The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-27

stressed the need of winning the
middle class:
In order to bring socialism in
to being, and afterwards to main
tain it, the proletariat has two
fold task to perform. 1t must,
by It's heroism in the revolutionary
fight gainst capitalism, carry with
it the whole mass of the working
and exploited people, organize
them, and lead them to the over
throw of the bourgeoisie and the
complete destruction of every kind
of resistance. 1t must also lead
the entire body of workers, as well
as all the petit bourgeois strata of
society, in breaking the ground
for the enonomic reconstruction
of society, while it creates a new
bond of social union, new dis
cipline Of labor, new organiza-
ton of work, which will avail itself
OF the latest discoveries of science
and of the advantages of cap
italist technique. In this way the
masses of conscious workers,
welded closely together, will carry
through the work of socialist pro-
duction on large scale" GeDin,
the Great Initiative, PIP. 1870.
Unemployment of Technicians
Today, these words apply with
special force to the technicians, the
scientists, the engineers, the econ
onists, etc. In these groups we have
those who know most thoroughly
the enormous productive capacities
which are kept out of use from
considerations of capitalist profit.
In these groups we also witness the
greatest devastation from the crisis.
the proportion of unemployment
being higher than in any category
of workers except perhaps in the
building trades. These highly skilled
technicians see the capitalist sys-
tenn diScarding them and their skill
as Superhous; they see their capac-
tiles being destroyed through nom
use over many years. 1t is typical
of this condition, to take current
local example, that engineers who
designed and constructed the Eighth
Avenue Subway are today work.
ing in the change booths, exchang-
ing nickels for dimes and quarters,
for a wage of about $40 for so
to 10 hour week, and glad to get
the job.
On the other hand, our unem-
ployed technicians, or those unpro-
ductively employed on a charity
basis, have constantly before their
eyes the spectacle of gigantic con-
struction going on in the Soviet
Union, with largely new, relatively
unskilled, cadre of technicians, who
perform miracles because the chains
of private property have been moved
from their hands. 1t is impossible
for our American technicians not
to dream about what marvels they
could accomplish in the United
States, if they were simply called
upon to bring into full exercise all
the productive forces already exist
ing without regard to profit and
private-property considerations.
A Plan for U. S. Workers
There is not the slightest reason
why our technicians should not con-
tinue to dream about this subject.
Certainly, they have little else to
occupy their minds of a construc-
tive character. This should even
be encouraged, all the more since a
growing mass of workers, already
looking upon themselves as repre-
senting the future masters of So
ciety, are looking about for the ini-
tial cadres to help in the coming
tasks of Transforming American
economy on a planned socialist
basis.
What could be better than to or
ganize our technicians, the best that
can be found (and the very best
are available), for the purpose OF
giving a scientific and detailed an
swer to the question, what could
be done with the full employment
of all workers and technicians, in
the fullest possible exploitation OF
existing machinery and natural re-
sources, with all capitalist limita-
tions removed, toward raising the
standards of life of the whole popu-
lation at a progressively accelerated
rate.
Certainly there would be a ire
mendous value in such Workers
and Technicians' Plan for the United
States, without regard to any differ
ences of opinion that may exist
among us on the questions as tt
how eventually such a plan will be
brought into successful operation
Speaking for the revolutionary work.
ers, Would issue this challenge tt
the technicians: Answer these ques.
tions for us, and we, the workers
will find the answer as to how tt
carry out this plan in life.