davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
PRAISES PORTRAIT OF AMER
ICA" SERIES


Editor Of the Daily Worker,
Dear Comrade:
Let me congratulate you on your
assignment of John Spivak to write
a series of articles on the key indus
trial and agricultural centerS of the
United States. This will meet long
felt need on the part of workers and
intellectuals alike for q comprehen-
Sive view of the life and struggles of
the workers and farmers throughout
America,
True, the Daily carries many
stories in every single issue of the
struggles and organizations of work.
ers in every part of the country, but
they remain only so many scattered
pictures that cannot easily be COM
bined by the reader into one unified
picture. Our country is so vast and
so diversified, and the possibility of
travel SO limited for the masses, that
this series of articles should go long
way towards giving the workers of
every section a clear and vivid idea
OF the relation of their lives and
problems to the revolutionary move
ment of the whole country.
We seriously need Just this per-
spective which We can more easily
get, sometimes, Of foreign countries
than of our own. Especially is this
needed by all workers when we re-
member that the rulers Of Anerics
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
WE WILL

ToleQo, ONO.
Dear Editor:
I would like for you to print an
p1ticlo in the Daily Worker ex-
planning imitation, how it affects
workers, the effects on foreign mar
kets, capitalists, and why it will de-
velop into an armed conflict. From
what I understand there are very few
people who understand initiation. I
have met no one who could explain
1t clearly. Everyone is wondering and
talking about it. am working in an
office building and was listening to
two men who have Offices in the
building, and one said to the other,
You know as much about it as do. -
Neither one could explain it. under
stand part Of 1t, but not thoroughly
and millions do not understand. I
have not read an article explaining
imitation thoroughly in your paper. I
know it explains that it is cutting
our pay and winning markets and
helping the capitalists, but If you
would print an article on imitation
explaining it thoroughly, I think 1t
would help to show what Roosevelt's
policy is. I know there are many
Party members who do not under
stand 1t thoroughly. Enclosed is Csc
to help print imitation.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
Victorious House
Committee Helps
DAILY Worker
by a Worker Correspondent

tBy worker correspondent
NEW YORK-About two weeks
ago, the workers Of the House Assem-
bly, of 281O Olinville Ave, Bronx, de-
manded and received a rent reduc-
ton of 81 room, which means a
monthly reduction of 50, SO and 81,
to begin Feb. /. Since then other
houses in the Olinville Ave. and
Bronx Park East Block Assembly, Of
which this house is a member, have
been strengthening their respective
house organizations also, to win rent
reductions. Since then, also, this
house ran a successful celebration,
and the tenants contributed in cash
and pledges about $25.
The Daily Worker sales have risen
from five subscriptions of the House
Committee to 10 comics day-13 new
readers, so far. With proper pub
licity and organization we should be
able to increase Daily" readers to a
much higher figure in this house and
neighborhood, and in turn, conSoh-
date and intensity the struggles Of
the workers here.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12

The workers will raise this issue and
not some capitalist party convention
y a back room.
To give purpose To the campaign,
the agitation must not merely raise
the issue Of social insurance, but for
mulate the demand for social in
surance in accordance with the
Workers Social Insurance Bill. The
basic principles Of this bill are that
the workers maintain society by their
labor and demand of society to be
maintained when prevented from
selling their labor power. The work.
ers provide profits for the bosses
---'7or thev work: the bosses p-ofit
must provide a means of income for
the workers when they cannot work.
Therefore the cost of social insur-
snce must be borne by the capitalists.
The government provides millions
and billions for war purposes. Let
these billions be applied to the main
tenance of the lives of the workers,
instead of being applied to providing
machinery and means to kill them.
Organize United Front
The task of agitating the masses
Of American workers for social insur-
ance, for this kind of social insur-
ance. is the task of every member Of
our Order. One reed not be a speak
er, one need not be a writer. one
need not be an organizer. This agita-
ton can be carried from mouth to
mouth by the method of the every
dav discussion among the workers,
on the way to and from the shop,
during lunch hour in the shop, dis
cuSsion with neighbors, discussion
from and to the union and lodge
meeting, discussion before the en-
oyment Office, on the breadline and
on the picket-line.
Aside from this method of mass
agitation. we must organize a sys-
tnmatic effort to win the workers in
the fraterno' org nizations for social
7surance. This requires the forma-
ton of visiting coz 1'tteos the train
inc Of speakers to bring the problem
of social insurance to fraternal Or
CARNATIONS. 1t requires efforts to
organize left wine. groups within
-ther fraternal organizations. to Or
ganize a campaign around the issue
of social insurance. 1t requires ma
tional campaigns for social insurance
by left wing groups within national
fraternal organizations. 1t requires
activities around the election of dele
gates to national conventions of fra
ternal organizations. 1t requires the
organization Of public mass meetings
on the question Of social insurance
1t requires the organization of united
front action, demonstrations, petit
tons to Congressman, to Congress as
a whole, to State Legislature, to City
Councils, putting forward the de-
mand for social insurance and
demanding the passage Of resolu-
lions in favor Of our Federal Insur-
ance Law.
Take up this matter at your next
meeting. Inform the National Once
Of your problems; ask 1t for advice.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12

