The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-26
Laurence Mill Workers Tell 'Daily"
Reporter of Hunger Under NRA Codes
Big Layoffs Hit
Lawrence Wooden
Mills; Cut Wages
Boss Refuses to Give
Statement on Code
to "Worker"
BY CARL REEVE

BY CARL REEVE
Editors Note:-This story on
the wooden industry is the first Of
a series on shoe and textile in New
England)
LAWRENCE, Mass.-Mrs. A.,
for the last sixteen years winder
in the Wood mill of the American
Wooden Co., observes the sixth month
Of Roosevelt's new deal" by taking
her 13-year-old child out Of school
so that he can earn SO cents day
at a paint job and help support a
starving family. The American
Wooden Co., the trust owning mill,
celebrates THE SIXTH month of
the New Deal by announcing 61h
million dollar profit covered up by
adding 1t to the Inventory" This
is how the new deal and the MIRA
code works out for the $4,000 wool
textile workers of Lawrance, of whom
over 5000 are unemployed.
There Is No Minimum
whats the good of the 4O-hour
week and the 8-hour day for us?"
said Mrs. A 81 worked Mon
day, one day this week, and then 1
was sent home and told not to
come back the rest of the week,
until next Monday. Since the
NRA code came in, my wages
have averaged 81 a week because I
am now on part time. My boy
here can't go back to school this
fall because I can't support my
self and my three children any
more"
The wool code, which began Aug. l.,
is similar to the cotton code, except
that it calls for a minimum wage
of $14 instead of the s13 in cotton.
But this code, like ALL the other
codes, calls for wages AT THE RATE
OF $14 week. In other words, this
code, LIKE ALL THE CODES,
CONTAINS NO MINIMUM WAGE
WHATEVER. It calls merely for a
minimum hourly wage of IS cents
an hour, and now, under the codes
protection, workers are being put on
part time wholesale.
How They Do 1t
In the Patterson silk mills whole
sale unemployment undoubtedly will
take place in the near future as a
result of the speeded up conditions
under the silk code and the glutted
market. IN LAWRENCE THIS
SLACK PERIOD OF WHOLESALE
LAYOFF AND WHOLESALE PART
TINE WORK HAS ALREADY BE-
GUN. The wool workers of Law
renee, along the streets, in the mills
and in their homes, refer to the
present period which began in the
past two weeks, IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE CODE, as SLACK
TIMES. SLACK TIMES are here
again and the textile workers of
Lawrence are beginning to realize
that the propaganda of the NEVER
RECOVER ACT is not working out
the way they were told it would
work out
And let no one believe that the
relation between the operation of
the wool code and INCREASED UN-
EMPLOYMENT AND SPEED-UP
is accidental 1.-The office of the De-
partment of Labor in Lawrence is
busy night and day interpreting the
code SO that the mill owners can
keep down wages and increase pro-
duction," a cynical tabor" reporter
for capitalist Lawrence newspaper
said "They told me over there they
have twenty or thirty calls a day
for such interpretations from the
mill arrangements"
Crowds Gather Again
The crowds are gathering again In
front of the employment offices of
these giant wooden mills, which cover
acres of ground. YESTERDAY
TRIED TO GET A JOB AT THE
WASHINGTON MILL, WHICH is
ALMOST COMPLETELY SHUT
DOWN" one worker said. THERE
WERE ALSO 200 IN FRONT OF
THE WOOD MILL. BUT NOBODY
WAS HIRED" Unemployment has
not yet reached the point where mills
are empty, but the pickup with
which the mill owners prepared for
the code by rushing production for
q time, is definitely over.
Just Like Jackass
II don't see any difference be-
tween after the code and before ex-
cept that now they work you like a
jackass, and it's slack now" wet
finisher from the Wood Mill said.
Last week 1 worked two days, and
last night they sent me home at
10 O'Clock instead of Ills"
A worker engaged in French
drawing added this evidence:
"This morning ten girls and one
man were completely laid off. To-
day I was sent home at 1.30.
EVERYBODY IS MAD AS HE'LL.
WE DON'T LIKE THE 4O-HOUR
WEEK WHEN 1T MEANS PART
TIME WORK. THEY CAN
THROW IT IN THE RIVER. It's
. shame. These people that own
the mills f0urflush around and
throw away $500 at one party and
we can't get decent meal for our
kids"
The beginning of the wool code
on Aug. meant the beginning Of
increased speed-up. Those who are
on piece work, are told make your
$14 week minimum by piece work,
or get out" Therefore ALL THOSE
WORKING PIECE WORK ON A
FULL FORTY-HOUR WEEK HAVE
TO MAKE THEIR $14 MINIMUM
WITH INCREASED SPEED OR
ARE LAID OFF.
Here is how it works, as told by