The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-29
PARTY LIFE
C. P. Unit, I. L. D. Branch,
Shop and Farm Groups Built
Nine Months Bolshevik Work Brings Results
IT. Morfzo. IxIlnn MnuoH +o MiddlntnSyn
By 2. o.


farmers. At our last meeting OF the
I. L. D. he gave a report on the Con-
vention. 1t was the best report
heard of this kind. Three workers
Joined the I. L. D. at this meeting.
Sbop Work Carried On and Strike
sn# Developed
One of our young comrades got o
lob in a Pocketbook factory, where
the Ieyploitation was great and wages
as low as 81 and IS week. Thc !.
ages ran from Is years and up. She
felt that this shop must be organized
Immediately. She wrote to the
Young Communist League OF New !.
York, of which she is member, TO
send in q comrade to help her In
this work. Two comrades came and
secured jobs a day later In this
shop. After working for three weeks
they won the support Of q large
number Of workers in the shop and
an attempt to organize the shop was
made. A meeting was called, which
was attended by so workers. The
question Of o union was discussed,
and q committee OF five was elected
to start preparations for an In
dependent Union. The next day q
worker was fired because OF his mill
tant activities. AS a protest forty
out of 800 workers walked out ON
strike. A picket line was formed,
and as in every strike, the police
picked out q militant gfrl striker and
arrested her.
The I. L. D. was on the job, not
only ON the picket line, but also at
the arrest. We came in touch with
a local lawyer and he took the case,
but afterwards we thought he would
not be able to defend this girl on
a class basis. We got g. lawyer from
Monticello, and he defended this girl
brilliantly. He turned the court into
a forum and pointed out clearly the
Glars struggle of the American worker
with the exploiters. He spoke Of the
rcd scare and of the Soviet Union.
Hundreds Of workers were present In
court because We were on the job
with leaflets. We can state that q
large number Of workers Of Middle
town are not afraid Of the Red
Scare any more. The result Was
that the jury could not agree upor
the verdict and the case was pend
ing until the following week.
Strike Leaders Neglect Strike
At this time the rest OF the si1rs
was to come down on strike u
A. F. L. was on the job and preven
the workers from coming down
promising two dollar raise. 7
n. r. A. was next to come In q
break the morale OF the workers
having the boss sign up with e.
N. r. A. and dodge the whole strii
question. M
The I. L. D. arranged q party f.
the strikers. It was a nice nttla
eTair with couple Of Negro work.
ers present, but the defendant wal
not there. The next morning weD
found out that the girl had beSn
terrorized and threatened by the
police until she pleaded guilty, and
had been given a suspended SEN
tence. We found out too late and
couldn't do ANYTHING about 1t. The
workers on strike were determined to
go on with the strike although they
resented the actions OF this girl.
The T. l.. D. had two comrades to
meet with the strikers until the
strike was over, but something hap
pened to our strike leadership. When
the workers were ready to 60 on.
. the leadership began to slack on the
, job, and remained In bed until late
; in the morning, where the I. L. d.
members and strikers found them
vixen they came to see where the
leaders were. The oldest and mos
capable leader. of the three w.
figuring on hitch hiking to California
and SO he lost interest. OF courSs
the combination of the A. r. Il
the N. r. A. and such bad leader
ship was too much, and the strike
was lost =
We have gained some organiza-
ticrlal results for the I. l.. D. from
this strike. We are known in town
cmong a larTe number Of workers.
Our brcnch is growing in member
ship. We held a Scottsboro meets
ing in q Negro Church with James
I w. Ford as the main speaker. In
spite Of the fact that 1t was .
; stor3ny. night. between rs to 100
; workers attended, the majority being
Negroes. This was the first time such
5 q meeting was held in Middletown
/ We have sent three delegates to the
| District 7. L. D. Convention.
! We have very successful class on
the Fundamentals of Communism.
We are trying to build up the Labor
. Defender and Daily Worker routes.
: To make 1t short, after eight months
: activity, we established Comnu1
mist Party Urft and thus laid the
/ basis in Middletown for revolution
? airy movement.