davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
Phila. Seamen Urge
Action Against Terror
in Church institute

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. ~- T h
places we generally patronize for
our rooms and food are the Sea-
mems Church Institutes. We 20
there thinking we will be taken
care of and treated like men. But
we are treated worse than dogs!
In the last week, from Oct. rs
to Oct. %, three of ou~ felICw-
workers were thrown out of the
Institute, in Philadelphia. One
was blackjacked by the guards
and thrown in Jail.
Another man was turned ont
because he got up at / am. in
the morning to get some fresh air.
When he returned to go TO sleep
he was turned out in the streets,
The third man showed up TO go
to sleep at one minute of Ii pm.
He was told to get out like he was
a dog. The man resented this. The
clerk started to fight. The man
was arrested ard charged with
drunk and disorderiy conduct and
put under a bond to keep the
peace. These men are sailors,
In PHILADELPHIA, at Climbers De-
partment Store. they are raising
S6,000,GG0 for the welfare. There
are DIV about $50 sailors in the
nOrt Of Philadelphia at the Insti-
tute. But the Institute has to ret
{" '"'-- ~ ut 70 v"ors old to stay
in the window and sew canvas, so
as to touch the hearts of sympa-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20

jects applicants who are not prole-
tarians. 1t means that in it's propa-
ganda and in its activities it con-
Germs itself with the problems of the
workers from the standpoint of the
interests of the working class. 1t
means that with such proletarian
program it cente-s its activities upon
the workers and tries to make the
l. w. o. a proletarian mass organ
ization in composition as well as in
function.
While we centar our activity on the
workers, ana while our policies are
dictated exclusively by the interests
Of the working class, We do not reject
non-proleta-ian applicants. Even
the proletarian revolution itself does
not reject non proletarian partici-
pants. On the contrary, the very
problem of organizing the revolu-
tion is in part the problem of at
taching groups of -proletarian
masses to the revolution. 1t is the
problem of winning allies for the
revolutionary proletariat. The cues
ton therefore is not, shall we repel
tnnt, ~. o. ,,ro1ats ' seot,oas ~ ~
o otoS.. tl 81 o a. ' ,,,tnnast. AZ
-. @a1sta 80 ~ ~
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w -, W. ,,.a.sa - to,1ams. 1,,s
80 a.,O,.," - -, ~, s,,tsst- 80 ~.
aool ,., az 49, VIZ ,s,, 80 az. .e
W. Us Loss s,,,4,,,I ,,a ppt e 80,
~ s iooie az " s.a,.o;,,t - Az ;,,.s.a.t $500
~. ~, VIZ s sS- c1ass -, or,a 49,, ssSs
~ yiie Nv, W. N . .oiss ,,nIis;oal iss,,aa
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I I.e - -. s....;.:a. 49, o,eaa w.
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az iio' , asN ., 49,, 80 ~ ~. Ser.
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s Vel oui a.. aVO nasie ,,r,,,oi,,,sr - tts
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20

unions have grown tremendously, with
the accelerated rehabilitation of the
working masses, every condition is
ripe for real mass recruiting and for
driving forward towards roofing the
Party in the shops and basic industries
through mass recruiting.
&C. SISKIND, N. 7. District.
How Not to Recruit.
AT the same time that we appeal
to all Party members to consider is
their duty to bring new recruits into
the Party in order to better equip 1t
with forces for the present and COM
ing struggles, we want to emphasize
that our recruiting should be select
i've. We want to give an example of
how not to recruit. Some time ago
We received an application and issued
new book for. This applica-
ton was endorsed by two good stand
| ing members Of Section--. A few
weeks later the book was returned by
the section with the following state
ment by two other comrades who
knew the applicant we'll
us an unfit element for
membership in the Party, because
he bribed the investigator of the
Home Relief Bureau with rug and
electric lamp to insure his ticket.
He heat up his daughter-----be-
cause she went to the Weidemann
demonstration. He called his wife
names because she allows their
daughters to attend meetings of the
left wing and claims she spoiIs
them because she is member of
the Women's Council. He is ir-
responsible and diseredited among
the workers in the block where he
lives. He is also heavy drinker."
There are many such instances that
make it imperative for the Party
members to recruit among those
whom they know well,-those that
have shown by their actions in their
shops, trade unions or mass organi-
cations that they are fit for mem
berShip in the Party. This is why
we insist that recruiting should be
done in the shops where comrades
know each other.
LEEDS, n. Y. District.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
Western Union
Boys Fired to
Keep Pay Down
Rv a MESSENGER Bow

