davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
B y A. L A N D Y

s1019,000,000 in 1929 dropped to
SITS 100000 in 1898. Here again, it
should be noted that the decline
cannot be entirely attributed to
smaller profits.
Roosevelt's Decentralization"
This trend has become even more
pronounced following Roosevelt's
recent reunion" with the bankers.
This reunion" is signalized in the
December issue of Banking, pub
lished by the American Bankers As
ISOLATION, as such a combination of
government, banking and business
as has not been formed since the
World War" The change" &C
cording to Banking, has been de-
veloping for several months, cul-
minating in the annual convention
of the American Bankers Associa-
ton" AS a direct result of the
better understanding effected on
that occasion between the govern
ment and the bankers" as Banking
describes it, Roosevelt told Senators
Robinson and Harrison that he
wanted no new federal taxes from
the new Congress. But as Dale Cox
practically admits in his economic
column in the Plain Dealer" of
Nov. %, this was only to remove
as large a burden of taxes as pos
sible from the shoulders of monop-
oily capital in order to place it d.
rectly on the masses.
After bewailing the fact that
business now has to pay real estate,
personal property, federal and capt.
tai stock, state franchise, state
privilege taxes, federal bank check
tax. federal income, federal excess
profits, federal processing and the
levies to finance NR.A. code au-
thorities," Cox adds: This ire
mendous tax burden upon industry
must be assessed as charge against
production, and the administration,
eager to encourage business, sees
that any more federal taxes would
now be ruinous to business. The
fact seems to be that the New Deal
is decentralizing taxation insofar as
possible. BY decentralizing taxes
insofar as possible, the indignation
of the tax payer will be directed
against the state and local govern
ments and not against the New
Deal. ;. The state administrations
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10

will have to carry the hod and bow
their heads to the fury of the tax
payers" Chat is, the Masses.
Roosevelt's decentralization tax
policy is thus only fancy name for
monopoly capitals class policy of
taxing the masses. In view of this
policy, it is no accident that the
sales tax, for which the bourgeoisie
has been preparing for some time,
is now being rushed through in diff
ferent states under the slogan of the
extraordinary emergency brought
about by the tax crisis
How 1t Works in Ohio
In Ohio, the big real estate and
mortgage companies, the banks,
railroads, utilities and Chambers Of
Commerce prepared the ground for
the sales tax as the solution of the
tax crisis" by actually helping to
bring on this crisis. Taking ad-
vantage of the desire of the small
property owner for lower taxes,
these forces maneuvsred through
the adoption of an amendment to
the constitution in 1898, reducing
the limitation of real estate taxa
ton from fifteen to ten mills.
Although the mass of small owners
believed they would benefit from
the five-nill out, in reality the
s45,00o,000 saved by this cut went
primarily to the big capitalists, the
utilities and railroads alone saving
100000 each. At the same time
the masses we're faced with the
burden of replacing the s45, 100000
turned over to the capitalists. This
maneuver was actually followed by
Governor Whites selective sales
tax on cosmetics, drugs, etc, and is
now being fully realized in the form
of Governor Whites sweeping gen.
eral sales tax.
The Cleveland newspapers could
not hide the capitalist tax strategy
Thus, even the Cleveland Press was
compelled to admit in it's editorial
of November 21st that it knew the
approval of the slo,0Oo,ooO amend
ment would force Ohio to resort
to a general sales tax to secure the
replacement revenue which would
be needed" And the Cleveland
News in its editorial of the same
day in which it admits that the
ten-mill amendment threatened
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
Cleveland 3 Deported
Painters Back In Los Angeles
Workers Bill AS Communists

TOLEDO, Ohio, December 8. =
The Painters Union of Toledo has
endorsed the Workers Unemploy-
ment and Social Insurance Bill over
the protest of the unions business
agent, who said that this was not
the Bill endorsed and backed by the
American Federation of Labor Off
Gals" The Central Labor Union of
Toledo had refused the previous
week to endorse the bill or send a
delegate to the National Congress
for Unemployment Insurance in
Washington D. G. on Jan. 5, 6 and T.
This local will undoubtedly send
delegates to the Congress in Wash
ington as will many other organiza-
tons and unions in Toledo
The Lucas County Joint Action
Committee on Unemployment which
includes all unemployed organiza-
tons in this district has been the
main sponsoring committee TO
popularize the Congress. The IN
employment Councils cooperated
and provided most of the workers
who demonstrated on Nov. "a and
now the workers are watching to
see if the leadership of the Unem-
ployed Leagues will be as Jealous IN
backing the National Congress as
they were in working for their
Nov. "a National Unemployed
Demonstration"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10

