davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
By a Food Worker Correspondent


BROOKLYN, N. UT was ex-
actly 1870 am. on Jan. 10, Just at
the beginning of the noon rush hour,
when the workers of The Eton Grill,
Isl Montague St, Brooklyn, walked
out en- maSSe-Cl strike.
The general walkout was the in
evitable elimination Of the barbarous
inhuman conditions to which these
workers were being subjected by the
"kick-back" racketeer, Steve zervos,
the proprietor of the Eton Grill.
While the blue vulture is conspicu-
ously displayed at the front of the
place, the wages Of the walters and
countermen were being SlaShed down
to 81 week, for 10, IL and Is hours
a day and seven days week. The
proprietor has forced the walters and
countermen 70 sign q blank slip Of
paper to the effect that they got
paid in full'' up to the end OF the
week, without stating the amount
paid.
Tells Lie About Wages
The proprietor then boasts that he
is paying these workers $35 a week
That is exactly what he is doing now
that these workers are picketing the
place.
The dshwasher had to slave for Is
hours a day, doing literally the work
OF three men. He was Shaving seven
days g. week for SO. The cooks were
getting the maximum" MIRA. wages
namely SIS a week. The second cook
because he overworked and was
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
SHOP PAPER REVIEWS

1t seems TO us, that after such 8
mass strike as took place last fall, a
leading article in the first issue
should have dealt specifically with the
lessons of the strike. The Whiz, re-
fers to the strike, says that the A..
F. Of L "sold OUT, and In later ar
ticle, talks about some of the strike
breaking steps which the N. r. A.
made, and points out the fighting
role Of the Communist Party in the
strike. The latter section Is good;
but the Whiz should use less phrases,
and little more simple explanation
Of just how the A. F. of L. put across
its maneuvers, its connection with the
N. R. A., with thorough explanation
Of the whole role which the govern
ment played in forcing the workers
back into the shops without winning
their original demands.
No Mention of N. T. w. /. U.
But most important of all, the Whiz
makes major error which over
shadows many of the good points in
the paper. 1t makes absolutely no
mention of the National Textile
Workers Union. How is it possible to
do this, when the N T. w. U. led the
militant struggle of the Weidmann
workers, when all remember the great
fight for unity which the N. T. w. u.
carried on? This is a big weakness,
which the Whiz must Immediately
correct. In the present complex
situation, when there are two unions
in many of the shops, the militant
National Textile Workers Union
must be brought forward as the lead
ing fighter for unity, as the ones who
are struggling and will fight for one,
united militant union Of all the dye
workers. The Whiz must popularize
the N. T. w. U. program, and wage a
campaign for the adoption of this
program to be as nearly as possible
the basis for a united union.
In this connection, the Whiz must
and carry out the line OF
the recent Party Textile conference,
which laid down the program for
unity among all Of the textile work
ers. The Whiz must bear the res
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
Packing House Workers Urge Rank and File
Militant Action; Warn of ALL Misleaders
st. Louis Meeting Voted Strike Too Weeks Ago,
Yet AT. of L. Heads Delay, SO as TO Ciue
Company Time to Prepare

that they settle this question and the
result Is that a strike vote was taken
two weeks ago, we have not heard
from these officials yet, as to when
the walkout shall take place. Why?
Because they are giving the company
time to prepare themselves, stock up
their coolers and organize themselves
in the best way they know how
against the workers.
Why do we permit few misleaders
to mislead hundreds Of us workers?
Why can't we take these, our matters
pertaining to our interests into our
hands, and make our own decisions?
Let us workers mobilize into such
a strong group Of Organized labor
that no power on earth can break or
mislead us.
When this walkout occurs, let us
be so strongly organized on the picket
line that no police terror or any ter
ror can drive us away. Let us elect
cur own strike comitteeS from our de-
partmentS. Let us make our own
settlements, instead the arbitration
board and business agent Of the
union.
Demand that the strike Committee
sit in on all hearings and meetings
that take place between the union
officials and the bosses.
Let our demands be:
Recognition Of union of our own
choosing
Reinstatement of all workers laid
of for union activities.
Recognition Of our demands as to
wages, hours and sanitation.
No discrimination as to sex, color
or creed.
No company insurance.
No B system.
Unemployment insurance to be paid
by the company and government.
Let us join hands with any other
organization that is willing to help us
in our struggle.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22

