davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Mass LayOff Is
Done By Medical
Examinations
Ry a RaiIroad worker Corresnondent

BY a Railroad Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK.-Every member of
the Voluntary Relief Association of
the Pennsylvania Railroad who
changed from the So month class
to the ST month class as protest
against the extortion policies of the
Voluntary Relief fund, must take a
doctors physical examination again,
with the result that many are found
to have high blood pressure and
other physical defects which the So
called doctor or orderly finds for the
purpose of laying off the worker.
1t is not enough that the railroad
company does not pay compensation
after We workers acquired thousand
and one different forms of industrial
diseases.
1t is not enough that the pits in
the round house have never seen
lime or any form of disinfection.
Now that they got the best part
of our lives Slapped out of us, they are
going to restock the road with a new
batch of young blood. But didn't the
new deal F. D. Roosevelt say that
there would be no further lay-offs
on the railroads? You couldn't say
that sending few thousand healthy
workers to the doctor, and then have
the doctor disqualify them as physi-
cally unfit, is lay-off, could you?
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

cerSein booklets and pamphlets,
think, comrade editor? L. l..
We think it would be fine if we
were able to handle it, There would
probably be a tremendous amount OF
mail we'd most likely get showed
under altogether. 1t was most
generous impulse that prompted your
letter. But we think you should give
the baby clothes to the w. l. r.,
and now is most propitious time.
Also, we must add, to any comrades
who have similar things to give away,
do thou likewise. All superflous
pamphlets would be well turned over
to any of the numerous workers
clubs, for use as circulating library.
Anna G. sends two very nice re-
cipes. The first is a method OF pre-
pairing summer squash. Just scrape
off the outside, cut in cubes, boil
in very little water, add salt and
pepper. Drain off water, mash, add
one or two eggs, beaten. Do not
boil any more; and you will like
squash if you never liked it before.
The second is way of making fish
cakes: take out the bones, put
through meat-grinder, add a little
celery, parsley, one onion cut fine,
also salt and pepper, one egg, and
crackercrumbs. Shape into round
fiat cakes and broil.
Comrade o. P. @. writes, in part
ut wasn't to take you to task, that
I wrote, exactly, although my letter
does sound so as I re-read it. ANY,
way you got the idea beautifully.
Every time read your department
and the menus given saw life-sied
pictures of little children in the
southern textile mill villages who
consider corn-meal mush with cam
ned milk rare treat, Of West Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New
Mexico mining families to whom
grapefruit and oranges are as
mysterious as roc's eggs, and of Por-
tugese and Yankee families here In
Privincetown who eat, whether they
like it or not, great deal of fish .
OF course we must bring the home
into the movement--we need more
women, children, and youth to sup
port our men and women on strikes
and in their hard work AS for
Mike, agree on Admiral Sterling,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
New Jersey Messenger
Boys Must Pay to Keep
Their Uniforms Clean
BY a Worker Correspondent

I read the article by a Western
Union Messenger which was in the
Aug 81 issue of the new and interest
ing Daily" and he is right in stating
that conditions are terrible. He quotes
In union there is strength" You
bet!
Does he know Of the 1924 messenger
strike. At that time messengers in
New York City had to pay 40 to go
cents week for the cleaning and
pressing of their uniforms. When the
boys organized and refused to work
unless this unfair expense was elm
mated, the Western Union did every
thing in its power to break this strike,
but we won!
Today, outside of New York City,
every boy in the Western Union, all
over the country, pays this graft out
of his small wages. When the New
York boys are sent to New Jersey they
are given different lunch hours than
we are, and all precautions are taken
that we don't get together. Why?
Because the great big Western Union
Company is afraid that the boys from
New York may let the Jersey boys
know that in New York City there is
no uniform cleaning and pressing
charge.
We must get together, organize and
demand mo charge for uniform SER
vice in New Jersey or elsewhere.
What was done by the New York boys
in 1924 can be done by us in 1888.
Let's gol
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
BY l. ANITER

