davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Gov'tRefusesAid to
Displaced Southern
Choppers, Tenants
Hundreds of Thous-
ands Stranded by Crop
Reduction Program

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec. 22.-Admit-
ting that the 1934-35 program of crop
reduction will displace hundreds of
thousands of tenant-farmers and
Sharecroppers in the South, Oscar
Johnston, finance administrator OF
the A.A.A., at a meeting here Dec. IT,
announced that the government would
leave the rate of these displaced
farmers to the ''decency" of the land
lords.
Or, in other words, the farm ad-
ministration and the federal govern
ment do not give damn what be-
comes Of these farmers and don't in
tend to do anything to take care of
them.
For decades the decency of the
landlords has found expression in
debt-slavery, brazen theft Of crops,
cheating on accounts, and lynching.
Last year and the year before, in par
ticular, this decency took the form of
wholesale evictions of croppers and
tenants. It was the decency of the
landlords of the "Black Belt" that
murdered Ralph Gray, heroic leader
Of the choppers in their fight for
bread. 1t was this same decency
that killed three leading members of
the Share Choppers Union at Reel
town last December. Because the
landlords are so decent, five share
croppers sit today in Speigner Prison,
hel-hole Of Alabama, for having
dared resist the seizure of q naigkhSris &
mule.
The Share Choppers Union, COM
posed of both white and Negro
farming people, is preparing giant
struggles against the wholesale evic-
tions and the mass starvation that
will grow out Of the governments
program of crop reduction. Il would
seem that the share e-croppers, the
tenants and the agricultural laborers,
unlike Mr.. Johnston, have very little
faith In the "decency" Of the land
lords.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Southern c. w. a. Workers
Demand Pay in Many Cities

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Dec. a.
Strikes and other outbursts against
the C.W.A. are reported from many
sections of the South.
In Dayton, Tenn, q crowd OF 1000
took J. H. MiSer, county superinten-
dent of schools, and his wife, to the
county line and ordered them not to
come back. Miser had charge OF
awarding work on school relief pro-
jects financed by federal funds. The
workers found that the funds were
not being used for those who really
need them, but rather the Jobs were
apportioned to favorite employees OF
wealthy plantation owners.
C.W.A. Workers Give Demands
Seventy nine citizens OF Woodruff
County, Ark, signed q message to
President Roosevelt protesting dis
elimination against needy workers in
the administration of C.W.A. funds
The C.W-A Offices at Ozark, in the
same state, were closed by order OF
the relief Office in Washington after
a crowd had gathered at the building
to protest the use Of funds. Similar
actions by angry, starving workers
are reported from Lavaca and Van
Buren, both in Arkansas.
The courthouse in Selma, Ala, was
the scene on Dec 18 of g meeting of
$50 C.W.A. workers protesting against
the methods OF the relief administra-
ton. The workers charged that local
politicians are using the CW.A. jobs
to build up political machines. Plant
ers are taking the pay Of the C.W.A.
workers in settlement Of ration &C
counts.
C.W.A. workers in Montgomery
Ala, are starting movement for
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Meet in Washington Jan, IS To Unite
Jobless in Fight for Social Insurance
ChicagoCWA Workers
Form Union, Present
Their Demands