DALLAS, TeXas-The Big Shots of
western Union are always on the
lookout for some new method to re-
duce the messenger payroll When a
boy has worked there for four or five
years, he is usually fired on the excuse
that he has violated some small reg
ulation. New boys are put in their
places at a lower salary.
The profits of the Western Union
for the first six months of 1888 were
2,664,46 There was a distribution
in August Of $731 600, called back pay
(see New York Times, Aug. 2, 1889
This was divided among q few Of the
"big Shots" and you might say the
messengers got what the birdie left
on the stump, although the messen-
gers pay has been reduced a great
many more times than the big shots.
During the Christmas holidays Of
1881 the company made special low
rates on errands. The understanding
at first was that these rates We're
to be only during the holidays and
that the messengers were supposed to
get route, or more than one of these
errands on one route, in order to
break even.
Today the Western Union is giving
excellent service on their errands and
at astonishingly low rates The Lig-
gett Drug Stores of Dallas have a
special fat rate of 10 cents anywhere
in the city limits. The messengers get
so per cent on these errands, which
range from one to eight miles. There
are also a number of other concerns
in the city which take advantage of
these same fat rates at the expense
Of the messengers.
When the N. F.. A. came into effect
the Western Union sent letters to
their customers thanking them for
enabling the telegraph company to
raise the salaries of all their en-
ployes. The messengers were coerced
into distributing these letters and
keeping quiet about it. So far the
messengers have not seen any of this
raise yet.
The messengers are also coerced into
paying As cents week for the clean
ing of their uniforms, etc. The boys
are supposed to get a clean pair of
pants every two weeks. Sometimes
they are made to wear one pair of
pants for three or four weeks. The
As cents is taken from the pay check
just the same.
In 1924 the messengers of New York
called a strike against this unfair
craft These New Workers won this
battle, and today they are the only
ones who don't have this to contend
with. The boys in other cities should
know Of this, and they too should
organize and demand that this be
abolished, and also demand that their
salaries be raised
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20

Daily Worker to give the working
class women and housewives a column
that really Is of use. I know from
experience since I also happen to
have a wife, and we are following
your column regularly.
In my opinion your column should
not only be read by women but by
men also; some of the suggestions
could be used by the men comrades
who have to use the can-opener in
order to live.
l am enclosing a dollar which was
collected from the male members of
the club who are showing their sup
port of your column and call upon
other comrades both male and female
to do the same.
Comradely yours,
Nat Leroy.
p. S. Here's to bigger and better
women's column.
Again, our best thanks. For to-
morrow we have a letter from some
Massachusetts, comrades who have
worked out a practical system for
popularizing the Daily" and a
magnificent offer from Comrade Nat
allie c.; then Wen get back to food,
shelter, clothing, and BIRTH control.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20

SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS
How did the Communist Party
of Germany estimate the role of
German ocial-democracy and Of
the trade unions in the period of
Germany's Fascination? Didn't the
Communist Party of Germany wait
too long before it made the United
Front offer to social-demOcracy?
The American workers ask how it
is to be explained that, despite all
its treacheries the Social-Democratic
Party Of Germany still has such in
f1uence upon the masses Of the work.
ers, and could thereby hinder the
struggle against the Hitler dictator
ship.
The answer to this question is es-
Sentially determined by the fact that
before the war the Sociai-D Democratic
Party was the only proletarian party.
Before the war, the Social-Demo-
cratic Party had tremendous author
ity among the working class. 1t made
use of this authority to support Ger
man imperialism during the war, to
drive the workers to the front and
to throttle strikes. After the war, it
saved the bourgeoisie and defeated
the revolution. But the broad masses
of the workers. am not speaking Of
the vanguard-did not see this, be-
cause the SoctaI-Democrati Party
did not only shoot down the revo1u-
tionary workers, but under the pres
sure of the revolutionary masses who
were under the influence of the Oc-
toher Revolution in Russia, it also
put through social legislation, which
improved the situation of the work.
ing class in the first postwar years,
as compared with the pre-war period
With the mass organizations of the.
trade unions, the cooperatives, the
sport societies, the Reichsbanner, the
Iron Front and its millions Of mem
bers-as a counterweight against the
revolutionary united front of the pro-
letarian struggle-the Social Demo-
cratic Party ensnared the working
class of Germany. In the state,
municipal, trade union, Party and
cooperative apparatus, in the labor
arbitration courts, the insurance
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20

These substitutes fill all qualifi-
cations required of regulars, and
keep up on distribution schemes by
study on Their own time. They are,
however, subjected to abuses not
visited upon the higher paid regu-
lars, being kept at work six hours
straight without lunch period when
ever the foreman sees fit; being
given 2 and even 8 hour lunch per-
iods in work day that might
total only four or five hours work;
being sent back after reporting at
scheduled time, to return Is min
utes to an hour later.
Groups Excused" Now and Then
Every month or so for the past
two years some group or other Of
subs is excused" until further
notice, and there are now 200 subs
unassigned" About so subs, having
about one year more service than
the rest, have for the past few
weeks been favored with about six
hours work per day, while the 9TH
ers get what is left, from about
seven hours week up to three
hours q day.
The logical remedy for such con-
ditions is the shorter work week.
But spokesman for the administra-
ton claim that the U. S. A., which
is generously substituting and fin
ancing industry, cannot afford such
a code for its civil service. After
cutting the basic pay Is per cent,
which included substitutes hourly
rate in spite of their impoverish-
ment, they gave the regulars a g.
day payless furlough, spread over
July August, and September, which
had the effect of reducing their
work week from A to 80 hours
week.
While the U. S. A. was urging g.
35-hour week on industry and while
the A. F. of L. postal union pro-
fessed to be for a 30-hour week,
the administration as concession
to civil service employees, abolished
the furlough Ncv, 1st, returning to
a 44-hour-week, leaving the subs
out in the cold.
The reactionary nature of the old
postal unons is glaringly demon
strated in their indifference to the
exploitation of the substitutes, the
exertion of their influence toward
eliminating the furloughs while the
Is per cent basic cut was still in
effect, and in their failure to fight
for an NRA code for the civil
service.
1t is hoped-planned-that the
recently formed National Association
of Substitute Post Office Employees
will develop into powerful indus
trial union able to carry out q
successful struggle against these
evils.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
No AL Program
to Fight LayOffs
by Express Firms
(By a Worker Correspondent

NEW YORK; wrote you several
days ago in reference to the difficult
ties we are experiencing with the
Railway Express Agency. Various
phases have arisen in the interim.
Last Sunday a meeting of our union,
Local No. 808, I. B. of r, was held
at the Beethoven Hall. The ques-
ton of lay-offs was the main topic.
Mr. Tom Lyons, business agent,
spoke for almost an hour and con-
fessed that nothing could be done
to bring the express management TO
terms to guarantee full time en-
nloynent TO all men. Seeral MEM
bers raised the issue of five-day
week with six days pay as the only
alternative. With that, Business
Agents Lyons and Sheerin became
clustered and stated: '"That would
be a breach of contract" and we
don't want strikes during the depres-
sion-and the N. r. A. program you'd
be stifled. They had no progressive
form Of action.
Mr.. Lyons related how 759 men
have been dispensed with by the Elk
press Agency and that these men
would face an awful winter. He
shed crocodile tears and pleaded with
the men that he was helpless to bring
any relief about for them. 1t is
with profound sorrow that I must
admit our industry lacks a courage
Gus leader capable of stimulating
militant action.
We are placed in the position of
mere serfs by the cowardly, grating
union officials. The least protest
brings forth the cry, RED" A group
of men have petitioned President
Green to investigate the local-btit
can furnish the answer in advance.
Most of us men on the 1ay-off list
have been with the Express Agency
for over 10 years.
1 trust your worthy organ will
make public these facts. AS stated
in my previous letter, I am new
reader of the Daily Worker. am
grateful to the worker who left
copy of your fighting paper at the
Pennsylvania Terminal, where I saw
the light.
Editors Note:-These railway ex-
pressmen, members of the A. F. of
l.. Teamsters Local, should organize
into group within the local and
fight for militant and honest lead
ership. The A. F. of l.. Rank and
File Committee for Unemployment
Insurance, located at 81 E. 18th ST.,
will be glad to give advice to such
group on how to conduct such fight.
The tendency being expressed by
some members of this local, to bolt
out of the steamsters' local and join
another union, perhaps one Of the
railway unions, is not correct. The
proper way is to remain within your
organization and fight solidly for
real leadership.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20

