davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

BY a r. r. Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK.-This Is In reply to
letter I received from the New
York tuberculosis and Health As
ISOLATION, 1856 Fourth Ave. of which
the treasurer is none other than
Thomas W. Lamont Of J. P. Morgan
and Co. This firm of bankers is di-
rectly responsible for conditions
that exist in the Harmon Shops Of
the New York Central Railroad,
where I am employed, as well as in
many shops throughout the country.
In the Harmon shops, we have to
work in water and acid up to our
ankles, with Simon Legree on our
necks all the time. If you slip and
are hurt, you are told that you broke
some rule and layed. off for a
while.
One of the men ruptured himself,
and also lost one of his fingers in
the shop. He was taken out of serv-
ice about two weeks ago, just thrown
on the scrap heap like piece of
junk.
In the past six months at least
eight men fell sick due to the rotten
conditions existing here. The tally
is three dead, three still sick, the
fellow with the rupture and another
who IS still on the job for a little
while. All Of these men had or
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
A DISAPPOINTED
SYMPATHIZER

New York, N. Y.
Dear Comrade Editor:
AS non-Party worker who at
tended the meeting held on Sun
day at the New Star Casino. I
should like to register a very sharp
protest on the conduct of that
meeting
After reading the criticism and
suggestions made for improving the
conduct Of the meetings in the
units, it was a sad experience for
me to go to meeting organized by
the Central Committee and the
District Committee of the Party and
find such poorly planned and
poorly executed program. I need
not - much about that, for GER
tainly had the meeting been plan
ned in the way that it has been
suggested that units plan their
meetings, surely it would not have
been necessary to dispense with the
collection and limit speakers to
fifteen minutes only because one
speaker consumed more time than
was apparently allotted to him.
AS far as 1 am concerned, such
an unfortunate thing would not
drive me away from the revolu-
tionary movement, but I know that
in my limited experience not fewer
than three workers told me that if
the leaders of the Communist Party
arrange affairs such as these, surely
it is not the disciplined organization
they had hoped to join.
Finally would say that it was
an added disappointment in view
Of the fact that the program pre-
sented for the Lenin Memorial
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Wait for Jobs in Vain
At St. Johns Terminal

By a r. r. Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK.-At st. Johns Ter
minal, BAT w. Houston ST., the New
York Central Railroad has a freight
terminal.
About hundred men are crowded
into a room, waiting for Bill, the
foreman, to put us on.
Most of the men are members of
the Freight Handlers Union of the
A. F. Of L. These men know what
misery is. They shape up all hours
of the day and they come with
their last nickel. Many are without
lunches. Rarely does anyone get a
job.
The gangs have been cut down
from 4 to 3, and in some cases two
are now doing what was once done
by four. Railroad dicks walk back
and forth among the boxes and
crates, guarding 2ealously the profits
Of the railroad magnates. The rat
thing of band wagons and hand
trucks continues day after day. We
are chopped off on short time and
sent home. No time is allowed I'M
less we work.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
InterbOrO News Clerk
Urges Organization
BY a Worker Correspondent

NEW York; read the letter
written by a worker correspondent
last week exposing the racket and
the rotten conditions which the
sales clerks for the Interboro News
Company on the Eighth Ave. Sub
way, have to endure. I wish to
verify every fact exposed by the
writer as have worked for the In
terboro under the same conditions
1 have learned that not long age
an attempt was made by the A. F.
of L. to organize the clerks.
Whether they are still doing it I do
not know.
Meyers, the bigshot boss, came
upon the scene when one of the
organizers was speaking to a clerk.
He asked the organizer to come up
stairs and talk it over. The result
was that a few minutes later the
organizer came down and continued
his work No doubt, Meyers will
choose other methods to coerce his
employees.
wonder whether it would be
possible to get in touch with this
worker correspondent" During my
period of employment with the In
terboro News Company, I found
that the possibility exists for organ
ization, and would like to cooperate
in any such movement.
Editors note: We advise this
worker to communicate with the
Trade Union Unity Council at 799
Broadway. Other workers In the
Interboro News System should
also get in touch with the T. q.
U. G.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Seamen Express Resentment Against SeII-Ou Agreemen
IRT Co. Union Locals
Repudiate Agreement

