The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-09
AFL Heads View NRA

IN THIS THRESHOLD of the year, the portly
officials Of the A. F. Of L. survey the New Deal and
tell the workers why they should be thankful.
The Green-Lewis- Hillman bureaucracy is so close
y tied with the government in all its actions con-
corning the workers that they find it emnently
ssTy to go to very long detailed explanation of the
results Of the NRA The greater part of the years
review Of the New Deal is an apology
What they strive mainly to achieve is to keep
up the workers faith in the NRA, hold back strike
struggles and attempt hold the workers firmly tied
70 the mady racing chariot Of Wall Streets imitation
and program
Here a little medicine man skill is required No
will deny that Green Is especially apt in this
regard
The A F. OF L. economic medicine men hand the
workers few bitter pills to swallow, but then they
sweater their poison pellets thickly they hope the
worker will not realize how he damaged
Regarding wages, the A. F. OF L. declares:
In wages there have been definite gains under
codes for the lowest wage groups; but workers of
average or higher wages have been forced to lower
living standard. Meanwhile food prices are up 7
per cent and prices of clothing and furnishings are
higher by 81 per cent, that workers real buying
power is considerably lower"
The majority of the workers, according to the
A F. of L. officials report suffered actual wage cuts
And workers had their real wages cu-their real
buying power is considerable lower"
In short through the working Of the NRA the
minimum is becoming the maximum and the stand
ards Of living Of the workers being driven down.
WHO is responsible for this? The A. F. Of L. lead
" ers do not blame the usual straw-man, "the
chseling" bosses The process is too widespread and
covers every worker in the country. Those respon-
sbe the Roosevelt government acting in the in
terest of the dominant ruling capitalist clique with
the aid of the A F. of L. leaders who helped break
Of their living standards.
Then the A. F. of L. claims that employment was
increased. But the National Industrial Conference
Board, surveying for hard-headed business men who
do not want to fool emSelves declares that employ
ment in October was no better than in June (when
the NRA was first passed..
On this point there is agreement between these
boss agencies, because each has different purpose
to The A F. Of L. has to fool the workers but
the bosses do not want to fool themselves.
The bulk of the A. F. of L. review" is concerned
with the question OF imitation. On the face it ap-
pears as trenchsnt argument against imitation. Let's
about that.
When it comes to huge subsidies for the banks
squeezed out of the hides of the workers the A. F.
Of L. ofdcialdom is for that type Of imitation. For
they say:
Government credit extended to business banks
railroads and agriculture increased during the year
by $S,0O000O,OOO To this government credit we owe
large measure of progress toward recovery"
Only liar Scoundrel could be guilty Of such
distortion. What the government subsidies account
for is the recovery" in dividend and interest pay
ment to the parasites, because already have the
admission the A. F. of L. that the general level of
wages were lowered through the MIRA
The A. F. of L. supports the particular type of
imitation that suits the big bankers and the RooSe-
welt regime. They declare There are various kinds
Of imitation, constructive some very destructive
OF course constructive" imitation is the one that
best constructs profits and the capitalist system with
its foundations deep in the vtals Of the workers That
kind of initiation the A. F. Of L. ofcialdom is for
While the fact is that every type and kind of in
faton, no matter how disguised, slices the workers
bread thinner and steals food out of his family's
mouth
Green 81 Co. fully approve huge subsidies to the
bankers and industrals, but deadly silent about
unemployment insurance. They say not a word about
the colossal subsidies while millions of workers
starve, though the A. F. of L. ociadom in this docu-
ment again forced to admit more than 10 900 900
are without jobs. Unemployment figures in the hands
Of A F. of L. takers volatile things One time
it is 100000 Suddenly becomes 100000 and Just
as suddenly 100000.
AsTLY the A. F. of L. oacialdom remember the
huge strike OF last year. Whatever they write
whatever they tell the workers they know that the
SSAiN@VOAHo AZ
and that there will be resistance, perhaps more than
ever before. The danger arises, they see, that
the whole fakery of the MIRA will become clear to
the workers.
So they begin to criticize the NRA and warn"
of its dangers. 1--WE may expect an era of artificial
price-raising and limitation of production" they say
This would tend to check the rise of living standards
for all through production and lower prices and
to divert wealth away from the workers to the hands
Of investors"
In short this description of the growing crush
ing burden of advancing monopoly capitalism stinu-
lating and nurtured by the N.R.A. like poisonous
fungus growth
How shall this be foughtp Here Is where the
A. F. of L. officials show their true coIors as the
slimest minions OF big capital. They appeal for
greater representation the NRA. for the A. F. of
L. takers in order to keep struggles from developing
down below in the mines, shops mills, on the rail-
roads.
If codes are to establish effective machinery for
general upward progress in living standards then work
ers who producers and consumers must be repre-