From SAND Springs, Okla. (6,674
population at the 1880 census comes
dandy letter Drumming with en-
thusiasm-and ideas. 1t follows,
practically in full
You are one Of the luctdest women
in the world. to have the opportunity
Of whole column Of your very own.
what a job! It is the first
thing I read in the Daily Worker. I
liked your articles on prostitution and
women on the job under capitalism,
but YOU don't do them often enough.
you don't have room for one thing.
VIII n you print a recipe your space
is taken up and leaves no room for
ANYTHING else. You need at least
half page Devote it to letters
of women comrades and what they
are doing. such as Mother Bloor,
Edith Berkman, etc.
cor course, these are Of interest
to ell comrades but Of especial inter
est to women, I think. 1 have
profound admiration for Edith Berk-
man. Where is she now? You never
hear a word OF her. There are, no
doubt, scores Of others I never heard
OF that are doing wonderful work.
"You could print letters from
women comrades in Russia, telling
of their life in factories, mills, etc.
You who live in New York and get
tss-nt all the time cannot understand
the way We hunger and thirst after
such knowledge out here in the
sticks. Even our libraryS are sew
ereIy censored and we do not get even
the mildest book If it is in favor of
Russian methods. This position Of
the U. S. is like unto the deaf" por-
ton Of old Russia, where an idea
never penetrated.
81 wonder If you could get me 8
good picture Of Comrade Lenin,
nicely framed, about 6x10 inches, and
red flag about the same size with
the Communist star, hammer and
sickle on it-for my Red Corner. I'd
ike also set OF book-ends with
figures OF the class struggle on them
GREAT leaders who have made heroic
sacrifices for the cause).
IF you could get me these things
] wish you would but first would
have to know their cost; or, II not
too high you could buy them for me
and would be willing to pay you
something for doing SO or I
would donate something to some pet
cause of yours.
my Red Corner is going to be a
nifty if I ever get it fixed up.
"a table, a lamp, all nice and coy,
with my Red books and all the Red
literature have to give away, neatly
stacked. Lenfn's picture, the Red
lag-isnt it a honey Of an idea?
you might make practice OF SELL
irg hook-ends, red flags, pictures, ETC.,
Il you would try to popularize the
idea-you could raise lots Of money
for that pet project OF yours. Call
il your Red Corner Supply Fund or
else you think appropriate. |
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
2-Year Record
AS A Worker
CORRESPONDENT
(By a Worker Correspondent,


DENVER, Colo.-During the two
year period of 1926 to 1927 I scanned
the Daily Worker each issue for
articles or stories from Denver and
Colorado. During that time some 200
articles appeared, which clipped and
pasted on cardboards. Each month
I filled a cardboard full, but during
the three months period of the Colo
RADIO coal strike of 1927 I filled as
high as is cards with clippings.
I have preserved all the cards with
clippings on them and keep them
together as record.
During the second month of CORE
spondence I received a letter COM
mending me on my correspondence
work from J. l.. Engdahl. then editor
Of the Daily Worker. which I prize
very highly and which is on card
with the correspondence. He AFRO
said in his letter that the work Of
interesting other workers to write for
the DaiIv Worker was fine and hoped
would keep It up.
Out of the total of more than 200
clippings of articles appearing, about
one-third were in regard to meetings.
lectures, affairs. etc.. while the other
two-thirds were of an industrial
nature. Strikes. IockoutS and strug-
giles Of the workers were featured.
About one-half Of the articles were
written and sent in by myself, while
the other half Of the articles we're
written bv other workers. quite few
If whom had interested in the work
through constant agitation at meet
mos and affairs.
During the Colorado coal strike
period some Is articles were sent in
by the regular press correspondents
or dispatchers.
A total of Is correspondents sent
articles to the Daily Worker in the
two-year period.
If any worker correspondent or
reader of the Daily Worker would
ike to have the exact Information on
how to keep record like I did for
two wears. they can write me through
the Daily Worker. and I will gladly
reoly, giving all information.
Yours for worker correspondence,
LEE w. LANG
(Signature authorized).
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
Al Smith Charity
Forces Money Out
OF Hotel Workers

