The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-06-10
By E.-G.

PHILADELPHIA, rPa.-The strike
struggles of the Pennsylvania work
ers against sweatshop conditions
have washed up to the surface the
dirtiest assortment of government
liren yet displayed in a capitalist
state. In every mill district, from
Allentown to Philadelphia, the child
eXploiters are hiding under the
mantle of the American Legion, state
factory examiners and President
Roosevelt's cousins. No fewer than
six government bodies have partici-
pated in the game of self glorifica-
ton through investigating sweatshop
conditions, all directed against three
small clothing shops out of a known
group of more prominent sweatshops
numbering at least thirty-six!
The three cited shops are under
direct supervision of the Quartermas-
ter's Department which had extended
its operations, under pressure of war
preparations. At its official depot
selected workers, endorsed by their
respective ward leaders, are favored
with salary of $325 a day, to the
Longwear Mfg. Co., the Fabric Value
Clothers, Inc, and the Goodimate
Co. In all three shops, workers have
been receiving as low as So and SIS
per week. When the Quartermaster,
Depot could no longer absorb any
more favored sons" on the long
waiting list, the Democratic election
districts shook with resentment.
Government Asked to Provide Scabs
AS soon as the Goodimate Co. was
struck by the schoolboys and girls
working there day and night, the
Democratic ward leaders seized the
opportunity of storming President
Roosevelt and Postmaster General
Farley with pleas on behalf of their
army for Quartermaster jobs, thus
seeking to provide the company with
strike-breakers and to make good
their electioneering promises.
The following extract from a letter
addressed to Farley and signed by
John F. Lodato, President of the
10th Ward Italo-American Demo-
cratic Club OF Philadelphia, throws
some additional light. on the man
agement of the New Deal:
Gas you well know, the Quarter
master Depot in Philadelphia has
made an appeal for men to work
and I am sure that. these jobs were
filled only by applicants with let
tiers of recommendations from Re-
-<r
recommended by Democrats were
not not even able to, get in and
apply for the jobs. 49,.
"Such things must stop. am
not asking that only Democrats
should get jobs, but at least give
them a square deal or an even
chance for an honest living.
"UnIess something will be imme-
diately done to correct the faults
of the present leader, am afraid
that the harmony and the ideals of
the Philadelphia Democrats will be
destroyed. :"
Immediately following such de-
mands for harmony" local army Of
tlclalS announced in, the Philadelphia
Record that government contracts
with the struck shops will be can
celed if strikes cause any delay.
In this brazen manner the New Deal
ers prepared themselves on one hand
to placate public opinion as to their
position on the sweatshop scandal,
and on the other hand to threaten
the child-strikers with a lockout!
T. U. U. L. Leads Fight
The only flaw in this plot to annex
the three shops to the political spoils-
men with the connivance of the gov
eminent, at the expense of working
children, is the remarkable heroism
and stamina which the kids are dis
playing in the course of their strug-