davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
NRA Fascist Says Darroqv Board Member

of smaller, less profitable plants
and concentration in larger, more
efficient units has been able to
enforce greater Speed-up and
stretch out on the workers who
are employed. A desire for the
maximum production during the
shorter working hours of the
codes has been ADDED to this
speed up. Although hourly
rates in certain industries have
been raised under the codes, re-
ductiOn of hours has meant that
weekly earnings have in no meas
ure kept pace with the rise in
hourly rates. Nor have weekly
earnings increased anyW n ere
nearly as fast as production and
prices.
The actual result OF the MIRA
codes has been merely a continu-
alton of the stagger system under
which more workers are attach
ed to the payroll put all are re-
ceiving wholly inadequate earn
ings. The minimum wages es-
tablished under the codes have
tended to become the maximum,
thus dragging down the general
average of all wages. Even these
minimum wages have given no
relief to Negroes or to many
other categories of lower-paid
workers.
Presumably as a guarantee
against such results of industrial
combination labor was given in
: Section Z (a) of the National In
dustrial Recovery Act, the right
to collective bargaining through
Representatives of its own choos-
ing. Step by step that section
has been Transformed into its OPP
pOsite- vehicle for employers
to force through compulsory ar
bitratiOn and company unionism.
The inclusion of the notorious
merit" clause in the automobile
code together with later official
interpretations of Section (a)
legalized the open shop. Collect
i've bargaining through repre-
sentatives of workers own choos
ing" was further nullified by
NRA Interpretation of Section
7 ta) as not preeluding company
unions. Compulsory arbitration
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

PORTLAND. Ore.-The hui
manitarian ethics which domi,
nate the administration of re.
lief have been amply illustrated
here by the attitude of relief
officials towards a young man
slowly dying OF tuberculosis. The
H. b. victim, a member of the
Civic Emergency Federation,
militant Portland unemployed
group, has been suffering from
hemhOrrages, and. although fran,
tic calls were sent out to the
county authorities for medical
attention few days ago, no
doctor was sent to attend the
case. The young fellow, who has
grown gaunt and pale through
hunger and constant suffering.
cOughed blood for three nights
while county relief officials re-
NAMED cody indifferent to his
case.
Cut Off Milk Supply
To climax the situation the
welfare unit last Sunday ordered
his supply of milk cut off, there
by denying him the basic essen
tial in his fight against the in
roads of r. b.
The Rose City local Of the CEF
has called a mass demonstration
for the local welfare unit and
are militantly determined to
fight the ease through. As one
member remarked, Let them
throw us in Jail. As soon as some
of us are arrested, others will
be there to fight the case
through. Miss Goodman (ROse
City district relief head and
other relief officials are directly
responsible for that boys life
If he dies they will have murd-
cred him. Let them explain that
in the court
Unemployment Council Plans
Fight
The Beaumont branch of the
Unemployment Councils is aid
ing the Rose City CEF local in
the fight. This is a case above
all others, says l.. A. Dahlstrom,
chairman of the MultnOmah
County Federation of unem-
plOyed," that should command
the militant and undivided sup
port of every unemployed person
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
Thompson Declares Workers And
Farmers Govt Only Way Out

old policy is evidenced by the
statement that the Code Author
ties of approved codes will
amend" the price-tiXing provi-
SiOnS. In other words, as the sup
Elementary report stated, mon
OpOliStic combinations are eX-
pected to enforce against them
selves, a law to prevent mono
ply"
In view of this, and as result
of my contact with the workings
of the National recovery Adj
minstratiOn through membership
on the Recovery Review Board,
have been forced 70 the follow
ing conclusions:
The trend of the National Re-
covery Administration has been
and continues to be toward the
encouragement and development
of monopoly capitalism in the
United States.
The MIRA handed over to trade
associations dominated by the
largest corporations in the var
ious industries, the formulation
of codes of fair competition with
out representation OF the con-
Sumers or workers. Whenever
A F of L unions have been repre-
sented as in the clothing indus
! tries, for example, the labor lead
ers have shown by their acts that
their chief concern is in the inte-
rest of big business. The adj
minstration of the codes has
been left to code authorities
composed primarily of trade ass
ociation executives. Through
their dominating position in var
ious industries, these larger
icorporations through inter-com,
pany relationships, and by con
troll of markets and raw mate.
rails, have been able to dictate
prices, wage scales, trade practi-
ces and other vital matters. AS
Donald r. Richberg, General
Counsel to the NRA, promised in
his address at the BabsOn Insti.
tnte, September s, 1888: Trade
associations can police the mem.
bers of an industry so as to make
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
Turn Deaf Ears To Plea
For tuberculosis Victim

