davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
1,O12 Join |. w. O. in 18th
Week of Membership Drive
1866 Members, 1877 Children, Joined Order
in Drive; Results Due to Active Members
BY MAX BEDACHT

The 18th week Of the campaign,
cut of a total Of 1912 applications,
brought only Al applicants for Eng
lish branches. This is per cent
Of the total. During the whole cam
paign, the 462 members won for the
English speaking branches are Just S
per cent Of the total of $685..
II the campaign would be con-
Quoted in France or Germany, it
would be natural that only 3 per
cent Of the total members won, were
recruited for English branches. But
the campaign is conducted in Amer
lea. Here this result is not so self
explanatory.
We see from this result that the
attention paid to the building Of the
English section is negligible. This
means that our campaign has no
conscious political perspective.
To overcome this weakness re-
quireS some propaganda. The Ma
tional Executive Committee recog-
nizes this. Therefore it has decided
to initiate special efforts in the COM
ing Spring to propaganda the mem
6ership and to educate it TO an IN
Outstanding Of the importance of the
growth of the Order among the
American workers. This propaganda
campaign will be connected with an
organizational effort to strengthen
our existing English branches.
Membership Books
The membership books decided
upon by our Convention are now
ready for shipment. They are a
combination Of bylaws and mem
bership book.
In order to overcome any confu-
sion arising with regard to dement's
to which members are entitled, the
membership book provides for the
insertion by the Secretary Of the
benefit classes and option that the
member holds.
The membership books for the old
members have to be made out by
the secretaries. For every new mem
Der won by the branch or assigned
to the branch after January LIST, a
membership book will be sent to the
branch from the national office.
All Of our comrades should &C
quaint themselves intimately with the
Order and it will avoid any conflict
or confusion.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
WHY SHOP PAPERS?
BY ROBERT FROST

What! Issue shop paper? Never
that would be terrible-it would
spoil eyerything-it would expose our
unit to the boss-it would raise "red
scare"--it would connect the Party
With the union-etc., etc. Many COM
rades are willing for shop papers to
be issued In all shops except their
own. The principle is correct, but
Our shop Is an exception; the boss
is liberal; he lets us sell pamphlets
to the workers, he even allows the
Daily Worker to be sold in the shop"
We have heard these arguments given
from a number of small shops.
Let us examine these objections in
the light of our experince with the
many shops where shop papers were
issued. Let us examine them with
the perspective given us by the Open
Letter. The Extraordinary Party
Conference gave us the sharpest and
most critical analysis of shop work,
laying down as the basis for correct
agitation the issuing of monthly shop
papers.
First, in the shops where papers
have been appearing regularly, the
shop paper has been the voice of the
shop nucleus in its efforts to interest
the workers in the program of action
presented by the nucleus. The work
ers will read and discuss this pro-
gram, II presented in the popular
language Of the shop; they rec
ognize that force is alive in the
shop to champion their interests in
the struggles with the boss on every
grievance. The workers react to the
Interpretation the paper gives Of
these struggles as part OF the struggle
OF the entire working class against
the capitalist class.
In past numbers OF the Party Or
ganizer there have appeared reports
as follows: after issuing the first
number Of our shop paper, four more
workers were sic / up, because the
paper was discus in the shop and
our members were there to bring
them to the meeting" This is only
one quotation picked at random
showing the value of the shop as an
organizer and recruiting instru-
ment IN the hands OF the shop
nucleus.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
ROulStOn'S Keeps
Clerks Working
81 Hours a Week
By a Worker Correspondent

STATEN ISLAND, N. VI am
employed by Roulston's who display
the Blue Eagle in all their store
windows. The clerks are supposed
to work 48 hours a week.
The managers receive large cir
cular letter from Brooklyn every
morning telling us how to attract
and bleed all the pennies we can,
especially from the women custom
ers. In this circular is a warning
not to work She clerks according to
the NRA code; but Superintendent
Ross and his assi5.ants tell the man.
ayers to keep the clerks working in
GLIDING noon hour. The result is
that the non-militant clerks are
working 81 hours a week.
There was a complaint made to
the NRA about a young lad who
was being overworked in their store
on Watchogue Road. In few days,
the lad was fired.
Militant Clerk.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
Food EndangerS
Mt. SinaiHOSpital
Workers Health
By Medical Worker Correspondent