its labor rscketeers in the company
union. 4.
This entire contract was arrived
at without allowing the workers to
have word to say about it, in d.
rect defiance of their demand that
no new working agreement be con-
cluded without first submitting it
to the men for discussion and APP
proval. Let the I. R. T. record the
fact that in all the principal locals
of its company union the whole
swindle agreement was rejected by
the rank and file workers, and I'M
animous votes Of non-confidence
were recorded against the delegates
of the company union.
The men Of the I. r. T. are con-
Scious of the fact that even these
pitiful crumbs, would not have been
forced from the company, were it
not for the fact that their organ
lied strength in the Transport
Workers Union made it impossible
for the I. r. T. to continue its old
d61CClllCllb.
The company may think that the
struggle for wages and conditions is
over, but on the contrary it has
just begun. Our union has a set of
demands. These demands are sane
and reasonable by any measure
ment. The workers of the I. r. T.
will continue the fight to realize
these demands, and will not be
sidetracked by any form of fake
raise that the company can invent.
We already have the best Of the
workers." from now on our slogan
must be to get the rest of the
workers" and then we will 60 about
the business Of throwing the present
agreement into P. J. Connolly's ugly
face.
Join the only bona fide union of
transit workers in Greater New
York, join and build the Transport
Workers Unionl
I. r. T. Agent.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Former Bell
EnployeAsks
For Advice
BY a Worker Correspondent


NEW YORK.-After being out of
work for three years and planning
what to do, have decided to ask
you for information and advice.
I, and thousands of others, worked
for the Bell Telephone System. I
also worked for the Western Elec-
trio Co. When times got bad they
laid us off. AS we are all experts
on telephone construction an d
maintenance work, and have put in
the best years of our lives to learn
the trade, we do not know any
other line of work and our old COM.
pany doesn't want us any more.
The other day I met two foremen
who were getting good money, but
now they are without work in spite
of their twenty years experience
and comparatively young age (37
and 400.
In the same boat there are sew
eral thousands who know that they
will never get back their jobs and
they feel pretty bad about it.
Don't you think we could fight
and do something with your as
sistance and help to organize all
the ex-employes of Telephone and
Telegraph Systems so that we would
not be treated like dirty rags for no
reason at all.
AS ] am writing this alone to you
I don't know anything about the
right or wrong ways of proceeding
in organizing and also lack the abil-
ity to do so. That's why I am
writing it to you. Besides, I am
sure they are at least couple of
thousand men, ex-telephone and
Western Electric employees waiting
to join the ranks of fighters for
their livelihood.
Editors note: We advise this
worker and hundreds of others
in similar circumstances to contact
the Trade Union Unity Council
of Greater New York, at 1893
Broadway.
1t has also been called to our
attention that an organization
does exist for unemployed as well
as employed chemists, .technicians,
etc, known as the Federation of
Architects, Engineers, Chemists
and Technicians. Former Bell
employees that fall in this category
should contact this organization.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

No attempt is made by the union
leaders to compel the company to
allow us reporting time. We remain
till the noon hour. Some eat, while
others less fortunate, stare blankly
into the empty future.
At II o'clock, Bill snaps his finger
for man. A rush is made. A
husky fellow is selected and follows
the foreman to the freight plat
form. A man near me says that
the husky brother is going to work
a shift on an empty gut. And so
day after day these men are COM
PEELED to shape up without any hope
Of a job.
There is only one cure for this
evil. We must make the company
give us a time allowance whether
we work or not. A guarantee of four
hours for reporting and a full DAVIS
pay for five hours or more must be
our object.
These questions must be raised in
our unions and the leaders must be
forced to act. We have no other
choice. Either we act now, or we
like thousands of others, will starve.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
By Postal Worker Correspondent