growing bureaucracy which, while
typical of capitalism in it's general
imperialist phase, is especially great
during the period of crisis, as is
shown by Roosevelt's numerous
boards.
2. The need to meet ever-grow-
ing police and military expenditures
for war against the workers at
nome and imperialist struggle
abroad. The outlay for war prep
arations is the greatest in the his
tory of capitalism. In addition, the
increasing strike struggles of the
workers, the mass actions of the
unemployed, the farmers and other
sections of the poor people impels
the bourgeoisie to increase it's police
appropriations in order to quell the
revolutionary upsurge, break strikes
and defeat the mass struggles as
the bourgeois road to recovery.
Thus Mayor Davis pleads for sup
port of the As mill levy to main
tain the police department, while
pointing to the need of 500 extra
policemen this coming winter al
though he has consistently refused
to appropriate single cent for city
relief.
3. The need to maintain so-called
welfare and social services, first of
all in the form of subsidies to the
capitalists affected by the crisis
such as banks, etc, or of military
Importance such as railroads, ship
ping, and airplane companies; and
only to far lesser degree for re-
lief and other poor aid. Thus, for
every dollar given for relief, the
New Deal has given ten to the
bankers.
4. The method of anticipating
future tax income in order to meet
growing budget needs means that
vast sums are turned over to the
bankers not only in the form of
original interest, but also in the
form of increased interest as re-
suit of so-called refunding deals in
which old bonds are called in and
new bonds issued at higher inter-
est rates.
In 1888, for example, the whole
State of Ohio paid $124,747, $3.50 in
principal and interest on a debt of
1861 1871 900. John Love, Cleveland
Press" economist, points out that
Is per cent of the s6O,OOO,00o Gov
overnor White expects to raise from
the sales tax is to be paid out in
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10

interest to the bankers.
And Dale Cox, writing in the
Cleveland Plain Dealer on Nov. %.
states that Governor White pro-
poses to issue bonds in this amount
1924, 100000 as Ohio's share of its
1885 relief COSTS and includes S.
100000 for interest and amortization
charges on this amount in its pres
ent tax program" In anticipation
of the passage of Governor Whites
sales tax Mayor Davis, who not long
ago put over a four and one-half
million dollar deficiency bond is
sue for the bankers, is already pro-
posing to issue sales tax bonds to
be retired over a ten-year period.
thereby preparing to saddle the
masses with sales tax for the next
ten years in order to pay the
bankers.
Roosevelt Applies Tax Policy of
Monopoly Capital
In the face of these mounting tax
requirements, the Roosevelt govern
ment has consistently carried out
the tax policy of monopoly capital.
A few figures will show this process
of shifting the burden of taxes from
rich to poor: (a) Already in his
report to the 9th National Con-
vention in April, 1884, Earl Browder
cited the following significant facts:
The shift of the burden of taxes,
the basis of the budget, comparing
the current year with 1928-1929, is
as follows: Government income
from taxation on corporations, rich
individuals and wealthy middle
class declined from s2.231 900 900 to
1854, 900 ,000-a saving to the rich of
81, 467, 100000 At the same time,
taxation of workers and consuming
masses increased from $1,571 900 900
to 81, 1895, 900, 000-an increase of the
tax burden amounting to almost the
total taxes now paid by the rich"
Up. 250 1t is obvious that this
equalization" of the tax burden is
not due to decreased profits of
monopoly capital and increased
wages and income of the masses!
(b) Or let us take the figures of
one of the latest reports of the Ma
tional Industrial Conference Board.
In 1929 the tax on corporations was
s1,075, 100000. In 1888 it dropped
down to s3S2,OOo,OOo. Similarly, the
individual income tax which was
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10