By Medical Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK.-The workers in the
Mount Sanai Hospital, Tooth st. and
Madison Ave, are forced to eat the
food given to them, because 81 a
week is deducted from their salaries
for this purpose, whether they like it
or not, and they can't afford to eat
elsewhere. The dietician Of the hos
pital receives a bonus of few hun
dred dollars every Christmas to keep
the food expense as low as possible,
even to the extent of feeding poison
to the workers.
On Dec. 10, 1888, between 5 and
6 pm, a supper was served consist
ing of chopped meat mixed with
spaghetti, potatoes, milk and canned
apple sauce. During the night a
number Of workers were seized with
excruciating abdominal cramps and
diarrhea which required immediate
medical attention. In the morning
large number of additional work
ers were seized with very severe
cramps and diarrhea. The number
Of workers stricken were between
100 and 100.
OF course, the hospital authorities
will try to keep this affair quiet. You
know g medical institution stands
for cleanliness and quality. But
won't keep quietI Not as long as
there is a Daily Worker to expose
this treatment that endangerS our
very lives and helps us to fight 1t!
EMPLOYE,
Mt. Sinai Hospital.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
PARTY LIFE
Lack of Unit Buro Nee
Brings Unhealthy I'M
Unit Buro Members Forced to 4
Many Meets, Excluding Employed

1t Is encouraging 10 read the fol-
lowing letter, which indicates that
Shis column is read and dis
cussed by members of our Party.
The question raised in this let
ter-the problem Of unit leader
ships the subject of an article
In the December issue of the Party
Organizer" which has just been is
sued. We advise every comrade,
and particularly members of unit
bureaus, to study and discuss this
article.
The Party Life Section of our
Daily is perhaps the most read and
digested part Of the paper. I came
to that conclusion after asking COM
rades If they had read this or that
in the Party Life Section. They al
ways answered that they had anc
they Immediately proved it by start
ing discussion on some point dis
cuSsed in the article referred to. !
hope this Section will continue as q
part Of our paper. I offer few
suggestions that should be consid-
cred, I believe.
To start with, I want to point out
that most of our organizational prob
lens in the Party have their begin
ningS in the Units. For example
as quickly as a comrade shows his
desire for activity he is put on the
Unit Bureau. If he is able to follow
the line and do most of the work
himself, he is drawn into the Sec
ton. The Unit membership as g
whole do not develop as they should
Mainly this is because the Unit Bu-
reaus do not meet before unit meet
ings. There are no concrete plans
laid before the Units. There are
no definite assignments to comrades
There is no real check-up on the ac-
tivity Of the comrades within the
Units. Perhaps the most feared
deviation by Unit Bureaus is bu-
reaucracy, Often this SINNERS down
to one comrade of the Bureau taking
full charge and then any proposal by
him seems like bureaucratic tactic
Too Many Inner Meetings
OF all the failings within the
Units, believe the lack Of Unit Blu
reau meetings is the most serious
Nor is this an easy problem to solve
1t means three nights a week fol
the organizer without other activity
First the organizers meeting with
the Section, then the Unit Bureau
meeting and then the Unit meeting
The Agit-Prop also has 1t almost as
hard, with Section Agit-Prop meet.
ings every other week. The finan-
cial secretary, too, has the same
number Of meetings. When we con-
slider that the Bureaus also are sup
posed to take a part in the mass
work Of the Units to live" with Its
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
What the MIRA Has Done to
Bakery Workers in Detroit
Wages Cut, Hours Heightened, While Com
plants to Officials Are Ignored