(By a Food Worker CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK.-In the hotels of the
Knott Chain an atm osphere of severe
subiuoation and exploitation prevails:
in spite of the So-called N.R.A. code.
The Knott MANAGEMENT is foremost
in speeding up, cutting wages and
working skeleton crews all kinds Of
hours.
Besides cutting wages about four
times during the last two years. every
privilege was taken away, including
the customary SIS Christmas money.
On Oct. 1, 1893, the Knott Corp.
raised the rentals 81 on every room,
thereby profiting 80 per cent above
the previous year. A month later the
hotel code went into effect. and only
the maids were given an increase in
their wages. In most departments
the scale Of pay was not altered
under the code, but hours were read
justed.
On Jan. IS, 1884, the maids in
crease was revoked under false pre-
lenses Of which the latter knew
nothing. The maids were furious:
they could not help themselves, they
0''e not organized.
The former governor, Alfred E.
NTH, is an official in the Knott
-'9anization. In the last few years
70 has been affiliated with all sorts
of charity drives and the first ones
to be canvaSsed for money were the
Knott employees. At this time the
employees are donating from Is to so
cents per week for 10 consecutive
weeks. Department heads solicit for
the money each weekly payday.
The company organization, Kheba
(Knott Hotel EMPLOYEES Benevolent
Association, periodically ne d S
money to swell its treasury. Besides
contributing several times a year
Quarters and halves the workers are
persuaded to buv dollar tickets for
the Kheba balls. These balls are held
twice a year. One ball is held for
the colored workers and their friende
end one for the white workers and
their friends. OF course it is obvious
that SEGREGATION is in order in the
Knott chain of hotels.
The treasurer of Kheba is James
Knott. one of the ccntrolloing pow
ers in the corporation.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
Campaign forSOcioIIns"ronce
Must Be Main York oftheIWO
IWO Members Must POpuIarize the Issue Before
the Masses of Workers
By MAX BEDACHT

The basis and content OF all the
work Of the International Workers
Order in the immediate future must
be the campaign for social insurance.
This campaign must supply the politi-
cal action around which our new
members are to become more class
conscious. This campaign must sup
pig the method by which We popu-
larize the International Workers Or
der among the broad masses Of
American workers as a workers fra
ternal organization. 1t must supply
us with the activities around which
We organize our everyday recruiting
Of new members.
The NRA did succeed for & moment
in withdrawing the political atten-
ton of the workers from social insur-
ance as the only effective guarantee
for immediate relief; but the workers
are already considerably disillusioned
about it. They are so much disil-
lusioned about it that even capitalist
prcpagandists already admit openly
the feilure Of the NPA. Bv that thew
do not mean the failure Of the NRA
10 sc'vo the problems Of the crisis g"
the masses; they never expected it
to do that, thev really do mean the
failure of the NRA to make the work
ers believe that they need not bother
themselves about the solution Of their
problems; that capitalism will solve
these problems and that the NRA is
the method by which capitalism will
solve them.
Our activities for social insurance
must contribute further to this OBJ
jsctive. This objective must consist
IN growing understanding on the
part Of the workers that they are the
only ones who can solve their own
problems and that the struggle for
social insurance is one Of the immedi-
ate methods Of solution.
Acetate Workers for Social Insurance
The first task confronting us is to
make the demand for social insur-
ance an alI-overshadowing issue with
the workers. This requires systematic,
organized action among the masses.
First the membership of the Inter-
national Workers Orders must be
thoroughly aroused to the Importance
Of this issue. Discussions in the
branches must establish a clear I'M
derstanding of the why and how of
social insurance.
This method OF mass agitation
must raise the voices Of all of our
members for social insurance, with
a view of winning other workers to
Join in these voices. If we carry
through this method Of mass agita-
ton, the solitary voices Of the mem
oers Of the TWO for social insurance
will be successfully joined by hun
dredS of thousands and by millions
Of workers in the coming weeks and
months. BY next fall, these voices
viii have grown in numbers and in
volume SO great that the demand for
social insurance will become tho w.
-cratlengable and all-overshadowing
issue Of the Congressional campaign.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12

