The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-08
COMRADES AND
FELLOW WORKERS

In the spirit of solidarity and fra
ternity. and in conformity with the
needs of the workers and farmers in
this crisis, we submit the following
for your consideration;
This Continental Congress meets at
a moment when the crisis for the
masses of the workers and farmers OF
this nation is deepening Seventeen
million are unemployed. Wages have
been cut to one-third of the 1923
level The cash income of the farmers
has been reduced by three fourths
Despite rosy promises they are be-
ing evicted from their land and their
misery is being intensified. Onehalf
billion dollars has been cut from the
! disability allowance of veterans. Re
lief is everywhere being cut to the
bone.
The workers have no choice but to
organize and fight. Only thus can
they put a stop to the suffering and
degradation to which disintegrating
capitalist system is subjecting them
Roosevelt's New Deal-To Help
Bankers
Some of the workers indeed are I'M
der the illusion that the Roosevelt
administration is actually bringing q
New Deal and that therefore "Roose-
Welt must be given a chance The adj
ministration is making use of the
most colossal propaganda campaign
in the entire history of this nation,
to make the masses believe that it is
bringing about, and can bring about,
real improvement Actually it has
done nothing to date except save the
big bankers. 1t has not voted relief
funds. 1t has done nothing to provide
unemployment insurance. 1t has not
established the 30-hour week without
reduction in pay, and it has not taken
any actual steps toward public
works program or the guaranteeing Of
union wages to those engaged on pub
lie works.
Not only has the Roosevelt admin
istration given no relief, but the nea-
sureS which it pursued seriously Wors-
ened the condition of the masses. 1t
has cut the wages of federal en-
ployees in the amount of at least one
billion dollars annually, and has thus
set the example for a similar cut on
the part of both-state governments
and private employers. 1t has put
only a handful of men to work
through the much-vaunted Civilian
Conservation Corps. In this connec-
ton the RECOMMENDATION of American
workers has been instituted and an
infamous dollar-a-day wage estab-
lished. The recently instituted infla-
ton policy has raised the price OF
food-stuffs and other necessaries for
the workers in the face of falling
wage level The administration is now
proposing measures for the "stabili-
cation" of industry, which fails to
provide for the organization of work
ers in fighting unions of their own
choosing and hands over billions to
the big corporations to bolster up
their profits.
The notion that this administration
has any intention of bringing about
any real or permanent improvement
for the workers and dirt farmers is q
most dangerous illusion. That illu-
sion must be smashed by this Con-
gress and by the activities which this
Congress initiates. Only by their own
strength can the workers accomplish
anything.
United Front to Be Based on Action
and Struggle
The workers and farmers have Civ
en- increasing and vigorous resistance
: to the conditions which we have
named. That RESISTANCE has, however
been much less effective than II
might have been because the Official
leadership of the American Fedora
ton Of Labor has failed to pursue 9
militant policy, has sought favorS
from employers and politicians rather
than serving as a rallying center fol
the masses of the workers Conse-
: quently American labor has beer
poorly organized. Furthermore, the
organizations which do exist have al
i too frequently been divided, have
failed to cooperate even when they
have not been in actual conflict with
each other. The action of the leader
ship of the American Federation Of