(e) Since the adoption of the
Open Letter, we have begun to ap-
ply the general principle of cOncen-
tratiOn. Although in application to
shop and trade union work it still is
proceeding too slowly, nevertheless
some Roadway is being made. But
in the unemployed work, particu-
larly in New York, this principle does
not apply either to the work of the
City Council, its leading function
aries or the lower organizations.
Their work consists of system of
general, diffused activities that ma
turally produce no results.
O The tendency still persists in
the minds and practice of the COM
rades to engage in demonstrations,
instead Of working in a concentrated
manner. Demonstrations are a stage
of development of the movement
which, through its modified strength,
rallies still further forces. When the
movement is weak and isolated, to
propose demonstrations is to evade
the hard, daily work without which
demonstration cannot be success
full.
(g) Work among the Negroes is
at a low ebb. Harlem is a District
concentration section. Nevertheless
although the situation among the
masses in Harlem and the other Me-
gro sections of the city is most de-
plorable, we have not yet won the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
A NEW SUBSCRIBER
Pittsburgh, Pa.

L 4LkobNA 3 ~ a.
Comrade Editor;
Comrades. L have hve1 here in
America 20 years and have not sub
scribed to a working class press.
1t has just hit my mind like a
volcano.
I want to throw a light to all
workers that all the time that We
have worked and are still working
very little for whose benefit All
for tide capitalists paws and their
crocodile throats. At present they
have put their heavy paws on Us
workers and want to swallow US
From this day, comrades, | am
subscriber for the working class
pess "The Daily Worker" and will
be one for the rest of my life,
l am asking all the mass of work.
ers to become subscribers and stand
side by side with the Communists
and fight for our rights and keep
on fighting till we knock these
monsters down, the capitalists.
Then the time will come that we
will be safe from starvation.
Comradely yours, &C. G.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

A-SAP tAlCA bAclCS blOOllCAo III GllE
foreign countries.
August 1st, International day of
protest against war, we, harbor work.
ers in Archangel have shown that
we need peace for the construction of
socialism, but at the same time we
are always ready to defend our
achievements with our lives. Now we
realize the great tasks for the vel
fare of the whole working class. We
have sworn to defend with our vic
torious Red Army the cause of peace.
We know very well that the fascists
defane the Soviet Union, but in
spite of this We are sure that only
under the leadership of the Com
munist Party is it possible to over
come all the difficulties, to eliminate
Unemployment and to give to the
population all that is necessary for its
! life. Our country becomes more
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Insurance Plan
Is Pullman Go.
Pay Cut Method
(By a Worker Correspondent

CHICAGO, Ill.-Four years age
the Pullman shop here had $4,000
workers. Three years ago so per
cent got laid off; two years age
they laid off another so per cent
of those who worked, and finally
year ago they were reduced to
$50. All those who signed for q
Pullman insurance policy were the
last to be laid off.
To keep US quiet, the company
told the workers it had contract
for the first of the month, then
they put it off to the first of the
year. Well, they finally got this
big contract to buil1 four alumni
mum Pullman cars. Years ago the
Pullman shop averaged four OF
these cars day. Pullman will
not hire the old workers back, but
divide the work, and now hardly
any of them gets more than Is
to 20 hours apiece.
Insurance Racket.
How are they working? Most of
them are those who had taken the
insurance policy. First the work.
ers form a line outside Of the main
entrance, while the officials look
up their records and those who
have most to pay on their insur-
ance policies are singled out. And
when pay day comes, they find a
check for $1.50, Very seldom does
worker get a check for So. The
rest has been checked off for back
insurance.
The Calumet Index, the local
paper, carried headlines that the
Pullman shop payroll has increased
100 per cent and that there are
$50 workers in the shop compared
to the $50 that worked there last
year.
But it didn't mention thing
about the workers being checked
off for back insurance, and that
the work is divided among those
workers who have back insurance
to pay. 1t didn't mention thing
about the 1890 that are still
walking the streets. It didn't men,
ton thing about the relief sta
ton cutting the relief off entirely
Of those who got few days in.
1t didn't have anything to say
about the rest Of the workers who
have been cut off relief for the
least little excuse or no excuse
at all 1t didn't have : thing to
say about how the workers are
being speeded up.
1t never mentioned a thing about
forced labor, about the 25 cents q
day which they force those to pay
who eat at our local slop kitchen
1t didn't mention thing about the
evictiors of workers. the fore
closures by Pullman banks. It die
not have a thing to say about
shutting off their gas, water an
electricity.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
patients and those in charge.
A Stool Pigeon System