bakery before the MIRA. paid work
ers $25 to $35 per week. They are
now getting $12 to Is per week, with
not single new employee hired. IN
stead they have installed a new ma
chine which was the cause Of a num-
Der of workers being fired.
The bakery workers In Detroit dc
not want to organize under the A. F.
Of L. as this organization has been
trying for the last five years to or
ganize Detroit, and has only got 100
members in their three locals and
there are 1000 or more bakery work.
ers in Detroit. What is needed is a
new bakers union under the mill
tant leadership of the Trade Union
Unity League.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01

membership, and get : tirSt-hand
view Of the Units problems, we can
see that the problem of function
ing Unit Bureau can not be CLOSED
over or tackled in a mechanical way.
Orientation Toward Shops
Often We seem to approach our
problems from two different angles
at the same time and miss both
times. We know the Units that ar
responsible for shop work are 81
posed to draw in employed comrat
and those that show the abb
to lead, to make functionaries. Ne
ally those comrades will land o.
Bureau.
will state right here that they
will not be able to give their best
because of the too numerous meet
ings that will sap their vitality II
not their enthusiasm Our present
plan of organization seems to be on
the assumption that Unit Bureaus
must all be unemployed and can get
few winks in the morning. How
ever, if we are to make the turn ac-
cording to the Open Letter, as We
should, we should have employed
Bureaus to turn the activity towards
the shops. For from employed COM
rades we will be better able to orieri-
tate ourselves in that task. At any rate
our Bureaus tasks should be 80 ar
ranged that it is not necessary foK
them to be full time functionarieS.
do not assume that all the COM
rades on the Bureaus must be ern~
ployed. I do assume that they should
have their place there If they show
the ability.
Proposes Solution
have. no easy solution. I mag
state that Unit meetings every two
weeks, at which real reports ara
given and real work assigned, wiz
help. At present the tendency Is to
make the Unit meeting a task and
not an unloading and reloading point
for tasks as it should be. II Unit
Bureaus can meet and not fall asleep
because of too many meetings, they
will be able to plan an efficient
meeting wherein real political die
cussion Will take place. Now We takS
too much time explaining why We
were unable to get started to do our
assigned tasks and explaining why
this task should have had more time
for its completion, to get very fer
in a political discussion.
In the Party Life Section I be-
lieve we should have more discussion
on organizatlonal problems. When
we solve some OF these so-called
minor, minute details of "uIiit life''
problems, we will find fIuctuation on
the decline. We will find our Party
more sensitive to directives and our
campaign plans will be fulfilled.
ga sComradely,
~ ~ ]. S., Chicago.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
By PAUL LUTTINGER, MD.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
Wcrknen's Compensation Law
Choice Of Physician

CuOice OF fnySlcIan
NEachinist, Brooklyn:-you have
The right to choose your own ply
sician, no matter what your en-
ployer tells you. 1t is true that in
many states, the insurance COM
panies were able to insert clauses in
the laws which gave the employer
the right to dictate as to medical
service. In Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island and North Dakota, the en-
ployee has had the right to choose
his own physician from the very in
ception Of compensation legislation.
The contention Of your boss that
since he pays the bill, he has the
sole right to choose the physician
to whom it should be paid, is neither
logical nor legal. The money is
neither his, nor does 1t belong to
the insurance company. It belongs
to the injured workman and to no.
body else. AS a matter of fact the
employer does not even pay the cost
OF the insurance. Els insurance
premium is part of his cost of
production which he passes on to
the consumer who pays for every
thing.
Nor is 1t true that private ply
sicians would increase the bills and,
therefore, the premium. AS rule
the physicians employed by the in
surance companies are not of the
highest type. (There are exceptions,
OF course) This is common knowl-
edge and recent disclosures during
the Jimmie Walker administration
have fixed it in the mind of the
people. For the sake of cutting down
expenses, the compensation COM
parties often employ inferior medical
services. From every dollar the
stock company receives as premium,
1t keeps ~ cents, the injured worker
gets SO cents in cash and the balance
Of 20 cents is used for surgical treat
ment. Why the companies should be
entitled to AZ per cent of the premium
paid by the employer is beyond our
understanding. The law obliges the
employer to be insured and the COM
panies, therefore, do not have to adj
vertise for this kind of business.
Nevertheless, they claim that IT'S per
cent Of their profit represents "ac-
QUESTION costs" in other words, adj
vertising.
Recently the stock companies have
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
WORKERS WARNED OF CHECK
FORGERIES

