The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-30
By ORRICK JOHNS

taken this week to place the de-
tense of the Hillsboro prisoners on
a nation wide basis. Yesterday rep
resentatives of a number Of organ
hations met in New York to form
Hillsboro Defense Committed
which will set on foot a vigorou,
national campaign with the slogan
"Quash the Hillsboro indictments. =
Some of the organizations which
are participa ting in this Joint CON-
mittee are the international Labor
Defense. American Civil Liberties
Union, National Committee for the
Defense of Political Prisoners, thc
John Reed Clubs of the United
States. the Pen and Hammer Club
and the Marine Workers Industrial
Union. The League for Industrial
Democracy was represented by ar
observer. John Adams, young
writer for the New Masses, and one
of the Hillsboro prisoners. is q
member of the Marine Workers In
dustrial Union.
farmers of Illinois are msneuver-
ing to initiate California in state
wide fascist attack on all workers
is shown by a number Of new de-
7eloDments.
Four more workers have been in
dicted by the special grand jury OF
Aug. 5, in addition to the IL ar
rested in May, of whom one is a
Young Peoples Socialist League or
gsnizer, John Jurkanin. Three of
these workers are in Jail and one
has not been found. Eleven of the
indictments are on three counts of
the Illinois treason code" statute
The remainder are indicted on one
count.
In Auburn, Ill. an adjacent dis
trict, five new arrests have been
made under the same conspiracy
act" 1t is reported that one Of these
Auburn workers is also Socialist
The arrests were made as a result
of a relief workers strike against
intolerable conditions Of forced
labor.
Unemployed Face Starvation
Unemployed in southern Illinois
face absolute starvation this winter
as result Of cuts in relief. Pre-
vious to the indictment OF the Hills
boro defendants, rents were paid
and clothing supplied to the I'M
employed. Since the indictments
forced labor has been introduced
and relief workers must pay for
rent and clothing. Although the
forced labor wages are slightly
higher than relief payments, these
additional expenses have placed the
unemployed in a situation much
worse than before.
The indictments, therefore, have
accomplished the re-arranged pur-
pose Of the employing class The
fact that conditions changed for the
worse after the indictments anc
that the same policy is being pur-
sued elsewhere, as in Auburn. show,
that the fight for the freedom Of
the Hillsboro workers is fight
against mass starvation in Illinois
The policy Of the Illinois re-
dictionaries and fascists is to be-
head every struggle for wages o.
relief by invoking the treason code
act, and crush further resistance
through organized terror.
National Guard on Parade
While these events are takinl
place the Illinois National GuarC
is receiving particular attention
from the authorities. An ORDER o.
1868 trucks has been placed for thu
National Guard. as first step il
motorization of that force. On iii.
nois day, Aug. IT, the 10000 Ma.
tional Guard psraded in full re.
gala down Michigan Blvd. in Chi.
csgo, Military planes few over
head. and sham battles were STAGED
on the lake and in the city. Gov,
ernor Hcrner publicly called thu
National Guard "a guard agains
communism and violence"
Although representatives Of Pear,
cy have attempted to isolate thu
Progressive Miners from the Hills,
boro defense struggle. the Nokomi!
local Of the PIMA, is acting jointly
with the LID, and the membership
is solidly behind the defense cam
paign. PIMA. members have FIRE.
quently volunteered on delegation
to see the prisoners. A petition de.
handing the release of the Hills
boro prisoners was circulated in No.
komis, and in less than two days
nearly 400 signatures were obtained
including practically the entirr
membership Of the Womens Auxil
larry Of PIMA.
Socialists and Communists Form
United Front
A united front with the Socialis
Party rank and file is also beini
formed. and PIMA. and S. P. work
ers realize that their own militan
wing will be next in line of attack
and that only solidarity can keel
their leading forces out of prison
and prevent bloody fascist wa
against the whole working clas
Of Illinois.
One member of the Nokomis Pro
gressive Miners was chased for dis
tributing leaflets in the daytime. /
meeting Of the Nokomis local wa
Immediately called to protest thi
attempted assault and PIMA
group was formed to fight for tn
preservation of rights.
The PIMA. working miners ar,
very little better off than the un
employed on forced labor. Man,
miners only earn IS week. TIT
average earnings in NokomiS ar
from $500 to $500 a year. Only ;
few get extra relief. and relief. foi
those who get it. averages Ia cent
a day per person.
Literature Denied TO Prisoners
The Hillsboro prisoners are still
denied ali literature except tn;
Daily Worker, and that is refused