SCO0I RIgcOn system
This same medical officer also has
gang Of stool pigeons in his SER
vice who faithfully report to him
any little kick" or dissatisfaction
voiced by some radical" patient. The
patient is then Immediately put on
the blacklist and carefully watched
for any further slips of the tongue"
He is then framed-up on some
phoney charge and kicked out, or
otherwise Disseminated against.
Not so long ago, a few patients here
were found reading and passing
around the Daily Worker" and other
working class literature, including
the Voice" Immediately raid"
was instituted by the medical officer
and his flunkies, with the result that
quite a bit of red" literature was
uncovered. The usual threat of de-
portation was hurled against them,
It is also a known fact that the
Marine Hospitals, whose sole pur-
pose is to take care of sick seamen,
regardless of nationality, race and
creed, are generally the first ones to
discriminate against what they call
aliens. 1t has happened more than
once that upon discharge from the
hospital, the patient has been turned
over to the immigration authorities.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
By a Worker of the Majestic
Metal Shop)


We want all the workers to know
how the Steel and Metal Workers
Industrial Union helped US in this
shop, win better conditions.
What we like about the S.M.W.
t.U. is that we, the workers, lead
and control the committee and the
Union. We do not believe or trust
those who speak against our Union
and at the same time say that it
is not the Union but they as in
1ividuals who helped the Majestic
workers get better conditions. Such
people show themselves to be against
workers control and leadership of
the shop committee. That is why
they talk against the Union and
praise themselves.
The workers know that through
their departments in the shop they
must bring their grievances to the
shop committee. They know that
unless we control the shop COM
rittee through the departments and
shop meetings, the boss will be
able TO DO away with all that we
won. That is why we are strong,
when backed up by the Unic1, with
its thousands Of members in other
metal shops.
Just because the M.W.I.U. is a
real workers union, it came down
to us ami helped US strike. It
taught US how to elect a settlement
committee from among the workeds
themselves to prevent COMPROMISES
or settlements in favor of the boss.
1t taught us how TO stick together
in real solidarity. 1t got workers in
other shops to support us. That is
whv we won.
Now we vorl. 40 hours instead
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
CLAEssENs GETS NERVOUS.
New York.

New York
CCmaGe Edilor;
On October Il, 7 approached August
Ciac1Csns, iite.at agent of the So
cielisO Parry, to gcc him TO o~de-
q consignment of the pamphlet, City
College and War which is an &C
count and analysis of the recent ex-
pu.sions at City College. Whereas my
reception a the Friends of the Soviet
Union, the Intsrna .ional Labor De-
Ienoe and the Communist Party
literature bureaus had been alto
gether cordial, M. Claessen'S attitude
was one of extreme irritation and
beuigerence. CHANGING through the
pamphlet ne asked, How can you
expect me to sell this when l don't
even know whether I can endorse its
contents?"
ny rot read it," 1 suggested.
One must hare time" he replied
lameiy. i con see why We should be
Interested in tn, Gee the Y. P. S. l.,
Aren't the older Socialists inter
ested in the student struggle against
war on the canpus?"
THE Socialist Party distributes
only such literature as carries our
message. Furthermore, we're I to dis
Tribute this pamphlet, I must first
endorse 1t, and I DOM see why I
should be called to do SO. No, don't
believe I can do ANYTHING for you. See
the :. P. S. l.,
The above conversation Is Conch-
sive evidence, both Of the bureaucracy
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

