The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-30
Party Life
Experiences
In Recruiting
Steel Workers
BY S. c.. Gary. Ind.

WANT to give some OF my expert
l ences on the question Of recruit
ing workers for the Party. Firstly,
we must realize that with the wors-
ening Of living conditions, caused
by low wages and continuous rise
of the cost Of food and clothing,
coupled with part-tirne work and
lay-offs, the workers are starting to
show definite signs Of mass unrest.
The question of the future is bother
ing every worker today. This grow
ing unrest makes it possible to bring
in large numbers of workers into
our Party.
We must be able to approach the
workers in the most concrete way
and to speak to them in the most
simple manner. I find that to be
able to convince a worker to join
the Party, the comrade must be
able to understand the peculiar
weaknesses of the worker and why
he did not join the Party until now.
We must find out what specific
reasons stand in the way of this
worker getting into the Party. How
did I proceed in getting the workers
of my mill to join the Party? I
did not approach just any worker
that I might have seen or known
in my department. To do this might
have caused a sad experience in
getting unreliable elements into the
Party. The first thing that I had
to know about the worker was
whether or not he was honest. In
the large U, S. Steel plant where
I work there are all types of work
ers. I know from experience that
it does not require lot of time
to find out whether the worker is
honest or not. I would Judge a
workers honesty by how he gets
along with his fellow workers.
When would approach the work
ers (Who have since been recruited)
with the intention of getting them
into the Party, would talk to them
on concrete questions, of his daily
grievances. If they speak quite
frankly of the need of improving
their conditions, then they were
good prospects for the Party. On
the other hand, if the worker would
try to make excuses for the bad
conditions, it was always advisable
to take it easy with him about join
ing the Party. With this approach
I was able to get five workers to
join the Party.
Individual Responsibility
IT is unfortunate that recruiting
L is in the. order of business only
when special campaign set in.
1t seems to me that recruiting into
the Party must and should be in
the mind of every Party member
all year round. Recruiting will be
successful to the extent that the
District, Section and Units improve
further the inner life of the units
the basic organization of the Party.
What is the condition today?
Practically the same as two and
three years ago. The unit or nu-
cleus is not yet the political leader
in the territory and in the shop
that it should be. 1t is time that
We ask ourselves the following ques-
tons:
What do we demand from each
Party member? Every unit or sec
ton functionary will answer: "All
your spare time outside of your
work" But the unit buro seldom
discusses this very work, which is
the basis for the individual party
members most important activity.
Once in while there is a squirt on
the part Of the buro, when an
alarming communication comes from
the section or District and then
this is discussed for a week or two
and dropped.
The unit buro, whose function is
that of political leader and guide,
must make an attempt to raise the
political level of the Unit member
ship. This is well said, same has
been said and urged three and four
years ago, although some improve
ment is evident here and there. but
the situation as whole has not
changed.
One most important question we
must ask ourselves, that is: Where
does the individual responsibility OF
each Party member lie? You often
hear Party members, including lead
ing functionaries, say, MY unit is
lousy; I don't blame the new Party
members for dropping out" And
these comrades remain Indifferent
They completely ignore their re-
sponsibility to watch and guide the
unit, at least in political discus
sions. Let us see if such theory
OF individual responsibility is pos
sible even on the part of the most
occupied functionaries?
We have today over 1000 party
members, and about 500 function
aries in every field of work, trade
unions, mass organizations, sections
etc. If 300 functionaries who car
attend unit meetings, insist on his
or her unit regularly like clockwork
discuss a political problem for one
hour before the Unit meeting, we
would have an entirely different pic.
ture. tThis has been said and urgec
before, but never carried out per.
sistentlv>
! Recruiting would not be a cues.
ton of every time starting new
campaign if the resolution of the
l4th Plenum would have been prop
erly discussed. On the question o.
| recruiting, the resolution stated:
I'VE must establish recruiting a.
a normal part of our Party, so tha
every member of the Party con.
stantly strives to have one or two
workers that he or she is in con.
tact with, helping them, teachins
them Systematically by bringin;
them Dailv Workers 1itera t,,~o