The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-30

aries, they worked unselfishly.
This fact in itself could not but
arouse wonderment even among the
billiards. And when one wonders, one
wants to know why. But this ques-
ton was sufficiently answered by
those whose conduct seemed puzzling
and also by the fact that although
there were only few Checklists
there, they managed to cope with a
recalcitrant mass of thousands.
How did the kulaks work? There
was, for example, the "Podlinski"
brigade of District One numbering
80 kulaks. The last 10 days of the
month of May the brigade attained
the record figure of 256 per cent
above the required norm of labor
on soft soil. 1t refused to leave the
work even when another brigade ap-
peared to replace it, and it became
necessary to remove it by special or
der from the superintendent.
The brigade Reply to Order Num-
Der One" consisted primarily of ku-
laks. 1t worked on the cliffs of Dis
trict No. 6, exceeding its norm by
1870 to $50 per cent. The brigade was
commended for its zeal and entered
into the camps Red Book
IS in Socialist Rivalry
The-s VIE tens OF such brigades.
How did the collective work in the
camps affect the inveterate proprie-
tor, the kulak. He thought himself
the best man in the village, the aris-
tocrat among the peasants, as it
were. He rot only knew how TO ex-
plot someone else's labor, but he
himself was an excellent field worker.
After the habit of all robbers, he
thought himself smarter and more
courageous than his victims. Despis-
ing loafers and lazy people, he went
by the maxim that poverty was a
sign of worthlessnesS. And now, this
selfish and arrogant person of a ku-
lax is placed. so as to see that the
loafers and loiterers and thieves and
good-f or-nothings generally are able
to work better than himself.
Before his very eyes, the former
loafers and tramps whom he despised
as only a proprietor can despise, are
developing into qualified workers,
brigaders and organizers. Some have
even become his leaders, mainly be-
cause they caught on to the tech
nique of labor quicker and better
than he-the former proprietor and
little duke of the village. This could
not but strike deep into his soul,
arouse his egoism and launch him
into race with the very people
whom he had so despised and hated.
But there were also in the camp
many hundreds who fatty refused to
work, declaring, you may do with
us as you like, but work we shall
not" From morning to evening they
were lounging in their hunks, soiling
and dirtying the premises without
even sweeping the floors They
shouted songs, played cards, and en-
gagged in brawls. At times, they would
run wild from ennui, SO they would
commence destroying the hunks and
breaking the window panes.
After such an instruction some
one of the dreaded commission would
make his appearance. His comrades
would warn him: Look, be careful,
they may kill you' 1T doesn't mat
ter" would be his answer. At the
door the comrade from the Extra
ordinary Commission would be greet
ed with cursing and whistling. The
rowdies would say to him: you will
not convince us; we won't work.
And here is where that terrible
"compulsion" would begin of which
the bourgeoisie SO meanly and lyingly
speaks. Actually the "compulsion"
practiced upon people whom bour-
geois society has degenerated into
anarchists amounted to no more
than acquainting them with the
truth, the very frightful truth of
which these people are the victims.
you will not work then, fellows?