] concretely how to expose the argu'
ments and maneuvers of the Social
list Party, typified by the position o.
Norman Thomas Norman Thomas
is one of the most valuable of Roose.
selts assistants in putting across the
New Deal" OF course, that doe,
,,.ptt mean that he comes out openly
endorse it.
At he did that. he would be no more
Wit liable than any of Roosevelt's di-
= ~ employees. On the contrary, he
Fleh' that he is against the underlying
E-sn pose and philosophy of the blu
from this be then PROCEEDS to
an that these CAPITALIST politi-