with the Bolshevik tempo required.
These sections have been slow since
the beginning of the drive, and
while other sections, previously lag
ging, have already responded to the
call made by the Daily" for all
quotas to be filled by Dec. Is, these
sections have still not aroused
themselves. 1t is necessary for them
to realize that they are keeping
their district from reaching the top.
Canton, Lorsin. Section IL. in
Cleveland, and Mansfield are also
still below the finishing mark.
Youngstown's Example
These sections-and all the other
tagging sections in the country
should study Youngstown's accom-
Less than month ago,
youngstown was far behind; it had
not moved perceptibly since the
drive had started. Then John Steu-
ben. the section organizer, took per-
sonal charge of the campaign. In
a short time, money began coming
in from Youngstown. 1t has been
coming in regularly, and now
Youngstown has fulfilled its pledge.
Leadership Must Take Charge
The leadership in every section
in the country which is behind in
the drive must also Immediately
take "nerSoual CHARGE" 0f the
campaign and see that their sec
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
BurIak Urges
Women to Act
For Social Bill.
Points Importance to So
cial Insurance to En-
plOyed Women
By ANN BURLAK

The National Congress for IN
employment and Social Insurance
convenes in Washington Jan. 5, 6
and 7. 1t is a congress that is of
vital interest to women, not only
unemployed women, but to women
in the trade unions.
Especially in the textile field, the
woman working in the mill is often
the entire support for an entire
family. since relief is denied to those
who have any income. no matter
how small. Her meagre wages must
be stretched out for the support Of
the entire family, which means a
lowered standard of living for all
workers The purpose Of the Ma
tional Congress for Unemployment
and Social Insurance is to discuss
the ways and means to further de-
velop the already growing move
ment for unemployment and social
insurance. Already more than 1000
American Federation of Labor To-
Gals have endorsed the Workers
Unemployment Insurance Bill III.
r. 1899, which shows that there
exists a large sentiment for I'M
employment insurance among the
trade unionists.
The women in trade unions are
fighting for their own wage stand
ards when they participate in the
National Congress for Unemploy-
ment and Social Insurance. The
bosses use the poverty of the un-
employed as threat to the women
in the shops. telling them thev must
work for lower wages. or be re-
placed by the unemployed. The
place of the trade union women
is at the Congress to strengthen the
bonds of solidarity between en-
ployed and unemployed women.
These bonds have been shown in
recent years in the joining on
picket lines of unemployed with the
employed, at textile mills, metal
shops, needle trades shops, etc.
The women in the shops have a
definite interest in maternity in
surance, which would allow them a
specified time with pay off from
work, before and after childbirth.
Other measures for the protection
of the health of working women.
come under the question of social
insurance.
Trade Union Women: Your place
is at the National Congress for I'm
employment and Social Insurance.
Bring up in your trade union the
election of women delegates to the
Congress.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10

tons carry through their work
this week.
The Daily Worker will watch
particularly the work of the sec
tiOns now in the rear in Chicago,
Pittsburgh. California, Seattle and
Milwaukee,.
From the Granite City unit in
Section l, the st. Louis District, a
district which has not yet raised 40
per cent of it's 5000 quota, comes a
contribution and pledge to rush
$50 in a few days.
Section 1 is intensifying the
drive" announces the section.
affairs have been planned up to
Dec. %, to put us over the top"
Unit 2 in st. Paul, unit which
has greatly improved its work in
the last month, has issued chal-
lenge to Unit l, the strongest unit
in the section.
Every unit in our section" is
the Unit declaration, "has been
guilty of serious delay. but we can
still make the grade"
The Markham units of the Min
district also have rushed
contributions to help put the dis
trict over the top. Minneapolis is
one of the districts which is at the
bottom of the list. Every unit in its
territory must hurry with its funds
to make the district go over in time!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
Wide Support in New York