funds, the factory councils, in the
Reichstag, in the various handbags,
municipalities, etc, the Social emo1
cratic Party had as many as 400 ,o0c
members who were very well paids
who came. from the working clas
and who maintained contact with thu
wide masses of the workers Tl1rougfs
all these sources, the Social emo-l
cratic Party exercised its influence
upon the broad masses of the works
ers. 7
Social Democratic trade unionA
were extraordinarily tightly centraIss
lied The leadership decided the,
question of strikes If the leaderships
was against a strike, 1t did not perl
NIT strike benefits to be paid to thss
strikers. In the course OF so years.
however, the German workers had
become accustomed to draw striker
benefits during a strike. According
to the Factory Council Law, dis
charges from the factories can. only
take place with the approval Of the
factory councils. The reforInist fac
tory councils made use Of this and
primarily gave their approval to the
dismissal of unorganized workers, but
opposed the dismissal of organized
workers (of course, with the excep-
ton Of Communists and members of
the Red Trade Union opposition.
These were placed on the list for
dismissal by the Social Democrats
thenselves) In this way they created
for themselves in the plants and fac
tories strong groups Of trade union
members, who supported the trade
union bureaucracy, did not permit
strikes and interfered with the
struggle when the trade union oppo-
sition or the Communist Party called
for strike.
In this period the Social Demo
cratic Party and the trade union
bureaucrats understood how to very
cleyerly maneuver against the work
els. They declared that they are
prepared to fight against wage re-
auctions and against the Emergency
DEGREES. In reality they put through
the wage cuts and supported the
Emergency DEGREES In their press,
they went SO far as to blame this
Communist Party for not fighting
against fascism. Only the Social
Democratic Party carries on the
struggle against fascisrn, they claim.
They drafted legislation regarding
the provision Of work for the unera-
ployed, they pointed out in detail
where and in what manner means
can be found for this purpose, and
greatly advertised these plans in
their meetings and In their press.
They explained TO the workers that
the Social Democrats cannot put
through these bills because the
Reichstag put Off their discussion for
an indefinite period. Thus, the So
cia1-Democrats drafted radical bills
in order to mask their treachery.
In this way they deceived the masses
Of the workers.
So In 1880, the refornist trade
unions had 1876, $3.50 factory council
members, or 1913 per cent of all the
members in the factory councils, in
factories where a total of So MIL
lion workers were occupied.
ITO Be Continued
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
Railroad Worker Loses
Faith in Roosevelt, the
Man He Helped to Elect
~ a Railroaa lVorker CORRESPONDENT

