The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-01

WASHINGTON, Feb. %. - The
foacs,ng is the full text Of the
sreeoh delivered by Robert Minor,
ge.,celrsn of the Communist
fa-ty, befc-e the N.R.A. open hear
'ags now in session here:
Speech or ROBERT MINOR
ar. Chairman: hope the rules
viii not be SO applied as to limit the
discussion to minor disagreements
vita the N.R.A. We very basically
disagree with the MIRA. As Mr..
Richberg correctly stated this morn
ing; We cannot expect advocates of
spacicl OF particular interests to be
impartial we are not impartial.
We represent the workers. Neverthe-
less, we have very definite and con-
crete proposals to present here-pro-
pcsals which represent the immedi-
ate needs Of the workers.
America and all other capitalist
nations are now in the fifth year Of
the deepest, the longest and most
destructive economic crisis in the his
tory OF the world
This is a period OF profound change
"a period Of cataclysrns. The rise
Of fascism and preparations for the
second World War are to be seen on
all sides and in our own country
there are distinct signs of the pro-
cess OF developing fasciSm while
preparation for war is progressing at
2 rate Unprecedented in peace time.
it is necessary that the masses of
ne American people think Of funda-
nenJGls nov
Unemployment, like Q monstrous
epidemic, is r2vaging the lives of
the American working people.
There WIS IN uptuln during the
simmer md early fsI. Employ
nen5 Isl the manufacturing indus
tries, according TO the figures of
Wiilian Grc21, reese from 55 per
cent Il The 1926 index in March,
70 s4 in October. This was due
parity 60 speculation or rising
Br.ecs ard Partly 20 increased pro-
duct,On IN preparation for war. The
instability 0G this increagc is shown
By inc Developments since October.
From the INDEX figure Of u in that
month, employment has dropped to
GIG IN yS--ary. According TO the
q. 4. OF i. figures, unemployment
has Increased steadily for five sue
ccszive months. In January alone,
according TO Mr. Green, the num-
bcr Of unemployed increased
c..ccGy o2l,C09 in manufacturing
industries. Figures carefuily pre-
rareG by the Labor Research Asso-
c.asiBn IL New York City show
a.r2tIar Increase in unemployment,
D-acing inc total unemployed dur
jng the month Of December at 15,-
f33o0G These figures include
r-c--ll-----s temporarily engaged in
eva. jobs-workers who are now
being laid off wholesale and who
will all be jobless by May l, with
certainly no prospect Of industrial
PRODUCTIONS increasing at rate
sufficient to absorb them.
Lower Standards
The American Federation Of
Labors Monthly Survey of Business
for January declared that the over
whelming majority of American
workers "haye been forced to lower
living standard" Only thos9 work
ers in the lowest wage group, the
sweatshop industries, had gained. /
read from the survey: 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"
The problem of unemployment is
not being solved. 1t is not being
solved by the MA. nor by any in
dependent recovery feature.
The objective of the N.R.A.-"Six
million re-employed by September
1st"-has not been realized. The
figure given by Secretary Tckes and
repeated by General johnson this
morning, 100000 re-employed, is
not correct
The N.R.A3s way Of dealing with
unemployment, in any event, does
not abolish unemployment 1t in
creases the degree OF exploitation Of
labor. 1t increases the stock Of I'M
sold goods in proportion to the wages
Of the workers which form the basis
Of the home market. For instance,
in the iron and steel industry, the
backbone of the country economi-
cally, from December 1892, to De-
eember 1888:
Employment increased. :. $3.50
Production increased. ...... 1919
Pay rolls increased. ......... $50
Wage ccst per unit Of pro-
duction DECLINED. 1891
Thus we see a lowered labor cost
OF 16 per cent, while there was an
increase in the price Of iron and steel
products of 6 per cent. The rate of
exploitation Of labor increased &c per
cent in iron and steel
Sharpens Unemployment
These figures, covering the most
basic of all industries, are given
merely by way of illustration of the
fact that the NR.A. does not answer
the problem Of unemployment, but
saaTpens it. Other industries can be
AIKEN.
IN manufacturing industries such