CHICAGO, Ill, Dec. 22.-NTore than
$50 men, representing from SO to rs
G. w. A. jobs, at a meeting Wednes-
day, Dec. Goth, 1888, went on record
to organize q union for the following
demands: y Immediate and regular
weekly pay days. OUnion wages on all
Jobs with minimum of 33c an hour
81 Time and transportation to be paid
from city limits. q Shelter and fire to
be provided on all jobs in open. 81
Full pay for time lost due to sickness
and bad weather. g. Men to be pro-
tected against accident and injury as
provided by Illinois Workman's Com
pensation Act
A committee Of 10 was elected to
arrange a mass meeting at North
West Hall, 2403 w. North Avenue, for
Tuesday, December 26th, T3o p. m.
Sub Committees were elected to get
cut application cards and draft a con-
stitution
Scme men have not been paid for
three weeks. Two men have been
killed and more than SO injured in
Cook County alore. No protection is
offered these workers, as the Work
mans Compensation Act is non
operative on these Jobs.
Pay varies from SOC to 8Sc per hour
for pick and shovel work.
The meeting was called by the pre-
lirlinary conference of representatives
from Is jobs BY invitation of this
preliminary conference, Karl Lockner
of the Unemployed Councils, gave the
opening address.
The meeting closed with great
enthusiasm fo- iuilt sssss.es tlss> sssssiis;ss.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Boss Papers Also Tell
Funny" Stories of
Convict Camps
BY JIM MALLORY

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-In the code
worked out by the Southern Bour-
bonS, shooting down "niggers" is good
clean sport, and working convicts to
death is hilariously funny-and the
Southern white press never fails to
make the most of such delightful
tdbits of humor.
The Atlanta Constitution Of Dec.
18 deals, in what is supposed to be
a lightly whimsical manner, with
tie story Of what happened to Henry
Duncan. Duncan, a Negro, was walk
ing with a companion from Atlanta
to Coyington. a car containing i've
white men gave the Negroes q lift.
When they reached the side road
which Duncan had to take, he asked
tc be let out The car did not stop
Dunean's friend jumped out. The
white men drove Duncan mile fur
ther, stopped the car, and told the
Negro to get out and run. AS Dun
can ran down the road, the five
whites leyellad their pistols at him
and opened fire. One billet struck
him in the leg. he Is recovering in
the Grady hospital
Not to pe oatdone in humorous
anecdote, the hcucton correspondent
Of the Associated Press sent out g
story concerning the practice Of con-
victs a. The retrieve farm Of the
Texas state prison system, Of cutting
oT fingers, hands and feet in order
co escape the gruaiing tcrtures Of
forced labor on the farm. Within the
last few days, two convicts chopped
off their fingers and a third cut of
his arm, in the hope that they would
be transferred to the Huntsville Pen
itentiary. One Of these convicts said
that in addition TO bacK-brea,-ing
toll. ne had twice been forced to
stand on the barrel. This is form
Of punishment reserved for the hours
after work. The offender must
come straight from the field, stand
on an upturned barrel for an hour,
rest for one hour, and then stand
on the barrel again until midnight.
Captain Ike Kelley, manager of the
farm, explained casually to the A. P.
reporter that last fall there was a
regular epidemic Of "foot-chop-
ping" among the convicts.
The a. ?. writer, not being entirely
devoid Of a sense Of humor, labels
the practices of the convicts in cut
ting Off their hands and feet as
bizarre. They story has been widely
printed In Southern newspapers.
The Southern white and Negro
workers. reading these anecdotes"
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
c. p. of New Jersey to
Hold Newark Concert

NEWARK, N. J.-The Communist
Party OF New Jersey will hold It's Sec
ond Annual International Concert and
Ball tonight at the Y. M. H. A. audi
torium at High and West Kinney SITS.
As a result of the many struggles in
which the Communist Party has led
the workers for better conditions the
New Jersey District now finds itself
IN great need of funds. The District
Executive Committee has called on all
workers organizations to make this
fair a success. Tickets are 30c in
advance.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