in the state. This Is a case that
exposes the administrators of re-
lief as the most brutal gang OF
pirates and murderers ever in
vested with the power OF life and
death over their fellow humans
The Civic Emergency Fedora.
tion has requested that Doctor
Bellinger, State II. b. Hospital,
Salem, Oregon and Miss Goodman,
Rose City Relief Unit, 5Oth and
Thompson streets, Portland.
Oregon, be flooded with letters
and organizations throughout
the Pacific coastal district. de-
manding that Robert Swanson
be Immediately admitted to the
state r. b. Hospital.
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

OF special importance to all
readers of the Voice of Action is
the statement to President
Roosevelt by w. A. Thompson,
Chicago attorney, on the Occa-
sion of his resignation from the
DarrOW NRA Review Board.
The complete tex, is printed
below. The emphasis is ours.
My dear Mr.. President:
| hand you herewith my resig-
nation as a member of the Nat
iOnal Recovery keview Board.
In this connection | wish to
point out that / alone am res
pOnsible for the preparation and
the conclusion of the special sup
Elementary report filed with you
together with the first report of
the Review Board. Mr.. Clarence
s. DarrOw also signed this supp
! m entary report and |
shall leave to his judiciOus ex-
PLANTATION his reasons for doing
so since Mr.. Mason, counsel to the
Board, has stated that Mr.. OAR
row was forced" to sign this
document.
The National Recovery Review
Board was established to ascer-
tain and report to you whether
ANY code, or codes of fair CON-
petition. . . are designed to pro.
mote mOnopOlies, or to eliminate
or Cypress small enterprises The
report of the Review Board sub
mitted to you, clearly indicated
that small business is being eli
minated and oppressed by mono
pOlistic trade practices written
into the codes. IL revealed also
the domination OF code authori
ties by the largest producers in
each industry which we investi
gated.
The publication of our report
was the occasion for an unjusti
fled attack by General johnson
the Labor Advisory Board, anC
other agents and supporters o.
monopoly capital. They assaileC
us bitterly for doing the yer,
thing we had been appointed
to do, namely, to head, investi
gate and report on the comp
laints of small business men.
The purpose of their attack wal
to divert public attention from
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

it made as a result OF
many months of study.
Showing that the MIRA fat
tened the profits of the Wall
Street mOnOpOlieS rough
Speed-up, wagc-cuts and higher
cost of living, Thompson stated
that only "a change IN the class
rClatiOnShipS-Only a govern
mcnt by the workers and farm
Crs can plan production, pro
ducc goods for use and not for
profit, eliminate poverty and
raise the living standards of the
entire population"
The complete text of ThOmp-
sons statement appears on
Page 3.
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
Portland JObleSS
Will Fight Forced
Labor Relief Plan

PORTLAND, Ore.-Meeting in
regular bi-mOnthly session, Mon
day, at the Unemployed Unity
Center, 6S s. w. Alder Street, the
Central Council of the Civic
Emergency Federation flayed the
recent ultimatum of relief Offic-
ials here that unemployed must
go to work in the berry fields or
be removed from relief rolls.
CharacteriZing the proposal as
a trend toward forced labor such
as now exists in NaZi Germany,
the Unemployed Federation We
hemently attacked the decree and
urged all unemployed to refuse
to be "depOrted" to the berry
fields unless guaranteed mini
mum of fifty cents an hour for
their labor.
Numerous cases OF entire fami-
lies working for from forty cents
to a dollar a day were presented
to the council as evidence of the
contention that the ultimatum
of the relief officials constituted
an adoption of forced labor prin-
ciples.
ITO say that the unemployed
won't work is to deliberately
falsify the ISSUE" declared G. W.
LawhOrn, chairman of the group
Our organization has consistent.
~ demanded work but work
that guarantees a wage return ir
line with decent and adequate
living standards. Such de.
mand, we earnestly believe, is
in strict keeping with the tradi
tiOnal spirit that mOtivated the
American pioneer worker. Oul
people are not poems willing tC
sacrifice their lives for the hollow
laudatiOns of responsibility of
fOred by domineering interests
We want work-we demand worl
but we are not willing or prepar
ed to starve in order to Obtair
that work. That is our ultima
tum to the relief officials.
Plan Picket Line
Pickets, it is intimated, will b,
placed in front OF the various
welfare officials.
Reports were also made to TIT
body that county doctors have
on several occasions, refused t.
attend emergency cases involv
ing jobless patients. The case
young man dying of Tubercu
uosis in Rose City who has beef
consistently refused medical at
tention was placed before tn
council. A call will be issued TO
public sympathy and support o.
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