in the evening. All preparations
were supposed to be complete for the
meeting. The contact address was
tllatsof Comrade c., secretary Of the
Unit S.
Cemrade c. informed the District
speaker in the most Indifferent man.
ner, that no meeting had been ar
ranged. He was rather vague as to
details, but claimed finally that he
had received no leaflets from the dis
trict. CThis was proved to be I'M
true as the Organization Secretary
had a receipt for leaflets from Steu-
benviIle)
The striking thing though, was the
| callous indifference of this unit sec
retary and other comrades as to
whether a Lenin Memorial meeting
was held or not.
Conrade D. M. then asked who was
the unit ORGANIZER. He was next
door-in a bootleg joint. He was
called in and came, disgustingly
drunk. On being reproached for not
having. pre0are1 the Lenin meeting
: began to rave and rant against
thu" Party, asserting loudly that he
was through with the Communists.
He yelled that everybody called him
an anarchist, he would show them.
And he did, by dropping out Of the
Party, proving conclusively, Of course,
that he is an anarchist.
That was obvious what was wrong.
The comrades did no mass work and
cent their time in trivial personal
arguments.
There was one bright spot to the
picture. We went to the home Of
a woman comrade, a sincere proletar-
ian comrade. She was secretary Of q
small women's group. Most Of these
women wanted to join the Party but
we're not allowed in by the unit Or
ganizer who couldn't see what good
women would be in the Party. There
was also a meeting at her home Of
nine members of a youth club, the
members of which read the Daily, the
Young Worker and each week also
read the Youth Builder. They were
meeting to rehearse a play for
Lenin Memorial Meeting which the
youth were to hold the next week,
This without Y. C. L.
C6mrade D. M. urged the inn1edi-
ate formation of Y. C. L. unit; and
told them that one of their func-
lions would be to light a fire under
the Party comrades and force them
into activity. Several names were
obtained and the unit was formed.
Steps are being taken to draw the
women into the Party. UnqueStion-
ably they will show the men COM
rades how Communists are supposed
to act.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
~ Doctor
>LI6tlnqe1
ndA,dAe4:j
BY PAUL LUTTrNGER, MD.
a %

There is no doubt in our mind thai
your "hayfever" is caused BY dust
We therefore urge you to live in q
top floor apartment and see to 1t that
you are never present when the place
is swept or busted. We have num-
Der of patients who have received
injections of dust extracts and who
have become desenitized to New York
dust. These people can now 1--we m
dusty places and even ON q diet Of
white bread and tea. They need no
eletcric fans to keep the air Ia cir.
culation and they do not have to 30
to the White Mountains or take sea
voyage.
1.-THE Health Adviser"
We have number of commumieA-
lions from comrades who are dis
satisfied with the small space al.
lotted to our column. Others want
us to devote more space to certain
questions which are not suitable for
publication in daily paper. Stil
others want our answers to be more
detailed with special articles on sub
jects in which they are individually
interested. Quite a few comrades
have written us sarcastic letters COM
netting upon the lack of humor
which they had noticed in our recent
writing. in contrast to its abundance
in uIr' earlier contributions. On the
other hand, few correspondents
think that we are toe outspoken, too
witty, and too hard" on the various
medical cults.
IT'S obvious that we cannot satisfy
everybody! Several of our friends,
therefore, have gotten together and
have decided to publish a monthly
magazine, THE Health Adviser"
which will appear on May LIST. The
price of the magazine will be within
the limits of the proletarian purse.
namely ST. per year or 10 cents per
copy. Subscriptions can be sent In
to the writer, % Fifth Avenue, New
York City. ID
We are four hundred letters be-
hind in our correspondence and all
future answers in this column, owing
to the lack of space, will have to be
even briefer than they were before.
We also beg our correspondents to
make their inquiries as short as pos
sible. and to write them legibly On
decent paper
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
THE N. Y. TIMES, MAYOR LA
GUARDIA AND THE
WAY OUT
Comrade Editor :