NEW YORK-Four more A. F. Of
L. unions in New York have elected
delegates to the National Congress
for Unemployment and Social In
surance, the New York Sponsoring
stated. These are the Printing
Pressmen, Local 81; Brotherhood Of
Painters and Decorators, Local 9O5:
Bakers Local sos two DELEGATE,
Branch 5, American Federation Of
Full Fashioned Hosiery Workers.
A mass meeting on behalf of the
National Congress will be held on
Tuesday at pm. at the Abyss
sinian Church, 1872 West 18Th st.
Father Devine has sent out a call
to his followers, pointing out the
Importance of the Congress and
asking them to attend the meet
ing.
A Harlem Sponsoring Committee
for the Congress was set up on Fri
day night with Frieda jackson of
the Harlem Unemployment Council
as secretary. A meeting of this
committee has been called for We'd
nesday evening, Dec. u. at the
Workers Center, 131st Street and
LenoX Avenue.
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, is also
establishing special sponsoring
committee for the congress.
Three hundred people at meet
ing in P. S. 10, Williamsburg, were
enthusiastic in their endorsement
of the National Congress. when I.
Amter of the National Sponsoring
Committee spoke there on Friday
night. The meeting, called to dis
cuss the new tax program in New
York, was to have been addressed
by Alderman Sullivan. Sullivan
failed to turn up, however.
Demonstrations before each
borough relief Office and at the
transient bureau, eliminating in a
mass demonstration before City
Hall on behalf of the Workers I'm
employment Insurance Bill on Jam
uary when the bill is presented
to Congress, are announced by the
New York Sponsoring Committee.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
Vegetable Harvesters
Return to Work After
Strike of Two Weeks

SANTA MARIA, Cal, Dec. o.
Three thousand vegetable harvest
hands and packers have returned to
work, after two week strike. The
demands will be submitted to arbi-
tration. During the strike not 8
truckload of produce moved out of
this region.
The strike started when the grow
ers attempted to cut wages from the
prevailing 80 cents per hour TO: field
hands, to Is cents per hour, Two
thousand came out under the lead
ership Of the Mexican Workers
Union. Later due to pressure of the
rank and file in the Vegetable
Packers Association, and A. F. of
L. union, the 1000 packers chiefly
white workers were called out. The
workers have to contend with un-
bearable conditions, and so weak is
the case of the growers, that they
were sure that even an arbitration
board could not uphold them, and
therefore held out against arbitra-
ton.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
CLEVELAND WORKERS CALL FOR RELIEF MARCH ON DEC II
Pagan Seeks
To Shift Blame
For Mine Toll.
Covers Own Failure to
Fight for Safety Rules
by Attack on Bureau

PITTSBURGH, Pa, Dec. 9.-In a
last minute attempt to break into
the news before Tuesdays elections
in the United Mine Workers, Pat
Pagan, president of District Five of
the UNIV. Of A, stepped into the
meeting Of the Coal Mining Insti-
tute in the Port Pitt Hotel to throw
a boomerang into the air in brand
ing the U. S. Bureau of Mines a
''woeful failure"
Pagan tried to shift the blame Of
1902 fatalities, an average of 1900
year for % years, onto the shoul-
ders of the bureau. He failed to
mention why he and John L. Lewis,
and the other top leaders of the
UNIV. of A. fail to move finger
to force the coal operators to pro-
vide for the safety of the miners.
In a palpably stupid attempt to
be demagogic, Pagan denounced as
''trickery" the bureaus use of ton
mage as the basis for showing the
number of miners killed from year
to year. He wants the number of
fatalities listed according to man
hours workers, according to his re-
marks.
While this would show relatively
higher level of fatalities, Pagan fails
to explain why the Lewis machine
of which he is a part does nothing
to bring the actual total lower. He
issues what is meant to be a with
ering blast at the "spinelesS lead
ership" of the mine bureau, but the
number of miners killed remains,
and President Pagan does, and in
tends to do nothing about it.
He stated that the bureau feared
to do anything that would be re-
garded as offensive to the worst ele-
ment among the mine owners"
But with Fagan's record of black
listing Al miners of Logans Ferry
by revoking their charter and issu-
ing new one during their strike
last summer, the rank and file of
District Five have their own meas
uring rod for determining who are
the worst elements they will de-
termine this on Dec. IL.
On that day Charley Nolker, of
Curtisville, a rank and file leader
opposes Pagan in the race for dis
trict president, and the miners in
all the locals have taken their own
precautions to insure that their
rank and file votes are counted.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
starvation by TaxaonCovenmens Challenge the Workers