transportation TO and from the lob
and against being driven like dogs
by the foremen.
Negroes Can't Get Jobs
Tallapoosa County has thus far
hired only SO people for relief work.
Workers in New orleans report that
very few white people and almost no
Negroes have been taken on. The
Negroes, in fact, complain that they
are getting a run-around. They are
told to report at II am. When they
arrive they are sent home and told
to come back at 5. At 3 they are
ordered to return the following day.
This sort of thing goes on and on.
In Tarrant City, Ala, last Sunday,
so workers, IS Of them white, met in
pouring rain to hear Writ Taylor, or
ganizer Of the Unemployed Councils
of Birmingham. outline q program of
struggle.
Debtors Get C.W.A. Wages
One of the most bitter pills that
the C.W.A. workers have to swallow
is the realization that as soon as they
earn g little cash, their debtors come
pounding on the door, and demand
that back bills shall be paid. 1--WE
can't pay cur back bills and eat too,''
the C.W.A. workers complain.
Realizing that this winter win be
worse than the last, the Southern
workers are speeding UP preparations
to send delegates to the Unemployed
Conference in Washington, D. c., on
January 13. A state-w wide Alabama
conference has been called for jan
uary 7, at 2 P. M, at Thirgood Me
mortal Church. 14th Street and 9Th
Avenue North.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Fired from c. W. A.
for Political Views
3 Los Angeles Men
Send Protest Letter

LOS ANGELES, Cal.-Tllres G. w.
a workers fired because of political
opinions have written a letter to the
C.W.A head exposing the open dis
elimination that is taking place on
these Jobs. The full letter follows:
Gentlemen:
eve wish to hand in our complaint
against being uniustly fired from our
C.WA. jobs by Walking Boss Cum
rnings of Griffith Park.
We we're employed in the after
noon shift il, Fern Canyon. Our sub
foreman found our work satisfactory
tut was told by Cummings, who fired
lis, that if he made 2 written state
ment in our defense, he would also
be fired.
when Mr.. Cummings was pressed
for the reason as to why he had
fired lis, he refused to say anything
except that we are 'agitators.' We
can only assume that he meant by
this that We are active members OF
the Relief Workers Protective Union.
Since President Roosevelt made it
plain that there will be no discrim-
nation on CW.A. work because Of
race, color, political opinion or union
affiliation, we feel that Cummings has
acted in direct violation OF the in
tention Of the Civil Works Admins
traton and the President.
Our repeated requests to be put
back to work have been denied, and
We wish that YOU would take this
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Barbusse Statue
Defender Prize

NEW YORK.--A bronze statue of
Henri Barbusse, by Adolph Wolff
well-known sculptor, will be given to
the International Labor Defense
branch raising the most money for
the Labor Defender Defense Fund
within a given period, it was an
nounced today.
The terms Of the contest provide
that the money must be raised in the
week beginning Saturday, Dec. 23, and
must reach the Labor Defender Of
flee, Room 43O, 80 East 1lth St, not
later than Saturday, Dec. 30, at s
o'clock
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
NegioesRefused CWA
jobs: Jim Crowed
When Registering

LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. 22.-Al-
though they had registered for Civil
Works jobs over seven weeks ago,
four Negro workers, all of them
with families dependent on them for
support, have been refused work by
the C.W.A. here.
The Negroes, Claude Ellis, James
Devine, George Lively, and Jim
Johnson had been forced to register
at the Jim Crow Y.M CA. at Tenth
and Chestnut Sts.
All were willing to do any work
offered them.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Ice Menaces Rhine Towns

OBER WESEL, Germany, Dec. %.
Ice on the Rhine River, set into
motion by . thaw, threatened disas-
ter to all riverside villages in South
ern Germany. In the naTow5 Of the
Rhine, where the ice vss fifteen feet
high, many houses. on the banks were
drawn into the river.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Jersey Court Forced
to Reduce Bal for
jailed Mime Leaders

JERSEY CITY, n. J., Dec. PA
reduction Of bail from $5.o0o to 81 ,0oo
for Tony AI-ner.cil, Pete CAarpa, Zen
Carroathers, and A. Rivera, leaders Of
the mine workers Of PennsT.rania
and Ohio, who are he'd under the
vicioas New jersey di-o-darly persons
act, for the "c-inle'' cf r-ssi11
through the city eT.d beilg recognized,
has been won by the International
Labor Defense.
An appeal in the case, aimed at
smashing the law u-dar which they
were convicted. on tire grounds of IN
constitutionality, is being taken by
the I. L. D.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
AntiLynch Meet in Mass FIGHT Forces
Buffalo Tonight Release Of Gonshak
Jailed in Struggles for
Relief