%Ou1A GllC G1AOO1s
Enclosed you will find an article
taken from the N. Y. Times, Friday,
Feb. 2. The capitalist press every
once in while is forced to carry a
small article like this telling of the
death of a starving worker. OF course
it is put on the last page in a lower
corner. Mayor LaGuardia promised
that all New Workers will be fed. This
case is just one of the hundreds of
deaths of New York workers from
starvation. We can also see how the
police, New York's Finest" arrest a
starving worker because he asks for
the price of meal.
The workers OF New York are be-
ginning to understand that the only
time Mayor LaGuardia will feed the
unemployed is when we stick together
and fight under the leadership of the
Unemployed Councils for immediate
cash relief and for the workers I'M
employment Insurance Bill.
Comradely,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
Negro Patient Tortured
By Bedbugs in Hospital
fBv q Worker CORRESPONDENT

ST. LOUIS, Mo.-The facilities
at the City Hospital No. 2. which is
hospital segregated for Negroes, are
a disgrace TO civilization, said DR.. r.
L. Thompson, hospital commissioner
at recent meeting Of the health
and hospital department of the COM
mUnity council at Barnes Hospital.
But DR.. Thompson failed to tell
how an unemployed Negro worker
who was placed in the hospital after
serious automobile accident was
strapped down In the bed while under
the care Of the doctor, so that she
could not move her hands while the
bedbugs bit her. When the INSPECTOR
came around he declared she had
chicken pox. She told him the spots
were from bedbugs. The INSPECTOR
came around at 1920 at night, and
was surprised to find extra large
bedbrgs on her face. He was so sur
orised that he yelled: God almighty,
how In hell do you nys?"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
IT'S NOT ONLY A CONTRADIC-
TION-IT'S A LIE!


Comrades:
I attended a church at the Gospel
Tabernacle where the Reverend John
c.. Cummings preached on the cur
rent events Of the day. He went
so far as to say that the Russian
people were starving. He said they
were eating each other there and
that it was a common scene to see
so or so corpses lying in the streets
Of some cities In Russia.
This seems to be a paradox. 1t
contradicts the statement by the
clergy that Moscow gold is furnished
for the propagation of Communism
in the world. Why do the workers
have to be slandered in this way?
Did Russian gold cause the down.
fall Of the Babylonians, the Per-
slams, Romans, Egyptians? I sup
pose the Moroccan government fur
nished the means for the children
of Isreal to free themselves from
the bondage of Pharaoh.
The workers will have to stand up
and denounce this cheap method of
slandering the Workers homeland.
A WORKER.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
Letters from Our Readers

have always used the sectional divi-
sions of the country to divide the
workers and prevent them from unit
ing in one unified revolutionary
struggle.
Here's to the Daily Worker, now
becoming more than ever the news
paper of all American workers.
Comradely,
PAUL SALTER
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
DEMOCRATS GIVEN THE JOBS
By a Worker Correspondent

BOISE, Ida.-Most all are DEM
ocrats as men have to be Democrats
now to get work and have to promise
to not eat meat on Friday, and if
they depend on the relief stores they
can't get enough to eat meat on Sun
day. At the same time there are
about 600 men at work at different
jobs, yet there are about $500 around
and about Boise that are starving
Many of them say they don't have
to work as Roc2.. cit will take care
Of them. Others say God Is feeding
them. Still there are a few ask me
about the Daily Worker.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-12
st. Louis Mayor
Delays CWA Pay
(By a Worker Correspondent

10Y NOIkpT CUEICSpohuChp
S LOUIS, Mo. Under Mayor
0ickman's orders, thirty starved ano
red workers were laid-off at the
ar Grove project, and all have to
ait one week for their pay. The
~r"'~en G. Billing branch Of the
LID. is sending a committee to see
Nickman, the parasite, to demand
hat these thirty workers be put back
. work or to pay them their wages.
WA. workers. in st Louis now see
the rotten deal they are getting, and
re organizing against the latest
capitalists rackets Of starvation.