The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-22
Party Life
Communist Party
Recruiting Drive
In Chicago District

weeks of the membership drive
it is clear that we have not even
started the drive. An analysis of
the recruiting during October shows
that not only the quantity, that is
the number, but also the quality
that is, in composition, does not
show any improvement.
OF the 141 recruited in October.
70 per cent are unemployed. Only
20 per cent have been recruited
from trade unions, and less than
8 per cent of these from the "A. F.
of L. This clearly shows that not
withStanding the numerous discus
sions with the functionarieS and de-
spite the documents issued by the
Central Committee and the District,
the whole essence of the recruiting
drive has not been understood.
Basically it shows that the mem
bership as whole has not as yet
been modified for recruiting. 9th
erwise, there would have been more
workers from the shops and trade
unions brought into the Party.
We found numerous cases where
the letter of the Central Committee
has not even been given to the
members, or has been given out
only in the last few days. If such
a simple thing was not carried out
sooner, then surely many more cases
can be cited, where the letter was
not even discussed in the units with
the membership. So how shall we
expect to develop a real mass re-
cruiting in which every member of
the Party will participate?
The election campaign has come
to a close. During the month of
October hundreds Of thousands of
pieces of literature have been dis
tributed, hundreds of meetings have
been held, and because of the fail
ure to get the Party members, who
have been carrying on this work to
recruit into the Party while doing
this work, we have not increased
the recruiting to any considerable
extent over the previous months.
To successfully conduct this drive
we must average over 100 recruits
each week. To achieve this it is
necessary to politically mobilize
every members of the Party. 1t
is necessary to raise the question
of building the Party in connection
with every activist carried through
by the Party. 1t is necessary for
the leading committees in the sec
ton, in the mass organizations to
consciously apply the directives in
their every day work. Every men,
Der to bring a new member" means
that every Party member must be
made to understand his response
bilities. And for this the leading
committees are mainly responsible
ORG. COMMISSION, DIST. 8.
Mass Work and Recruiting
INIT sos, jefferson Park Unit Of
v Section 5, Chicago, offers an ex-
cellent example of proper methods
of recruiting. The united front is
here carried into practice. The unit
has been concentrating on the S. P
branch in Jefferson Park for a long
time. The unit members have been
bringing all the Party campaigns
into this branch and have succeeded
in making friends with some of the
S. P. members.
AT the last unit meeting our COM
rades invited one Socialist worker
to their unit meeting to discuss the
united front. This Socialist worker
will be instrumental in bringing
about united front actions with the
unit on some issues, for example,
November "a. This is not an isolated
case with Unit sos. They are ap-
plying the same method on a paint
ers' local with two good prospects
for recruiting. Obviously the COM
radeS in this unit are taking the
Central Committee letter on recruit
ing seriously.
But we must draw other conclu-
sionS besides. This unit is the best
In its dues average, in its Daily
Worker drive and in the election
campaign. Recruiting is part and
parcel of all the campaigns of the
Party. The Section, in analyzing
this units work presents it to the
membership as an example of prop
er combining of mass work and re-
cruiting and alters the worker an
other unit as the exact opposite.
Unit $40, on the North Side, is
quite unaware of recruiting cam
pa1gn in the Party. 1t is in the
neighborhood which has real pro-
letarian elements and which is vir-
gin soil as far as the Party is con-
cerned. This unit concentrates on
car barn and on painters local
1t carries on consistent work at this
local union.
AT Its last meeting some comrades
In the unit raised the question OF
liquidating the unit and merging
with another unit because we are
only IL comrades and we don't
really live in our unit territory"
The Section raised the question
of recruiting some new member,
into the unit. The comrades dis.
ON>SSSN OAAAo 4ACoOlOll DIS IL lIleY mac
never really thought about it be.
lore. Here are some high lights ii
The discussion: only UNEMPLOYED
workers can be recruited
Street car men will not join :
Painters are too backward"
The Section raised the question
Who buys the five Daily Worker
each day on the stand near tn,
car barn? What painters regularl,
take our literature?' A conrad,
reported, Il know two street ca
men who buy the Daily Works.
every day." The unit then decided
to establish contact with the Dali,
Worker readers and develop it's re
cruiting through them.
The Section must examine tn,
reaction of its alnits to the recruit
ing drive and politically mobiliz,