3sure that recalcitrant minOritieS
will not engage in unfair connie
titiOn and destroy a cooperative
program of stable, profitable OPP
eratiOns" for the largest prOdu
GERS. As a result of these cOndi-
lions, small business is being OPP
pressed to the point or extinction
or is forced to meet the intenSiti-
ed competition in the cost of pro-
ductiOn at it's most vulnerable
point the wage scale.
NRA Cuts Food Consumption
For the broad consuming mass
es of the population, this govern
ment of industry by mOnOpOlistic
combinations has already result
ed in a marked increase in prices.
This, in turn, has caused a drop
in consumption of goods. Con-
trary to the seasonal trend, gro
Gerry chain store sales for the
month of April dropped percent
from the March level. According
to the wholesale grocery trade
demand has slumped since May
until sales are below the levels
of early May a year ago" The
New York Evening Post May %,
1884, commenting editOrially on
a news item for the first quarter
of this year were below the same
period in 1888" stated: I'm other
words, despite the talk of eX.
panding mass purchasing power
despite recovery in business,
people consumed less food dur
ing the first quarter of this year
than in the first quarter of last
year, the bottom of the depres.
sion"
Also as a result of high prices
and decreased purchasing power
the textile industry has been for
ced to resort to a Is percent cur
tailment of production. In other
words, the amount of goods that
can be bought by workers will
the declining real earnings has
dropped as a result of price ad
vances created by monOpolistiC
practices.
MIRA Increases Speed-Up
Monopoly, with its elimination
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

sthe clear content of our findings
which showed the growing en-
enlargement of monopolis tic
combinations and practices by
the National Recovery Admins
tration.
Without my knowledge and
without my signature, the Re
Govery Review Board has recent
ly dune 8, 1884 issued a state
ment hailing the newly annouLc-
ed NRA price fixing policy. 1t
declares that the NRA thus ac-
knOwledges the truth of our find
ings and has provided a means
by which the mOnopOlistic prac-
tees we revealed and protested
are now to be curbed and abOll-
shed"
Maneuver to Hide NRA Monopoly
That this statement of the Re-
view Board is merely maneu-
yer by which it hopes to re-est&b-
lish itself in the gOoG graces OF
the National Recovery Admins
tratiOn is patent from careful
examination of the real chara
cter of the announced price-tiX-
ing policy. For this policy re-
presents no change in admins
trative procedure that will in
any way abolish" the mOnOpOl-
istic practices and their cOnse-
quences revealed in our report.
According to Mr.. Johnson's
statement, the new policy does
not affect codes already approx
ed" Practically all major indust,
ries are now operating under ap-
proved codes. According to div.
ision of Research and planning
figures, 6S percent of 1926 codes
studies contained price fixing
provisions of one kind or anoth.
er. The industries still to be con.
sidered are inthe main small ind.
ustritl groups. Just how, then,
does the newly announced pol
icy eliminate monopolisric prac-
tees. If it does not apply to APP
proved codes?
The announcement of the new
price-fixing policy is merely a
device to calm an aroused public
realization of the extent of mon.
opolistic practices. That it does
not represent any change. but
rather the continuation of the
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The
Workers Ex-Service Mems Lea
que, Post Sc, of Bellingham, has
been carrying on a militant
struggle here for some time in
fighting for relief for all veter-
ans without discrimination re-
gardless of race, creed, color or
political utilization.
The w. f. S. L. has also sup
ported the farmers and unem-
plOyed In their struggles for a
better standard of living, cash
relief for all, unemployment and
social insurance at the expense
of the government and employ
ers.
A committee from the w. F..
s. L. visited the county commits
siOners this morning in regards
to blanks they had filed with
the relief committee of the Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars to draw
funds from the Soldiers and Sail
Ors INDECENT Fund. Upon in
quiring from the county COM
missiOneTs why their applica-
tiOn for relief from the Soldiers
and Sailors INDECENT Fund was
denied them, COmrade George
Bradley and A. B. Plummer were
informed that their claim was re-
jected because the applicants
were KNOWN COMMUNISTS.
Bradley A Year In France
George Bradley volunteered
with the Thirty-first r. r. En-
gineers at Seattfc and spent
thirteen months overseas.
A. B. Plummer served four
months on the line with the
First American Contingent to
Italy; he had an individual
transfer to France for special
duty and was discharged as a
biologist from the Central Lab
oratOry A. E. F.
Charles Watson was vOlun-
teer and served nine months
overseas with the heavy ar.
tillery.
These three comrades have de-
voted a lot of their time and
efforts toward lettering the
standards of living of the work
ing class and now are deprived
of the benefits of a fund ere
ated as a reward for their val
liant services.
Betrayers of Vets Named
The small group of Fascist
leaders who have been success
full in getting themselves into
the positions of authority with
the relief committee of the Vet
Grams of Foreign Wars are:
Julian Brown; A. II. Howard,
proprietor of Towards Stop
and Shop Grocery, and George
+. ROhde.
The w. f. S. L. Post is get
ting out leaflets exposing the
leadership of the V. F. w. and
American Legion and calling on
the rank and file of the veter-
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