NEW YORK.-Workers and their
organizations are warned of an in
dividual called Benjamin l. Cooper,
also known as Jack Korson, who
claims to be member of the Retail
Liquor Dealers Association and
makes donations by check to mass
organizations. Many checks have
been returned by the bank with the
notice that they have no such ac-
count.
Cooper, or Korson, also attempts
to cash" checks of members of or
CARNATIONS. He has issued a num-
Der of his checks in the vicinity of
14th Street.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
Work 10 Hours, Paid
for s Hours in Box
Factory in Berkeley
tsy Negro Worker Correspondent,

by a Negro Worker Correspondent
BERKLEY, Va. - From Negro
housewife in Berkley:-I want to tell
you about the rotten conditions and
how the men have to work at the
E. H. Barnes Box Factory. They are
working under a hurry-up system,
and working 10 hours day, but only
get paid for hours, never making
more than SO and SO a week. They
must pay 10 cents a week for in
surance out of that. 1t viii take
organization to break down such a
mess as this, SO my plea to the
workers is to organize and fight
against such a system.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
(By a White Collar Worker Cor
respondent

NEW York; am former Gin
bel worker. On Saturday, along
about 1000 other workers, 7 was
greeted with a Merry Xmas, a blue
slip and my practically empty pay
envelope. 1 said to the floor man
ager: Thanks for the Xmas pres
ent." He said, Don't thank me. I
had nothing to do with it. It was
automatic. It's your selling cost that
counts. If that's too high, you're
fired, that's ALL"
What is this selling cost? 1t is the
key to the whole damnable speed-up
system in department stores. Sales
people are rated according to the
amounts they bring in and their wage.
In other words, Gimbels works out
to a fraction Just what the sales
person cost the firm-that is, exactly
how much they exploit you. If your
selling cost is 3 for example, you are
considered as sufficiently exploited
and kept. But If your selling cost is
higher you are just told to get out
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
Laid Off for 30 Days
After 2 Weeks Work

(By Negro Worker Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Here is
where President Roosevelt has put
1000 back at work and they work
them one to two weeks and then lay
them off, then tell them they would
have to live for 80 days before they
could get anything from the county.
But a worker can't live on what he
has made for two weeks. I haven't
WORKED for four years and the relief
agent refused to give me relief.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01

Tic l0tll week VI LGlG GlSlllDtI sup
drive Of our International Workers
Order we have reached and exceeded
600 new members. To be exact,
the 18th week of our drive brought
in 1912 applications for
new members and 1876 .AA1kn.
applications fC, chill sSSSN%A
dren. 1N 81
This brings the total AyMkkE
achievement of the drive %a
up to 1865 new mem fFSS
bers and 1877 children.
The splendid results Of our drive
which are embodied in these figures
are the accomplishment of our ac-
tive members. They are the fruit of
the enthusiastic work which was done
by our branches, the branch execu-
tives, the language committees, the
City Central Committees and the
membership. They are an indica-
ton Of the possibilities of growth
which our Order has.
The best work this week was done
by the Ukrainian Section. with a
weekly quota of SO, our Ukrainian
comrades achieved 166 new members
in this 18th week OF the drive.
The Italian Section, too, expected
its weekly quota of So and has rs
applications to its credit an the 18th
week.
The Jewish Section marched in
front, as usual, with 372 applications,
against the weekly quota Of 154. The
Hungarian Section maintained its
pace with 127 new members.
For the second time during the
campaign, our Slovak Section ex-
ceeded its weekly quota OF lis BY
BRINGING in 166 new members. The
average weekly achievement during
the whole campaign OF the slovak
Section is 81 new members.
The campaign has now three more
weeks to go. 1t will end on January
~. Two Of these remaining weeks
st match the results of the 18th
TX. The reports from the districts
NY US in this expectation. There
nothing as successful as success.
e very progress OF the campaign
'pires our comrades with confidence
at they can achieve still more. AS
result reports come from most
44CC4ltldGlOH ulSLTlcGS OF a voluntary
crease OF their quotas.
Chicago shouts at New York a
Ialienge for a SO per cent increase
their quota. New York accepts
e challenge and goes at the last
n1paign weeks with will. Cleve-
I'd and Detroit report increased
'rivities, and so does Pittsburgh
ward. comrades, to a total of
new members at the end Of
'aign We can do it. We
accomplished it already.
English Branches
same old complaint, but
may be, it Is still valid.
The weak point of our
he slow growth OF the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
ON ELLIS ISLAND
(By a worker Correspondent