tWhere Che SlcKeSG paGlenCS are Kep)
have also been cut,
Medical science says that good
wholesome food is essential to the
cure of tuberculosis. But medical
science in this instance has been
forced to give preference to Roose-
velt's famous starvation diet.
Treated Like Guinea Pigs
The doctors who are sent up here
from coast hospitals are not sent up
because they are specialists, but to
learn about T. B, the government
always keeping on hand some 200
tubercular seamen. These Seamen
are carefully watched and checked
up on in the different stages of the
disease, and when they finally kick
the bucket" they are put on the
slab in the morgue and cut open so
as to enable4a student doctor to find
out why the patient lived as long
as he did.
If a patient wants to leave (even
after he has been pronounced well
enough to go back to work., he has
to pay his own way bank to the
coast. And it is 1000 miles to the
nearest port from here.
The medical officer in charge has
been known to carry gun around
with him on inspections, because of
the hostile feeling here between the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

SHOULD take 10 their hearts and build
up With ell their sr NTH. What is a
sti.,-e withcuo strong backing in the
wy Of actual. tangible, relief?
And a Beautiful thing about the
W. l. r. is that you can help and
help a lot without going to meetings,
which some comrades find so firing.
Become member if you can, Of
course, and participate actively in re-
lief work. but in any event do every
thing possible now to help. by donat-
ing food (and clothing). The strikers
and participate actively in relief
work, but in any event do everything
possible now to help, by donating
food land clothing. The strikers
must eat Take or send contributions
TO w. I. r., 870 Broadway.
This is such q vitality important
organization; the success Of all strike
struggles depends SO greatly on it,
hat its strength should be doubled,
rebled by all means. 1 wish I had
better words and could say it more
alphabetically. All women comrades.
I you care about hungry kids, build
he w. I. r. There are tremendous
truggles just ahead
There is letter here suggesting a
wap-colunln. Here are parts of it:
Dear Comrade Editor:
Three cheers for the new Daily
ong may it livel Before the new
)aily made it's appearance, at our
ONE, we bought it only occasionally,
nd didn't read 1t any too en-
ausiastically-but now-we actually
ght for it and it's bought every
ay.
Why not have swap column?
here are comrades who are moving
ito smaller apartments because of
,e wonderful New Deal" Mr.. Roo
avelt's handing out. Naturally
here are items of furniture they
lust get rid Of, etc. Why leave it
: sell it for practically nothing?
There are comrades badly in need
just the item that is being dis
lrded Through the column con-
ct could be made. have some baby
othes; my seven-veeks old daugh-
+ is quickly outgrowing them. I'd
glad to give them to some COM
de who is pregnant and unable to
ford clothes. This could be carried
TO include the out-of town read
ISL. For instance-there are
nrades in small towns in need of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

strong every year.
We, water transport workers of
northern district, are living in very
good conditions. Now it is made pcs
sible for us to pass our time free
from work in a club and to use the
health resorts and rest houses dur
ing our leave of absence.
We can already mark great achieve
ments which we have attained during
the first year of the second Five
Year Plan. 1t is the opening of the
While ea-Baltic canal which is of
great Importance to our economy.
All the water transport workers of
Archangel participate actively in the
public life of our country. In our
meetings We discuss socialist con-
struction work in our country and
our immediate tasks in connection
with it.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
No Pay in Months
on SIS. MunorIeans
BY a Worker Correspondent