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-sam Con
shak, secretary OF the Downtown I'm
employed Council, jailed eight months
ago on charges arising out of relief
struggles at the Home Relief Bureau
when the Council sought to obtain
relief for sixteen starving families
was freed on parole Friday.
He was sentenced to from six
months to two years on Welfare Is
land. The International Labor De-
tense conducted broad campaign to
force his relief.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Chicago Police Kill Three IN
Gang Battle

CHICAGO, Dec. 22.-TLre5 gang
cters, two Of them bank rohbor sus-
poets, were killed by police in raid
on IN apartment house here, which
Vas believed to be the hidoout Of the
no.o-L3us John Dillinger and his band
Of escaped Indiana convicts. FINGER
Drints cctaloli5hcd them as Sam Gins
burg, SO, Louis Katzwitz, g, and
Charles Tattlebarn, 30.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

And against them, g Bolshevik stage
setting Of blast furnaces, three eom-
pieted, the fourth il construction. In
q row: coke furnaces, blast furnaces,
rolling mills, layed out In planned
order-Goviet engineers playing on
the valley chessbcard Ard all
around, scme completed, others in
construction: q new station, a new
boulevard, new park, new theatre
a Socialist city Of 10000 people has
been prcletarian-willed into being in
four ysarsl
We have arrived to see 1t. We are
IN Stas nsk.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

employers good, and good ones
better, and paying labor decent
wages.
Now many thousands see the N.R.A.
for what is always ha sheen, a pro-
gram for the StabiliZstion Of starva-
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
National Events

FINNISH WORKERS Az RozBUEE
BAZAAR
ROXBURY. bazaar Of the New Eng
land District of the Communist Party viii
close tonight with a concert aad ball and
entertainment by the Finnish Workers or
ganizations, Dancing from 0 pm. Till mid
night.
c.P. OF JERSEY TO HOLD CONCERT
NEWAFfS.-Ths Communist Party OF New
Jersey will hold its Second Annual Inter-
national Concert and Eall tonight at the
YM.H.A. Auditorium, az High and West
Kinney Streets.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

/ organization" And the code does not
include one labor representative.
In July, 1888, there were 2ez, 600
men employed in the bituminous coal
industry, as compared with 533, 900 N
1929. In only three of the years since
1920 has average working time gone
above 200 days. Yet the Gods for this
industry provides minimum wages
ranging from so cents for outside
laborers in Tennessee to 10 cents for
especially skilled inside labor in Non
tana. 1t is, Of course, impossible to
arrive at the exact numbers who re-
ceive the various scales, but we do
know that the average working tins
in 1882 was 22.S hours per week. r
the average wage were so cents an
hour, the average weekly earnings
would be sl1.40. strongly suspect
that 1t is not yet unheard Of for Ten
nessee miners wives to go begging for
rags to bind the tubercular bones OF
their children.
THE cotton and silk textile codes
are short and TO the point.-s12 q
week in the South; s1s in the North;
and a maximum Of 40 hours z week.
with the employers as the code au-
thority.
In recent code-writing the proposed
wages have actually been less than
those still being earned today, while
the hours have been increased. In
FUR manufacturing, for example, the
owners propose to increase the hours
from IS to 40 per week, and to de-
crease the wages ranging from $40
to $50 to SIS, In the nearly-conn-
pleted construction code, the unions
have lost practically every point they
raised. The code does not provide q,
single minimum wage for skilled
workers; it merely sets up 40 cents for
common labor. Even this can be re-
duced to 80 cents if less than 40 cents
was paid July, 1929.
And here comes compulsory arbitra-
ton also, in the form Of provision
that labor relations will be governed.
under the code, by divisional boards
set up for specific crafts, or by groups
of crafts. The exact jurisdiction Of
the divisional boards is left to the de-
cision Of the code administration. Two
"employe representatives" are pro
vided for the five-member boards
both of whom will be named by the
code administrator from nominees
submitted by employees.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