The Weidmann Whiz, published BIZ
monthly by the Weidmann shop
nucleus, Communist Party, Paterson
section. Vol. /, nos. / and 2, dated
Dec. 4 and Jan.>1.
BY 8. L,
The Whiz is issued In one of the
big dye houses in Northern New Jer-
Sey, the big textile district, where
only q short time ago we witnessed
the gigantic strike Of the silk and dive
workers. The Weidmann shop was
signed up by the United Textile work.
ers, the American Federation of La
Dor bureaucratS, although the mill
tant National Textile Workers Union
actually led the strike, and has the
support Of great section of the work
erS. The tasks of the Communist
nucleus, thru the Whiz, is therefore
threefold:
1. To fight for the consolidation
and strengthening of the strike
gains.
2. To raise new demands, perhaps
those original strike demands which
were not achieved, due to the sabo-
tage of the A. F. Of L.
5. To bring forward and popular
ize the National Textile Workers
Union as the champion and the
fighter for the united front, for a
united dye union, at the same time
building the revolutionary ouposi-
ton within the A. F. of L., expos
Ing the burocrats.
Without doubt, the Whiz sets out
courageously to fulfill its Communist
duty In the shop, in the two-issues we
have at hand. The first issue, in a
leading article, points out that the
company is again introducing the
same speed-up as that which pre-
vailed before the strike, and calls for
action against it. The second issue
also gives examples of speed-up, but
does not explain any method of fight
ing against it. The Whiz should make
a consistent campaign against speed
up, calling for specific actions in the
fight against it, and exposing the A.
F. of L. bureaucrats who sabotage the
struggle
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22

in the Soviet Union are mentioned,
why not speak specifically about tex
tile workers in the S. u, and thus
popularize the achievements of the
Soviet workers.
The Whiz has pretty good youth
page, on which there Is a good article
on the role of the Young Communist
League in leading the struggle of the
young workers.
There is 8 brief word on riaScisfa
thrown in; this should be explained.
What is Fascism, its relation to the
increasing attacks upon the workers
rights, the N. R. A., etc. Merely call
ing for demonstration against Fas-
ciSm, when the workers do not under
stand clearly what it is, is insufficient.
The youth page contains letter
from a young worker, which exposes
the discriminatory attitude OF the A.
F. OF L. bureaucrats towards the
young workers, refusing to let them
speak at meetings. There is also
complaint from one of the girls of
Weidmanns, pointing out that re
girls receive much less wages than the
men for the same work. The Mniz
should take up these grievances, not
in sporadic way, but systematically,
and wage a campaign around them
for the abolition of discrimination
against the young workers. Around
issues like these it is possible to b. d
and cement strong opposition in the
A. F. Of L.
1t is useful to compare the attitude
of the A. F. OF l.. with the program
Of the N. T. w. q. on questions such
as these, in order to clarity the
workers
The WhiZ is pretty well gotten up.
The tipping is clear, and the nlimeo-
graphing well done. The pages con-
tain pictures, and few cartoons. al
though some of these should be more
carefully drawn. There is a lack of
jokes, quipS, and few of these
should be included In the forthcoming
issues.
We should commend the Whiz for
its laudable attempt to oppear reg
ularly. Two issues did appear in the
space Of one month. This is good,
and should be continued.
The nucleus in Weidmanns, In
issuing the Whiz, should carefully
study comrade Ann Burlak's article in
the Daily Worker few days ago, ex-
planning the decisions of the party
textile conference. These decisions
must be carried into life, and the
Whiz bears good part of the respon-
sibility for doing tvs, in the fight for
the unity Of the dye workers, for one,
united militant dye union.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22