THE sweeping resort to the sales
tax in state after state as a
solution to the tax crisis facing
municipal, county and state govern
ments constitutes new challenge
to the rapidly dwindling living stan
dards of the masses. just as mon
opoly capital tried to dump the
burden of the crisis onto the masses
by means of sweeping wage cuts, so
1t refuses to shoulder the burden
of the tax crisis, although the taxes
needed by its governments are for
the purpose of maintaining its rule.
According to the capitalist class,
increased wages and taxes are both
burdens on industry and profits and
as such are obstacles to recovery
Hence the drive to cut wages and
taxes "burdening' capital go hand
in hand.
In view of this two-fold policy of
impoverishing the masses while re-
ducing ali forms of taxes affecting
the rich, it is no surprise that a
tax crisis has developed. Indeed,
the tax strategy of monopoly cap
ital has been to use the tax crisis
as a means of forcing through
adoption of the most direct form of
mass tax, the general sales tax.
Robbed at the point of produc-
ton, the worker is now to be robbed
still more at the point of consump-
ton.
Already in 1850, Marx pointed out
that with every new tax the pro-
letariat is pressed down to a stage
lower: the abolition of an old tax
does not raise wages, only profits"
Why The Tax Crisis
But let us first note some of the
reasons for the tax crisis.
In the first place, the economic
crisis has reduced the normal tax
returns. Thus. the gasoline tax in
Ohio is expected to bring 100000
in 1885. But in 1926 the same gas
tax brought in S23, 1000 900, a loss of
$4,000, 900, showing fewer automo-
biles in use by the masses. In the
second place, however, the very
economic crisis, while reducing the
tax returns, at the same time in
creases the tax needs of the various
governments. There are at least
four reasons for these increased
needs of city, county, state and
federal governments.
l. The need to maintain an ever
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
Hartford Workers Form
Committee for Congress
For Social Insurance

HARTFORD, Conn. Dec. "a
local sponsoring committee, includ-
ing Negro and white ministers, rep
resentatives of A. F. of L., indepen-
dent and Trade Union Unity League
unions, was established here last
week at q provisional conference in
support of the National Congress for
Unemployment Insurance. A CITY,
wide conference will be held here
next Sunday.
Among the eleven organizations
represented at the last conference
were the Pratt and Whitney Avia-
ton Workers Union, Bakers A. F. of
L. union, Furniture Workers Indus
trial Union, the Order of Good
Templars, Young Friends Progress
dent Trade Union Unity League
sive Association, Communist Party
International Workers Order and
the League of Struggle for Negro
Rights.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10

The Boston Joint Council OF the
Shoe and Leather Workers Union
endorsed the call and sent q resolu-
ton to the shoe workers mass
meeting held last Tuesday to en-
dorse the congress. The more than
1000 workers who attended the
meeting approved the resolution
which urged the locals to elect dele
gates to the congress. The Stitch
ers Local of Boston endorsed the
call and recommended that the
Joint Council elect two delegates.
In Fall River, the Weavers Union
of the American Federation of Tex
tile Operators endorsed the call at
special meeting Friday. elected a
sponsoring committee of eleven, and
voted to call city-wide mass con-
ference Of all organizations for next
Friday, Dec. IA. The president Of
the union is chairman of the spon-
soring committee.
The Painters Local of Chelsea
has endorsed the call, and will elect
a delegate to the National Con-
gress at their next meeting. The
mixed local of the National Shoe
Workers Union Of Chelsea has like
wise acted on the call, but due to a
depleted treasury, they have decided
to send proxy to the National
Congress. They have taken fifteen
calls which they are bringing to
local organizations, and have
elected a delegation to demand that
the Board Aldermen endorse the
congress.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-10
Down ms Law
Victims Face
Trial Thursday
Harris and Johnson Ac-
tive in Organizing for
Insurance Congress

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Dec. Bray
Harris and G. L. JihnSon, workers
who were arrested for violating the
Downs law, will come up for trial
before Judge Martin here December
49, Martin is the same judge who
sentenced Fred Walker, Negro
worker, to six months on the chain
gang on faxed evidence.
That the big Birmingham indus
trialists have ordered the police to
get" known radicals and militant
workers is clear from the fact that
Harris and johnson we're arrested
by Moser, Red Squad head, by Milt
McDuff, private detective employed
by heavy industry. and by an I'M
named policeman. johnson has been
active in mobilizing support for the
National Congress for Unemploy-
ment and Social Insurance to be
held in Washington in January.
Harris, an admitted Communist
weighing about 100 pounds, was
brutally beaten by McDuff, burly
man weighing about 1870 pounds.