BALTIMORE, Midas a member
of the Marine Workers Industrial
Union, and delegate of the Balti-
more Local, I visited the Munson
Lines S. S. Munorleans to sell the
Marine Workers Voice. and have a
talk with the crew.
One told me that he had worked
hard with very little food for four
months, yet had never been paid. He
was married, had a wife and kid,
and they were looking to him for
money for food and shelter. He read
me a letter from them stating that
they had been depending on the
charities to keep them alive and were
now cut off from that, being told
that eff your husband is working, you
are entitled to no relief"
Men Not Paid.
This man, an officer, was in tears
and called me into his room and
asked if our union could get them
their pay. The other officer that !
talked to had been fired in another
port, had not got any money and
was riding with the ship until they
gave him his money. The oilers
worked only at sea and upon entering
port they went on strike, refused
to work. But the deck gang would not
support them.
Now, as 1 am writing this, with the
help from the Local, we have con-
WINGED the deck gang that they must
strike.
Leaky Pipes
There are five inches OF fuel oil on
the tank tops, and the pump is
throwing it all over the fire room
All the tubes in both the port ano
starboard boilers are leaking, and the
water is also running over the fire
room. The decks are patched with
two inch boards and cenented tc
hold them. Her bottom is unsea-
worthy.
No member of the crew has hae
any money in months. They are
sickly and underfed. The food gagged
me as I looked at it. The bedding
is a shame and disgrace to the
human race. The fo'cstle I mistool
for the fire room, dingy, filthy, pipe
leaking everywhere. And as you wall
down the allway, water beats dow
on YOU like rain from above where
leaky pipes are throwing steam. L
is a trap of death. The bottom Of
the sea is calling the Munorleani
and its crew.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Majestic Worker
Writes of Gains
Made by Strike
Tells How Steel and Metal Workers Industrial
Union Leadership Helped Better Conditions

of 48 as before. At the same time
we increased our wages from 81
to as high as Sc more week. Be-
fore we got straight time for over
time, now we get time and half.
We stopped the boss from splitting
our ranks by favoritism and forced
him to give equal distribution Of
work.
Now the young workers are pro-
tected. A worker who is transfer
red from the small wheel to the
large wheel in the polishing de-
partment must receive the higher
wage paid on the larger wheel.
The boss cannot use the work of
women to cut down the wages Of
men. Before the strike, the boss
fired union members. Now he can
not fire anyone for any reason
without the shop committee.
Now there is more freedom in the
shop. The workers know that or
ganized into the S.M.W.LU. we are
strong. That is why we will fight
anyone who tries to discredit our
Union. We are proud that of the
Il metal delegates to the American
Congress Against War were from
our shop.
In the Sycamore Metal Shop,
where the workers were tricked into
the American Federation Of Labor,
the conditions have rot been made
better.
Not the N. r. A. or the Blue
Eagle whcih the boss displayed but
the union which showed US how to
organize and fight got US our
better conditions. We call upon all
metal workers to organize into the
Steel and Metal Workers Industrial
IT,ninrn
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Letters from Our Readers

of the Socialist leaders which decides
what literature is good for the party
members and OF the consistent policy
of sabotage conducted by the leader
ship against genuine struggle on all
fronts against militarism.
sol. BECKER,
Expelled C.C.N.Y. Student
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

Unit d, Section 5, Detroit District,
more than tripled its quota in the
$4,000 Daily Worker Drive. How
about the other units?
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Letters from Transportation Workers
Roosevelt Neqv Deal Puts
Sick Seamen on Rations
nv n Worker Correspondent

FORT MThis sanitarium run government,
h.h tubercuar
RoOet New DEAF has struck effectively
have actually put raons Notices this effect have posted
the dining hall great extent the food the hospital
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Soviet Transport Workers
Sound Call of Solidarit,


MOSCOW, u S. S. Rive
glad to hear relate about struggle the
class We have published letter
before the meetings
all demands
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
Helping the Daily Worker
Through DR.. Luttinger

Contributions received to the credit
Of DR.. Luttinger in his Socialist COM
petition with Michael Gold to raiss
$1,000, in the Daily. Worker $4,000
Drive.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
- Docko>k
LAHunge't
adlde1:s

y starved victims wol1yh
lily eat the oatmeal and gain
weight at the beginning Of the
-atment," but soon after they'd
get worse than before. no..
AS to Crazy Crystal Water, it's not
worth even discussing. Anybody who
proclaims this beverage as a cure
for diabetes is either as crazy as its
name or charlatan.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23
f~AN O.
UzEa fIl<, Rka,lIls,G
IS68#aN =, as.us IA. - If
by 15ANi. -lihL

a
publicity at of all
lis now
WIR. organization working
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

Against Tsmmany lynch terror
on Negrces-Yote Communist!