We are also calling on all ex-
service men and veterans to
support the w. f. S. L. in their
fight against this discrimination
and go to the county commits
siOnerS in one large body June
26 to demand that this discrimi-
nation be stopped and that all
veterans be given relief from
this fund regardless of race,
creed. color or political affilia-
lions.
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29

Yunder various forms of labor
boards" the National Labor
Board, Industrial relat on S
boards, the Automobile Labor
Board, etc, have deprived labor
of its only effective weapon in en-
forcing collective bargaining
the strike. In Gallup, n. Mex. +;
Imperial Valley, Cal; Birming-
ham, Ala, and Toledo, Ohio,
when workers struck to enforce
collective bargaining their civil
rights as American workers have
been violated by martial law,
sweeping injunctiOns, arrests and
the most brutal suppression, in
Guiding murder, by employers
and government forces. No less
than a dozen workers have been
killed in recent strikes of long
shOremen, miners, and aut o
workers.
Thus the MIRA clearly reflec is
it's class character as an attempt
of the capitalists to find a way
out of the crisis by passing the
burdens onto the shoulders OF
the masses of workers and farm.
ers. The NRA reflects the in.
ability of so-called enlightened
capitalism" to operate a planned
economy" to improve the living
standards of the masses. ITS
DEVELOPMENT DAY BY DAY
REVEALS MORE CLEARLY A
MARKED TREND WAR D
FAsCIsM IN THE UNIT E D
STATES.
The only solution involves 9
change in class relationships
Only a government by the work
ers and farmers can plan produc
tion, produce goods for use ant
mot for profit, eliminate povert!
and raise the standards of livinI
of the entire population.
tSigned) W. o. THOMPSON
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
Demand Martin
Free FrandSen
Case Victims

SEAITLE. TO demand the
unconditional release of the
Frandsen Eviction fighters, the
chairmen of the locals of the I'm
employed Citizens League went
to Olympia June Il.
Unable to see Governor Mar
tin, the workers left letter with
| c. f. Malone, president of Cen
trail Federation, who remained
over in Olympia. Gle tried to
present it with a local commit
tee, Friday.
This committee was also UNI
able to see Martin. They pre-
scented the letter to the secre-
tary who promised to see that
it was answered.
The letter follows. To date it
has not been answered.
To the Governor OF the
State of Washington,
Clarence ID. Martin
Sir:
We, the undersigned, a com
mittee composed of the chair
men of locals of the Unemployed
Citizens League, inform you that
upon our visit here yesterday we
found you absent.
This committee was charged
with the specific duty of calling
to your attention and seeking
action on your part in regard to
the Victims in the Frandsen
Eviction case. In view of the
preceding subject matter that
failure on your part to the Mora
forum Bill, the persistent re-
fusal on your part to adjust
Through your Executive Power
this miscarriage of justice; the
added fact that the President
of the United States and the De-
partment of Justice, both in cor
respOndence with the Frandsen
victims, point out the response
bility as lying in yOur hands and
stating that after the release of
these men steps will be taken
by them and to recover the
Frandsen home.
These political prisoners, ere
ated by conditions over which
they have no control ARE not
criminals. They have completed
serving over one half of the time
levied upon them by courts and
further incarceration will only
add to the ipdignity heaped
upon these citizens.
Therefore, now be it resolved
that we demand the immediate
and unconditional release of all
persons now imprisoned in con-
nection with the Frandsen Case.
(Signed)
NJ. Densmore, Interplay.
G. Malone, Central.
Stike, N. Ballard.
Walker, S. Ballard.
Jackson, Capitol Hill.
Jackson, Renton.
York, Fremont.
Bailey, Bothell.
and representatives of Down
town and Georgetown locals.
Subscribe to the Voice Of Action
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
Ask Doctors Removal