BY a Postal Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK.-Conditions in the
Post Office are going from bad to
worse.
Speed-up is becoming a national
institution in the Post Office and
in New York it is worse than any
where else. In the past few weeks
two postal workers, one a sub-car-
rier and the other a Negro clerk,
committed suicide due indirectly to
these intolerable working conditions.
The carriers especially are driven
at a mad pace and many that I know
personally are suffering from nerv-
Gus strain and physical ailments.
When they get through with the
days work which begins at a. m,
they are virtually falling off their
feet.
Instead of filling the thousands of
vacancies, the bosses are absorbing
and spreading the work among the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
A BALLOT FOR THE YOUTH
TOO

Superior, Wis.
Dear Comrade Editor:
This is just to inform YOU that
the Youth Section of the Finnish
Daily, the "Tyomies,' is determined
to participate in the campaign Of
helping in the collection of a mil
lion votes for the Unemployment
and Social Insurance Bill. Because
of the fact that there are cases
where the Daily Worker does not
reach the workers, and particularly
the youth, we decided to carry a
Ballot, similar to the one in the
Daily Worker, in the Youth Sec
ton OF the paper. In this way we
can reach, and especially at this
time, popularize the Unemployment
and Social Insurance Bill among
the hundreds of young workers and
farmers who read our Youth Sec
ton. The votes, nevertheless. will
be sent to the Daily Worker.
Comradely yours,
For Youth Section,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
NOTE:

We publish every Friday letters
from workers in the transporta-
ton and communication indus
tries; marine, railroad. transit,
trucking, telephone, telegraph,
post Office, etc. We urge workers
in these industries to write us of
their conditions and efforts to or
ganize. Please get these letters to
us by Wednesday, of aach week
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
LHckenbach Crew Flags
Drop From SIS
To $3.50
BY Nrarine Worker COrrespOndent

BY Marine worker correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - 7 just
finished reading an article in the
Journal of Commerce about the I.
S. U. officials completing their ne
gotiations with the Shipowners for
$3.50. The crew here aboard the
S. S. Lillian Luckenbach is disap-
pointed to learn Of the drop from
SIS to $3.50.
Several weeks ago, when I joined
the I. S. U, 7 was told that in the
near future I would be getting SIS
and for this reason 7 took an A. B s
lob aboard the Lillian The COM
pany has a very bad name among
the seamen. This is the first one
Of their ships that have worked
on, and now know the truth.
The foc'sIe is back aft near the
steering engine room and the noise
and vibration is terrible. There are
eight of us in one small room, six
A. BIS and two ordinary seamen.
We a. BIS get $95 month and
the ordinaries get $25. We work
two watches, IL hours a day which
with overtime amounts to ninety
hours a week. The sky-hght leaks
badly so We have to lash a piece
Of canvass over it. The door cannot
be closed tightly and is always
rafting. The one small radiator is
not sufficient 10 keep us warm. 1t
was very cold in Boston and we
lay awake and shivered all night!
Bed-bugs are plentiful. When I
went ashore one of my shipmates
picked two bed-bugs off my coat
collar.
The bath room is small and filthy
only one man at time can wash
clothes.
The Seamen keep getting on and
off in every port. Nobody wants
to stay for complete trip, which
is fifty weight days. We get no con-
sideration at all from this COM
pany. We don't even get sheets for
our beds, nor are there any showers
for bathing. We are forced to
battle out of a greasy bucket and
the food is poor. The Luckenbach
Company is working us under the
severest system of exploitation. I
believe that old Edgar Luckenbach
would actually coin our lifes blood
into gold if he could
Some of the crew think that
$3.50 will be a great increase over
S35. But the question is $75-this
is what we want and this is what
the I. S. U. officials promised. There
are only three members of the M.
w. I. u. aboard and now I know
everything they have been telling
us is right. We cannot get our SIS
demand from arbitration. We must
join the Marine Workers Industrial
Union and prepare to strike! The
black gang is also going to join up.
The I. S. U. officials have now
clearly proven to us that they are
no different today than they were
fourteen years ago! Now, I realize
the necessity Of proper organization
and especially the Importance of
the Marine Workers Industrial
Union.
Editors note: We wish to point
out to this worker as well as to
other members of the I. S. q. that
it is not necessary for them to
leave the I. S. U. in order to fight
for better conditions. They have
big job to perform right in the
l. S. U.-that of kicking takers
like Axtell, Olander, Sharrenburg
and the rest of them the hell
out. The rank and file in the
/. S. U. must fight to take over
control of the union and use it
as a weapon in their interests.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Our Reply