ELLIS ISLAND, N. Y.-On Nov.
20 and Dec. %, one hundred workers
deported from all parts of the U. S.,
came after a few days Of transit to
this desolate island for the final de-
parture to all countries Of the world.
Many OF these workers from the
capitalism of America, sailing, with
out any resources, only have desper-
ate remembrances, after few years
of hard life.
One man died while being trans
ferred on account of the rotten food
received from the government.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
A 81
In fll(, II (llIyl1eG

We have previously printed
etter from some comrades
Massachusetts, telling how
sy popularize the red press
olgh series of endless chain"
arties in workers homes. An
sting letter advocating a SINH
lethod comes from New York
and We are printing this too
e ii offers further suggestions,
scords fine concrete results:
Comrades:
submit to the women com
practical way Of increasing
culation of the Daily Worker
e Endless Chain Of Indoor
Meetings
S invited to speak to a read
lie snd to choose my own
)ok the Scottsboro Case,
prejudice most of the
feel against the Ne
cred my material care
ing merely on what
anding st down in q
is the outline Of the
duction:N The Glass Struggle.
nal Themes: Situation In
v compared to the situation
Tiet Union on the minority
The trial in Decatur,
zsson: The attitude of the
st press on the Scottsboro
1 the fight for the boys free
at the Daily Worker put up,
nth the LID.
Concrete Results
Elstnt out of the ten women sub
bed to the Daily Worker and
| in advance for enc or two
this.
Ten penny leaflets on the Scots
Case were sold, no one wanting
change back. (Total, 76c.)
All my remaining literature
away. recipients promising TO
to new workers.
III &C III L1iC WOilACAl 1CDkOlAlISQ
~ appeal to offer their homes
/ tea and cakes for meetings
e new circles Of friends will hear
Message.
1 need to add that I encouraged
all to join us in the fight?
( them spoke an excellent Eng
all of them are kind hearted,
literary ambitions, and intel
lily alert.
allied their attention to Profess
Adler's impairment advice to
n: "TTley all speak too much,
ore women should learn music
their excess energy" This
they all resented, and feel
that If women who do have
q time and energy would
g about conditions and have
concrete to fight for, their
d be filled usefully. 1t Is
er when the fight is for
fellowl
conclude with the words
THE working class must
Lrty out of elements of
and every calbrie. Never
words truer than today.
Ccmradelr.
Al. f..
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
Can You Make 'em
Yourself?

Something new, sure to appeal to
the busy HOUSEWIFE house dress
with apron to match. And how a
few such sets would sell at the In
ternational Labor Defense Bazaar
next February
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-01
~ Doctor
e(AAAGHpQe'a
QdG,G4Q:

asked for a 10 to Is per cent increase
in the premiums, because Of the in
creased cost of operation" This
consists mainly in hiring expensive
lawyers 10 prevent the Injured work
ingnlan from getting his due, while
the medical service they provide gets
poorer and poorer.
AS to the new Federal Employees
Compensation Act, which covers the
four million men and women to be
hired (maybe!) under the Federal
Civil Works Administration, tie
operation must perforce be open 70
abuses. AS in the case of the war
Veterans, the government will un-
doubtedly try to prove that the In
jury or disease was mot sustained
in the performance Of duty" or win
minimize, as usual, the degree Of
disability, Under the new law, an
employee has the right to choose
his own physician, but the govern
ment will not pay the bin.