BY a Railroad Worker Correspondent
SEATTLE, Wash-What' the ad-
vantage for q. man to join one of
these craft so-called labor unions
controlled by the American Fedora
ton of Labor with these double
crossing leaders-and also the Rail
road Big Four organized scabs with
their double crossing leaders, such as
Johnson, Robertson, Berry and Whit
ney-S15,000 a year men. L say a man
is just as we'll off belonging to q
company union if he has to put up
with the conditions I named. Then
at least he is not kidding himself.
And that is why I have lost conf
dence in Mr. Roosevelt, the man 1
helped to elect.
And now the Brotherhood of Rail-
road Trainmen and the Brotherhood
of locomotive F'irenen have the CUTS
to state that they are going to Or
ganize the truck drivers-the very
men that they tried to beat out of
their bread and butter by spreading
stories not to. ship by truck, etc.
Truck drivers, take notice and tell
any of these organizers of these pho
ney railroad unions to go to hell.
Here's one railroad man who is for
you.
The reason the railroad unions
want your membership is because
their overhead is so great paying big
salaries to the double-crossing lead
ers-Wait until a. One Big Union Or
ganizer approaches you. then go over
big. Good luck, Truck Drivers.
EDITORS NOTE: This letter is
from one of the many thousands of
railroad workers who through bitter
experience in tramping the streets
have awakened to what the Dolicy
of the Roosevelt Administration in
dealing with railroad workers really
means. At the same time they are
learning that the leaders and Grand
Lodge Officers of their Brotherhoods
are collaborating with the Admins
tratSon and railroad bankers to
force starvation conditions upon the
railroad workers..
The organization of the railroad
NoAhC&S LIEU. du ulAuSErIal un ON
cannot be accomplished while the
mass of the railroad workers remain
under the influence Of these leaders
nor until they have become more
radicalized.. To start such an or
ganizati0n movement at this time
would be to, separate the advanced,
clear thinking workers who have
acquired a revolutionary outlook
from the main stream of the labor
movement OF the railroad workers,
leaving the less. advanced to the
mercy of the takers,
These advanced workers should
remain with their organizations and
consistently work to bring about
rank and file control of the
BrotherhoOds, Dust the takers from
the leadership and build fighting
groups within the unions on the
day to day grievances which the
union officials refuse to handle.
This Wo1lIer ss.ou,d get in touch
with the National Committee OF the
Railroad Brotherhoods Unity Move
ment, 208 N. Wells ST., Chicago, and
they will put him in touch with the
local committee of that organiza-
ton in Seattle
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
straining the Eyes

X. M.-Reading In the subway as,d
Il" puts severe strain on the eyes.
You must stop the practice before you
do anything else. After all, when you
stop to think that you really do not
save more than 10 or Is minutes by
reading in the train, you'll realixe
that you could afford to give 1t UP.
Even if you ride for an hour, you
actually read only for about Is min
utes, the rest of the time being con-'
sumed by various distractions. YouIl
find by experimenting that you read
more and remember more because
you can concentrate your attention,
BETTER in 80 minutes at home than
in two hours on the train; taking It
for granted that it takes you one
hour going to and one hour coming
from work.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
Letters from
Our Readers
OFF THE FEISCE AND ON THE
RIGHT TRACK

RIGHT TRACK
Bronx, N. Y.
Comrade Editor
Sir
For the longest time l have been
on the fen2e. Somehow, I couldn't
get myself to go Communist after
SO many years of teaching and
learning democracy. However, this
morning, your paper (Which l have
been reading regularly for two
months) gave me the push" off the
fence into your yard. The item
which was the agency of this act
was captioned, Insurance Firms
Chisel Agents Pay Down to SIS"
For the first time / had actually
read the honest truth about these
companies that seem to be immune
to Investigation insofar as the
agents compensation is concerned.
Had I not read the exposure,
would have never believed 1t. I
am not an agent, neither have I
been agent but l have been iden~
titled with the insurance line suf-
ficiently to know and bitterly con-
denim the practice Of the so-called
industrial compan. es. use.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-20
Railroad Workers
Are Speeded Up
by Coordination
By a Railroad Worker Correspondent

BY Railroad Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK Railroad labor must
refuse to accept layoffs unless the
men are adequately compensated
through weekly or monthly payments,
until employment insurance is won.
The f1ve-day a week workers are
being put back on 6-day week
basis, with the result that all relief
workers are being laid off. This move
is in line with co-ordinator Eastman's
proposal for a six-day week. Through
coordination the railroad work is
being speeded up, with more layoffs,
more profit for the company, and
more misery for the worker and his
family.