The origin of circumcision is rit-
ualistic, i.e, it was not land is not,
among Semitic peoples) done for
hygienic reasons; rather it was a
tribal rite, connected with the sex
ual customs of the group, and found
in many notifications among the
most primitive races. About it
cluster ideas of initiation, etc. That
it should be hygienically wise is a
pure coincidence. Many of the
ancient tribal rites were often
harmful las knocking out the teeth,
etc.
The knowledge of it's medical ad-
vantages is recent. Many person
who belongs to group that does
it for religious (tribaD reasons, but
does not like to admit that is the
reason, frequently rationalizes it
and says the rabbinate had great
wisdom, etc., and knew" the med
ical value of the operation. This
is nonsense. The rabbinate were
the tribal custodians of rite which
enhanced their prestige, and which
they did not even invent, since cir
cumcision is mentioned in the bible
before the period of the priesthood
Of Aaron and certainly long before
the rabbiS came on the scene.
When circumcision is advised to-
day, it is endorsed by physicians
only because of certain hygienic
advantages it has.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

DR.. Daniel Caster will lecture I'M
der the auspices of the Daily Work
er Medical Advisory Board on
Venereal Diseases, Prevention, Cure
and Social Significance, Thursday,
December II at $3.50 pm. at Irving
Plaza Hall, 18th st. and Irving Pl.
Admission is Csc. All proceeds to
the Daily Worker. DR.. j. Alonzo
will discuss the control of the prob
lem in the Soviet Union.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Letters from Our Readers

meeting seemed to be one which
would answer the many objections
that have been raised to our meet
ings, and this, meeting arranged
by leading Party comrades, Ger
tainly indicates a lack of respon-
sibility on the part Of certain
people.
I should like to see some change
in the public approach made by
the Communist Party to the work.
ers.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

An increased circulation of bhs
Daily Worker will develop more
powerful struggles on the part Of
workers for adequate winter re-
lief, against lay-offs, and for bet
ter working conditions. Get new
readers, and ask them to sub
scribe to the paper.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
ISL, Unorganized and MWIU Seamen Join
La COndemning Treachery of ISL Heads
Standard Tanker Grew
Wins Overtime Pay
Through Unity

By Marine Worker Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-LaSt Sat-
urday, Dec. IS, when the Standard
Oil Tanker "Tiger" arrived in
Paulsboro we were Immediately
told Of the sell-out of the I. S. U.
officials. Most Of us were not sur
prised to know that the officials
settled for $3.50.
The question Of the negotiations
were discussed aboard the Tiger
from time to time and the crew
showed its indifference to the I. S.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Can You Make Era
Yourself?

Pattern 1904 is available in sizes
6, 8, 10, IL and IA. Size 10 takes
4 yards 36-inch fabric. Illustrated
step by-step sewing instructions In.
cluded.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Treatment in Clinics

NOMRADE H. S., of Chicago, ILL.,,
" writes in as follows: "a woman
comrade was ordered to get herself
examined at the N. w. University
Medical Clinic. She had to undress
herself in a room which had no
more than about so degrees, on &C
count of draught from the win
dows. The workers there have to
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

Send SIXTEEN CENTS 16c) in
coins or stamps (coins prefereO
for this Anne Adams pattern. Write
plainly name, address and style
number. BE SURE TO STATE
SIZE.
Address order to Daily Worker, 243
West 18th Street, New York City.
Send for your copy OF the ANNE
ADAMS WINTER FASHION BOOK!
PRICE OF BOOK SIXTEEN
CENTS BUT WHEN ORDERED
WITH AN ANNE ADAMS PAT
TERN 1T is ONLY TEN CENTS.
TWENTY-SIx CENTS FOR BOTH.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
IN THE HON E
OF Life and Death Importance
BY ANN BAR TO N

ance. 1t is a Congress Of life and
death importance to millions of I'M
employed men and women.
All readers and friends OF this
column must quickly get 10 work
and send the biggest women's rep
resentation there that has ever be.
fore been seen in q similar gather
ing.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Arguments on Circumcision