possibility, as the Party organ In
WeidmannS, to fight agressiyely for
this program, and to Systematically
and carefully explain its meaning to
the workers. This must be made the
central task Of future issues of the
Whix.
Successful Fight Against Lay-Off
and Wage-Cut
On the third page Of WhiZ No. q,
we find that through a special leaflet
issued by the nucleus, the company
was forced to halt its plans for lay
OF and wage-cut. On hearing of the
company's plans, the nucleus issued
leaflet, exposing the maneuver of
the boss, who proposed to lay off a
number Of workers, and then rehire
them at lower wage. This is real
victory, and should have been given
more prominence in the Whiz, since
every struggle increases the fighting
power Of the workers, and their conf
dence in the leadership of the COM
munist nucleus.
Whiz No. 2 makes note of the ma
tional convention of the Unemployed
council, and calls for the election Of
delegates from Paterson. But this
should not appear in such a detached
form, but inStee5 linked up closely
with a Speed-up, showing how one
leads to the other, and calling for the
struggle against both. In this way,
we can raise the political understand
ing Of the workers, which must be one
of our main tasks.
The Whiz contains quite bit of
workers correspondence, which is very
good, and has healthy line of basing
itself largely around specific griev-
ances of the workers in the shop.
This should be encouraged and con-
tinued. 1t is also noteworthy that the
Whiz recognizes the close connection
Of the dye industry and war; and
points out that it could be rapidly
converted into a shop for the produc-
ton Of poison gases and munitions.
However, there should be more ex-
PLANTATION Of the relation between
war, profits and the N. r. A. There
Is tendency to lump all these to-
gether, Where the wages of workers
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
AFL Food Union
Agent Backs Yellow
Dog Contract
By Food Worker Correspondent

BY Food Worker Correspondent
DETROIT, Mich-In our city we
have the Fox Restaurants, chain
OF 20 restaurants with about 500
workers. They are scattered all over
the city. The A. F. of L. picked out
the restaurants OF the downtown sec
tons and organized the walters and
cooks, charged them S. initiation and
SITS q month dues. The wages of
the walters were $1,000 week and
cooks $18. The dishwashers and the
busboys were not organized. They
left all the other restaurants Of the
chain unorganized, because their
wages are so low that they can't pay
high dues.
In November, 1888, the boss cut
the wages of the workers from $3.50
to So. The workers have refused to
accept their pay and complained to
the union. The business agent told
the workers to go back to work and
he would negotiate with the boss.
After three weeks negotiations the
workers were ordered to take their
pay and accept the wage cut. On
Dec. Is the boss announced another
wage cut of S15O for the walters and
So for the cooks. The boss also is
sued a, yellow dog contract to the
workers to sign. saying that the work
ers are satisfied to form a company
union and agree to work for $3.50
week, to work split shifts, 81 hours
for men and AZ hours for the wo-
men. The workers came to the union
and demanded action. The bosses
agent told the workers to go back
to work and ACCEPT the wage cut
and when the workers protested, e
business agent called them dishwash-
ers and told them they ought to be
satisfied. When the workers asked
the business agent about the yellow
dog contract, he told them to sign.
The workers are dissatisfied with
the action of the A. F. of L. COM
pany union leadership. The workers
must organize in their local union,
rank and file committee, and force
the officials of the A. F. Of l.. to or
ganize all Fox chain restaurants, in
GLIDING all the workers regardless of
craft. Only in this way they will
be able to fight and protect their in
tereStS.
Fellow workers, do not sign the
yellow dog contract with the clause
reading $3.50 week wages. The boss
will present this signed contract to
the N.R.A. board to be accepted. The
restaurant code will then be revised
to mean that these will be the gen.
eral wages for all restaurant workers.
Only through organization under
our own control will we be able to
better our conditions and fight
against wage cuts, for shorter hours,
against split shifts against the Mr..
A. code, for a workers code, as pre-
Sented by the Food Workers Indus
trial Union.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
DUES COLLECTIONS

