The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-17
By HERBERT BENJAMIN


Within a period of less than two
months the task of eIecting, as
sembling and financing thousands
Of delegates to the National Con-
gress for Unemployment and Social
Insurance must be accomplished.
There can be no doubt as to the
Importance of this project. The
conditions of the masses in the
sixth year of mass unemployment
and restitution and the persistent
refusal Of the government to estab-
lish system Of genuine unem-
ployment and social insurance calls
for vigorous action by all workers
professionals, farmers and the self
employed All of these need, many
OF them already recognize the
need, and all of them can be con-
WINGED of the need, for a system of
unemployment and social insurance
based on the principles embodied in
the workers bill and in the call for
the National Congress. Millions are
ready to welcome the opportunity
to participate in and support united
efforts to compel enactment of an
adequate social insurance system
by the United States Congress. 1t
is up to us to give them this OPP
portunity by informing them OF
the Congress and by showing them
how they can participate.
The success of this Congress and
the extent to which it will serve to
advance our fight for unemploy-
ment and social insurance, will be
determined by how well the most
advanced and militant workers plan
the work of reaching and involving
the broad masses in the trade
unions, the fraternal, Negro, Farm
erS, Veterans, Women's and youth
organizations; and the masses who
must be reached in the shops,
neighborhoods and churches.
The composition Of the National
Sponsoring Committee in d C tie 8
how broad and united the front can
and must be. Under no circum-
stances must this Congress be
merely a gathering of the unem-
ployed. Nor must it be a gathering
of delegates from only the revolu-
tionary and left wing organizations.
The fact that thousands Of locals
of the American Federation of La
Dor, Of fraternal lodges, of Amer
lean Legion Posts and other or
CARNATIONS under reactionary and
fascist leadership have already
adopted and endorsed the Workers
Bill, despite the opposition of their
leaders, proves the possibility OF
rallying and involving thousands OF
such organizations in the further
fight around this vital issue. Our
task is to reach these masses and
to consolidate the tremendous power
which is now scattered and diffused
Our purpose is to direct this power
into single stream so that it may
become a mighty torrent that can
sweep away and smash all that
stands between the masses and
their right to live.
How To Begin
The first task is to form a Local
Sponsoring Committee" in every
city, county or town. ANY interested
individual or organization can take
the initiative in forming such q
committee. The most outstanding
and authoritative leaders and
spokesman of all the groups ano
organizations we want to reach
should be included in the sponsor
ing committee providing they agree
with the purpose and content Of
the Congress Call.
AS soon as such committee is
formed land this must be done
without any further delay the
Committee must secure and begin
to circulate copies of the Congress
Call and other material. In the
larger cities, sub-committees can be
formed each of which will have the
special task of reaching partic-
ular field. For example: A SUBJ
committee to see that the Congress
Call reaches the trade union locals;
another for a particular Language
group; still another for the Negro
organizations; the youth, women
professional, church, veterans, etc
Each Subcommittee should rally
around itself as many active work
erS as possible These should be
sent to visit the meetings of the
given organization to explain the
purpose of the call and to urge en-
dorsement, support and election OF
delegates.
Copies of the Call should be sys-
tematically distributed in the shops
in meeting halls, neighborhoods
etc. Delegations should be sen tic
newspaper editors with the demand
that the call and all plans for ac-
tivity in connection with Congress:
arrangements shall be published ir
the papers.
In some localities, local confer
ences can be called, to which all in
terested organizations can be in
vited by the local sponsoring COM
mittee. Where this is practical OF
necessary, special conferences can
be called for trade unions, or fol
fraternal, language, women's anc
other organizations. 1t is necessary
however, to avoid calling overlap
ping conferences which would only
confuse the organizations.
In addition to these steps which
NATIONAL SPONSORING COMM