Comrade D. w. writes in as fol-
lows: THE other evening we were
discussing the theology" of circum-
cision. The writer has been led to
believe that circumcision is an aid
in combating disease, is generally
hygienic, and is not pure religion. y
Another comrade maintains that
the act is an invention of the rab-
binate, and therefore, is just an
other moldy bit of "the opium of
the people" We consider this ques-
ton quite controversial, and ask
you to settle our argument
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21
Conducted by the

stand barefooted on cement floor.
with no covers Of any kind. When
the doctor tried to extract blood!
from her arm for a blood test, he
jabbed her twice in the right arm
and once in the left arm and still
did not get any blood. Any kind
Of jackass is good enough to prac-
tice on workers. There are plenty
OF well-trained physicians who can
take proper care of people if they
are hired for decent wages
I'VE APPRECIATE your criticism
W Of treatment in clinics. I'm
fortunately, even with the indignity
and difficulty Of treatment, soma
of these clinics are competent in
diagnosis and treatment. Also, it
sometimes happens that the most
experienced doctor encounters vein
in the arm that is hard to get blood
from and he must try several times.
When we recommend a clinic, we
can only do so on its medical mer-
its, not on the handling workers get
there.
Against such handling as patients
get in clinics, they must fight by
organizing together and demanding
better facilities, more attention and
the best skill available that the city
and State can give them. The
whole situation is bound up with
the status of medical practice to-
day. What you write is still an
other reason for organizing behind
the Workers Unesnploymen4 and
Social Insurance Bill,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

HOMELESS girls sleeping in the
"A municipal flop houses-jobless
women and girls, unwilling to
bear the misery of being burden
upon impoverished families COM
hitting suicide - single women,
unable to get relief in their home
towns, exposed TO the dangers of
the road, landing in many cases
because of nervous and mental
strain in hospitals and asylums-
mothers in mortal fear of bringing
into the world more hungry
mouths to feed. This is birds
eye view of the situation con-
fronting unemployed women and
girls.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-21

WHERE is there stability Where
w is there the assurance of know
ing what tomorrow will bring? No
where in this capitalist world. Only
in places where unemployed women
are organized do these women con-
stitute a positive force. In these
cases fight and organization have
won relief, food and shelter. In
Harlem, for instance, where the I'm
employed Council has fought to take
the girls out of the f1ophouses, does
the relief administration pay for a
room and food for these girls. 1.-THE
Unemployed Council tries to see
that the city lets the girls live like
human beings" says Freda Jackson,
the organizer of the Harlem Unem-
ployed Council, which is composed
almost entirely of women. 1t is only
on the basis of organizing together
on a program of militant struggle
that these women may expect
changed conditions.
| THE National Congress for I'm
employment and Social Insur-
ance in Washington, d. c., Jan. 5,
6 and I, a large united front, Is
setting out to develop mass
campaign for unemployment and
social insurance. 1t will lay down
campaign for maternity insur-
ance for women. for the granting
of mothers special benefits before
| and after birth of her child, with
special provisions safeguarding
her health and that of her baby.
A women's sub session will take
up, besides the question of relief
for single and married women,
the very vital question of the re-
peal of Section FL of the Federal
Laws, which forbids the giving of
birth control information.
ALL women's organizations must
II themselves send delegates to this
Congress, and exert the utmost per-
suasion and pressure upon other
women's organizations to send dele
gates. If the women help organize
a mighty unemployed movement,
the politicians, the bankers and
the bosses, will see fight for the
things these women need, such as
they have never seen before.
THE militancy of women has in re-
cent months shaken the CAPT.
talists with establishment and sur
prise. This Congress will be his
toric workers Congress, laying the
basis for the broadcast campaign yet
for unemployment and social insur-
Evening star., 1934-10-07
Brazilian Growers Helped.

All Brazils planters are getting good
prices for their products except grow
ers of coffee and cacao.