ton wages and the
gradual establish =
ment Of compul-
sorry arbitration.
SIX months aft
or the noisom e
birth Of the Blue
Eagle, the Depart
ment Of Labor ar
n0unc H. that the
November payrolls
;otaled 53.3 per
cent Of the 1926
aVeT2 Ce an in
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
News Briefs
Shin Sinks in Fog

HULL. Eng, Dec. 22.-All Of the
crew were rescued when the Swedish
Steamer Castor sank after colliding
with the trawIer Kurd in a heavy
fog in the North Sea.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
WA MEN FORM UNIONS AS JOBLESS PREPARE CONVENTION
WALL STREE T'S
CAPITOL
By SEYMOUR WALDMAN.

WASHINGTON, Dec 22-Six months six days ago the
w most powerful American industraists and of their
brightest saesmen the socaed Brain Trust Matched
the NRA, the plan that to increase purchasing
power join capital and labor dyIc embrace making bad
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

! s4CdSe OF JUST JllIle-JenCIlS OF one per
cent, The prices Of food and other
vital necessities had risen from eight
to % per cent.
President Roosevelt has approved
l85 codes, many Of them for insig-
nifioant industries. We can take five
codes and get at the situation they
have effected for the 100000 workers
still employed in four basic industries,
iron and steel, automobile manufac-
turing, silk and cotton textile, and
bituminous coal. These codes provide
an average minimum wage (Which
/ rapidly becomes the maximumO OF
SI3.87 q week. Even this, however,
is merely on the basis of a maximum
work week (which is rarely available)
Of SO hours.
All Of these codes were approved
by the National Labor Board, on
which sit Senator Robert F.. Wagner,
Tamnlany Hall reforn1ist; william
Green, chief Of the high-salaried
American Federation OF Labor bu-
, ,reaucracy; John L. Lewis, hated head
of the United Mine Workers Of Amer
let; Major George l.. Berry, avowed
lstrikebreaker and patrioteer of the
Printing Pressmen's union: the ever
present priest, Father Francis j.
Haas; and Professor Leo wolnau,
professional labor liberal.
';7HE iron and steel code provides a
minimum of 20 cents an hour for
the Pittsburgh area go per cent of
the industry and differentials seal
ing down to 25 cents an hour for the
Birmingham, Alabama, district. Ap-
prenticeS and learners, nearly all of
whom are Negroes in the South, re-
ceiye less than Is cents an hour. 1t
la Wen known that most steel workers
feel fairly lucky to get so hours work
! @ week, in view OF the share-the-
work policy Of the employers. That
means many thousands of steel work
er5 To-Day are supposed to be sup
porting their families on S12 q week.
To arrive at my average for the four
industries, however, I used the SIG.
70 make the arrangement perfect for
the steel owners, their code is ad-
Za-nlsta-ed BY the Board of Directors
ot the American Iron and Steel IN
9.-tute, none other than themselves
Incorporated in 2 highfalutin' prop
aganda Institute"
'T7IIE automobile code which governs
about about 25o0O0 employees, pro-
TidcS a minimum of 90 cents an hour
for an average Of IS hours, that is.
9l5.15 & week This code, supposedly
approved by N.R.A. Administrator
Hugh 3. johnson in an "unguarded
nlolne- @ contains the infamous merit
clause: Employers may exercise their
liGat to select, retain, or advance en-
ployees on the basis Of individual
merit, without regard to their mem
bership or non-nembership in any
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Southern Press Makes Fun
of Shooting Attack on Negro

in the press, long for a speedieI
tempo to the movement of Southern
labor, which will still the laughter
Of these Rourbons in their tfroats.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