Another important problem for the
maintenance of our membership is
to stabilize our dues collections. The
activities Of the Order during the
campaign have very considerably d.
mintshed the necessary suspensions.
Yet there are still too many. While
some of these suspensions can be
fully explained and justified by the
inability Of the members to pay, yet
greater and more intense activities
Of the branches Will diminish even
these suspensions. Some Of the sus-
pensions are not explainable by in
ability to pay, They can be explained
by the failure Of the branch secre-
tartes to systematic dues collections,
If dues collections were Systematized,
a larger number Of dues payments
would be collected and the number
OF those who do not pay would really
be reduced to those who cannot pay.
With such a reduction, the branch
Will have a better chance to initiate
activities to raise funds to help paw
the dues Of those unable to pay
themselves.
One of the contributing measures
to systematic dues collections is the
establishment Of monthly collections
We must do everything in our power
to gradually liquidate the habit of
three-monthly dues collections. This
habit is bad one. It was developed
first Of all at time Of capitalist
prosperity and secondly, it was de-
Velopeo among members who did not
belong to the masses of the badly-
paid workers In the basic industries.
This habit was developed among
members who could pull a check
book out Of their pockets and pay ST,
So and $40 at one throw. The masses
Of workers today are unable to do
that. 1t Is possible to collect 80 cents
or 81 or SIPS a month, but Il Is
pretty hard for these workers 10 null
out 81 and SIS at one throw to paw
quarterly bills.
The secretaries who resist the in
st1tuUon Of monthly payments must
learn that the dues payments cannot
be regulated according to the conye-
nience Of the secretaries. but must
be regulated to the convenience of
the membership, to their ability to
pay dues, etc.
We propose that this question be
discussed in the branches, that the
membership express its opinion about
1t. AT any rate, we must definitely
orientate toward the universal in
SCaurnent OF monthly dues payments
in our Order.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
Bible Publishers
Cheat Salesman
Out Of Commission
nv a stndent Corrnsnnndent


PINE ISLAND, Minn--Lsst June 1
was completing my third year at
Mankato State Teachers College at
Mankato. MINI. I got Job with the
Universal Book and Bible House of
1006-1016 Arch ST., Philadelphia, Pa
This Bible House has as propriet6gs
the John G. winston Publishing Co.,
which belongs to the MIRA.
Another young man from the COLI
lege previously mentioned also took a.
similar position and we both signed
contracts guaranteeing each Of us
$225 for IS days Of eight hours each
during which time we were to dis
tribute the regular King James YER
sion Of the Bible and Bible Story
Books for children.
We worked throughout Southern
Minnesota in an old Model T Ford.
We completed cur work, although
the company, after we had worked
over so days, seemed to be making
things difficult, probably attempting
to force us to become disguised so
that We would quit, break our con-
tract, and thus give them so days
OF free labor.
For example, they assigned us to
territories hundreds Of miles away
stating that if we wouldn't go, our
contracts we're broken. However, our
contracts stated that we were TO work
territories agreed" upon between the
company and ourselves. We refused
to agree to these territories and did
not go. We explained our stand and
our Interpretation Of the contract. We
asked them for reply on the mat
ter, but they refused to admit or
charge us with either breaking or
adhering to our contract.
They delayed payment when my
time was up, using various stalls and
suave explanations. At that time.
owed the company o. balance for
books had ordered. I sent them pay
for all books by writing an order on
the money due me and sending the
order Witnessed and by registered
mail, return receipt requested. They
have neither sent me the books and
balance due me, nor explained ex-
actly why they did not accept the
order.
Mr.. J. j. McCoughy, attorney at
law, at Kesson, MINI, took the case
and after exchanging several letters
is Of the opinion that they are a
group of crooks. He believes we could
win the case If we sued, but it costs
almost more than the debt to sue
because the trial must be held in
Philadelphia which is far away from
Minnesota, and my funds are limited.
wrote General Hugh johnson by
registered mail. 1 received the letter
back which passed the buck to Mr..
E. c. Green of GIT 4th ST., S.W.,
Rochester, MINI. Mr.. Green is chair
man of the nearest N.R.A. Compli-
ance Board. I have written to Mr..
Green twice (the first time on Nov.
49, and to date he has not even
answered.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
PARTY LIFE
Some False Theories about
Organising g.W.4. Workers
Party District Organiser IN " est Reveals Wrong
Notions Which Handicap Fight on the N.R.A.
By KATHERINE ERICH
Dis. Organizer. Dis. %

The unemployed movement in Dis
t-ict 10 was on the downgrade during
the summer months. The Unem-
ployed Councils grew and conducted
struggles in only a few cities (Oma-
he, Lincoln, Fl. Scott and our COM
rades waited for the winter when
things would "pick up" again. With
the coming Of cold weather, the
Roosevelt administration came along
with the C.W.A. and gave jobs to a
few thousand workers. At once our
comrades felt that their plans were
"fcGled' by this act of the admin
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
MY TWO YEARS AS A WORKER
IN NEW YORK
BY MARIE 8.