CENTRALIA-Demanding the
removal of Doe
tor Stack as County Doctor,
stating that he has proven in
competent and Indifferent in
handling relief cases and de-
manding that the unemployed
be allowed to call in doctors
of their own choosing, the Lew,
lis County Committee of Action
is circulating petitions through
the county.
The Committee announces that
1t expects to have 1000 signers
within u very short while.
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
Capitalist Sheet
Attacks New Ship
Yard Publication
BY JAMES TANNER

pN A@hAN@NA ~AN
BREMERTON, June 22-The
first issue of q new militant
monthly, The Yark Worker has
in it its first week made its in
fluence effective enough in the
Navy Yard to disturb the peace
of mind of the Bremerton bosses
an attract the support of hun
dreds of workers.
So dangerous to their con-
tinued oppression of underpaid
employees is the new magazine
that it has been welcomed to its
field by IL vicious attack from
the Searchlight column of the
capitalist Daily News.
Calling for united front
against the recent 10 per cent
wage cut of all federal employees,
protesting tgainst further lay
offs and fighting for a 3O-hOur
week without cuts and abolition
of second and third class ratings,
the Yard Worker has become a
rallying cry to represent the
workers. For its courageous
drive into this new field it has
been stigmatized in SanctimOni-
Gus phrases by the Daily News,
which has not hesItated to dis
tort facts and stOOp to misreprt-
SentatiOn. Not content with this
the scribbIer responsible for the
Searchlight has even quoted
Scripture.
Thou has a mighty aim! Strong
is Thy hand and high is Thy right
hand. Justice and judgment are
thy habitatiOn, etc"
Interpreted rightly, this is a
fine praise of the proletariait---
but read CThe article is so
full of holes it fill apart OF its
own weight of calumny. But sup
pose we tear a few more holes
in this fabric of lies 80 a
casual observer the well paid in
telligent force of the big govern
ment plant would seem poor
ground for theories that have
attained nearly all of their sue
cess among the dOwntrodden---
DOWntrOdden workers unite!---
High principled labor leaders
have done much to improve the
lot of the working man. land
more to improve the lot of the
bosses. The article dares to men
ton the A. +. of l.. in this con
nectiOn but does no; care to
mention the A. F. of l.. in this
connection but does not care to
mention the attempted sell-Out
of the rank and file by high
principled" leaders,
Praising the old guard though
it admits the A. F. of L is mot
always right" tn Seachlight
goes on to attack the Com.
munists with such falsehOOds
as they seldom come out in the
open and never Oiier cOnstruc-
tive program" Capitalist hacks
will stop at nothing, every well.
informed worker knows that the
Communists offer the only con-
structivt program for the future
of the prOletariat, and as for
never coming out in the open"
The Yark Workers publica-
tion itself gives the lie to that.
The end of the article we quote
without comment except that
intelligent workers called to
choose between Capitalism and
Communism will know to which
class the 'sneaking back-biters"
belOng---the article ends "A
fair fighter, a man who says what
he thinks in the open and is pre-
Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-06-29
SAME OLD STORY
with Variations

A woman from Interplay
told her home visitor that
she had figured that her
voucher allowed DC per per
son per meal.
Are you eating THREE
meals a day? Lots of people
are doing on two. Two are
enough If you buy wisely"
The II year old boy of
this family lost 3 pounds
during the Easter vacation.