The Daily Worker fights Fascisn.
Fight for the Daily with your
dollars Rush all funds TO save the
"Dsilv."
The daily worker., 1933-12-23
Nan Killed on Jersey CWA Job

WASHINGTON. N. J., Dec. e.
Ccorga WyI2a-s, 50. vas killed while
vori-ing on a C.W.A. project on 7
Warren County Road. lie was run
over by one Of tho trucks working
On the Job.
The daily worker., 1933-12-23

SALISBURY, MdRecenty white panaton-ovver into the
office of the Salisbury Times order Tresnasng"
10 cents pictured reporter
time, asked:
why do want GhaE?"
81 the privilege shooting Niger"
replied.
Negro mueh puts MS foo ground bearing mo
Trespasans' Sign the Eastern
penalty attached That ruling az.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-03-04
PINCHOT MADE TO
HEAR J0BLESS
Never Heard of Evic-
ton Law He Signed

HARRISBURG, Pa, March s.
The Hunger Marchers paraded at the
State Capitol today and presented
their demands to Governor Pinchot.
Thousands of Harrisburg workers
lined the streets and contributed to
the collection for the support of the
Hunger Marchers. The Committee
forced admittance of the Hunger
Marchers to the Rotunda where the
demands TO the Governor were pre-
sented. Pinchot listened to the de-
mands and then stated he didn't
know OF the Eviction Law signed by
him.
The Committee forced Pinchot to
address the marchers. He openly fav-
ored the Commissary Plan. Watson,
Negro from Philadelphia, addressed
the Hunger Marchers pointing out
the empty promises of Pinchot, Pow
ers of Allentown followed pointing
out that the delegates had to remind
Pinchot of the eXistance of the Evic-
ton Law, He called upon the work.
ers to organize Unemployed Councils
in their neighborhood and to collect
million signatures for the repeal of
the Eviction Law. The Conference
elected State Committee of &c from
all parts of Pennsylvania.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-03-04
WASH. MARCHERS
HOLD LINES TIGHT
Threatened Evic tion;
Urge Mass Protest

OLYMPIA, Wash, March 3.-The
1000 hunger marchers are holding
tight after a night of great suffering
cold, rain, and sleeplessness. The
parade this morning was not held as
permission was denied unless they
marched four miles returning to the
park without stopping at the capitol.
The committees are bounding all the
legislators. Three hundred deputies
and 5000 vigilantes from all over the
state threaten us with eviction. Send
protest resolutions from all over the
nation. The only legislators who came
to the camp came from Whatcom
County where the farmers are mill
family organized into Committees Of
Action. Scores of marchers are sick
through exposure. The officials are
manoeuyering to GUST the lnarchers,
but the workers are insisting on their
constitutional rights. The workers
camp guards have been reinforced"
declares the Daily Worker cor
respondent.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-03-04
Plan OF Action torN.Y. Today;
Route of March and Proposals

NEW YORK-The following is the
plan of action and the route of the
line of march Of the workers of New
York who will demonstrate to:
l. Make Roosevelt fulfill his prom
Uses to the forgotten man."
2. Force Congress to make unem-
ployment insurance and relief it's first
order Of business.
3. Increase local relief to mini
mum of $40 week for couples and
So additional for each dependent.
4. Full relief to single workers and
young workers.
5. All relief to be in cash instead
of checks.
s. Stopping Of all evictions and
lowering Of rents.
Time and Place
The demonstration will start with
However, all workers and their or
CARNATIONS will mobilize at II a. m.
sharp in the following streets to
march into the square ready for the
parade:
BROOKLYN--All house and block
committees, Unemployed Councils,
clubs, fraternal orders, etc., form
ranks, four abreast in East 18th St.,
facing Fourth Ave.
BRONx-All Bronx workers and
organizations form ranks on East 18th
st., facing Fourth Ave.
MANIATTAN--Form ranks on E.