Arriving IN New York sbovs two
years ago from q small town In Penn
sylvania. at the age Of sixteen, i'm
mediately started In search Of work,
for only had few dollars with me
and die not have any previous ex-
perience. After searching for two
weeks, realized that the only work
available for girl like me, would be
houSework; at this, I would at least
DO supplied with food and shelter.
After tramping through half
dozen employment agencies, I finally
secured a job as houseworker. I can
truthfully say that in about 10 months
months had to change my house
work position about seven or eight
times. / did not mind so much the
hard work that had to do from
morning ill night, but 1 always lost
my position due to the fact that I
refused to take abuse from husbands
and other male members Of the fam
lily. In most cases was promised
presents If would listen to reason:
being that did not listen to reason
it always resulted in my losing the
Job.
"0ut of the Frying Pam
About two months ago 1 was ad-
vised by a waitress friend of mine
TO look for q job as waitress, which
she said, paid better than housework.
I went to an agency on Sixth Avenue,
paid So, and was sent down to the
Gypsy Tavern" located at 81 Wash
ington Square, IN the Village.
The bosses of the Gypsy Tavern"
known as Mary and Flo Kaufman,
looked me over from head to foot,
and seemed to be pleased about nv
youth and appearance. They told me
to report at pm. the next day, and |
that my hours would be from 4 pm,
Till am.
was told that there we're no wages
out that I would average about $50
a week. They also gave me a paper
10 sign, saying that do not work
here, but that l own concession; 1 ]
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
EtOn Grill Strikers in STRUGGLE
AgainstPay asLow as 81 a Week

hard to be replaced-got 8 raise. He
got $16 week.
During the lunch hour the business
was literally paralyzed. The boss kept
calling constantly the Sixth Ave.
racketeer employment agencies and
soon more than so cooks, walters,
countermen, dishwaShers, salad men,
and bus boys rushed to get The Jobs
But as soon as they came face to face
with the strikers, they had to turn
back. One Of them exclaimed: mo
wonder the guy at the agency didn't
want any money from ME. He wanted
TO make me a strike breaker, the
s. Of b" A few, however,
went in. In his desperation, the boss
called Tor girls whom he used as
counter girls.
Demand Union Recognition
In the evening the boss sent a
delegate to ask the strikers to go
back, promising everything except
recognition Of the union. The an
swer Of the strikers was: "We'u die
on the picket line! Union recogni
ton is our cardinal denlandr"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
LW.O. Outlines Next Tasks
As Drive for Members Ends
935 Adult Members and 255 Children Enrolled
During Week Ending Jan. 18th
MA
IN MAX BEDACHT

ing in which outsiders are invited. In
these meetings the functions OF the
Order, the purposes Of the Order,
the question Of social insurance, the
duties Of the Order toward the work
ing youth, toward the working chill
dren, etc, shall be discussed. In this
connection the outlines issued by the
national office will come in handy.
These open meetings need not be
organized on large scale which will
burden the branches with special ex-
penses for leaflets, hall rent, etc.
They should be organized as regular
branch meetings, except that the
members Of the branch are agftated
to bring along to these meetings their
friends and prospective members
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22
F6N 81
lsll fll(e H(lIllseG
lAs#sN 'G @sias fe. sr 49,
COH0,JCTED BY
HELEN LUXE

AS a wOrAar lat reads the
Daily Worker, l am sending
you a story Of my experiences
as a waitress in the restaurant
known as the Gypsy Tavern where
artists and intellectuals are frequent
visitors" writes bright, industrious,
and decent, young working class girl,
whose experiences in the effort to
support herself honestly in this great
land OF freedom and plenty have been
bitter and discouraging. 81 hope"
she adds, that the artists and in
tellectuals who spend their money so
literally at the Gypsy Tavern will
sometimes give thought to the con-
dition Of the workers employed in
that place"