davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Ford Worker
Seeks To Contact
Correspondent
(By An Auto Worker Correspondent,

by An Auto Worker Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, Pain your is
sue of Jan. 0, 1894, saw communi-
cation from Ford worker. I hap
pen to be one that they have not
called in the office as yet, and I hope
I will not be until I have had a
chance to put more men on the road
to the organization, as I know the
need of organization in Ford plants,
and I hope in the near future that
I can have enough good, honest,
militant men convinced that there
is one organization that will not sell
out like the A. F. of L. did the Ford
workers.
And when we are ready to organize
Ford plants we will know that we
have an organization in back of us
that will fight to the finish for the
workers. also wish the man that
sent you the communication OF Jan. 9
would come to 49 N. Eighth St.,
Philadelphia, or Chester office, SO we
may get acquainted.
Please publish this letter, and
through your good paper taking the
facts to the workers we shall win our
battle
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
E#~%~N 81
2sIll fIl(, ~, la,G
1s#1 eo..ss... =. - A


"Why not really a Red In
ternational Cook Book ?"
writes "a Constant Reader"
She goes on to say, "The re-
cipeS could De mimeographed and
the pages clipped together in pam
phlet form, even If only with staples
The cost would be very little, and
the books could sell for about 10 cents
each. Then the proceeds might go to
the Daily Worker. 1, for one, would
be among the first purchasers"
That is really encouraging; but I
wasn't kidding a bit in speaking of
the Red International Cook Book!
l had every good intention Of collect
Ing the contributed national recipes
into book, when enough national
tiles are represented. So far, many
have not been heard from, for in
stance, Swedish, French, German,
Spanish and only one real Jewish
good Jewish dishes.
The library has national cook
books, but we want real proletartan
dishes, fairly economical and not too
complicated to make. I had dizzy
dreams of binding our book, when
complete, in red oilcloth. And to make
a comprehensive household help out
Of it, having a section on hints and
helps for organizing the homework.
on the demands" Of proletarSan
women, including, too, some Of the
me material written by Bonita T.
ito appear here within few weeks
some notes and photography re-
garding modern dietetics, and as a
preface to the whole works, a good
speech" on the subject OF differing
tastes in food as barrier between
nations of workers just as difference
of language is-a barrier the book
will help to break down. Maybe we
can draft Comrade Hathaway TO
write that
The book will be the natural out
growth of a transition period in
householding and the mechanics of
nutrition. picturing past and present
and perhaps foreshadowing the
futurel
AS to the expense Of putting 1t
Ahb--OpflOhoiy cOlilC VI uS 1lIGT6SD6Q
gals win give great International
Dinnerl (Will it be delicious? And
will we charge PLENTYD
But cornrade housewives! Unless
the recipes come in faster, it's hard
TO say when that we'll bel Meanwhile
we can act on Constant Readers"
suggestion and begin to get together
what we now have and put out a
preliminary edition as per her direc-
tions. Who knows how to make hot
tamales? Tsimmes? Shish-ge-bob?
Mandel soup? And real Jewish corn
ed beef? And kreplach?
While we're on the subject of
cook-books. here is suggestion. A
heavy piece Of glass, about by 10
inches or a little larger, with the
sdges bound with gummed tape
(passe -partout tape or plain adhesive
sapa will do, if laid over the open
occ,s viii keep it open at the page
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Group System at
A. @. Smith Co. Is
Speed-up Method

(By a Metal Worker Corresponding
MILWAUKEE,, Wis.-I've been
working about three years here in
the A. o. Smith Co. worked in
Milwaukee in different factories for
about 20 years, but this is the worst
place I struck yet for speed-up.
They've got men put in groups in
each department. They give the
group a certain amount of work to
do and if any man doesn't keep up
with his group he's fired. For in
stance: In the picking department
they've got men rushing the steel
sheets from the trucks into the shop
till the men nearly drop, they're SO
tired. Each sheet averages about 80
feet long and 500 pounds in weight.
Each man helps to carry in more
than 1900 Of these in the six hours
he works per day. 1.-TWO men on a
sheet)
Besides this he has other work to
do-picking rods off the floor and
cleaning up. The men have to work
in high hip boots and are always
slusiling around in water and acid
about six inches deep. The foremen
are always bounding you to do more
work and all the men have to suffer
from the sharp acid fumes that are
enough to choke them. If a man
works there three years that's about
all he can stand.
The foremen are not like human
beingS-they have no conscience and
don't seem to have any feeling for
the men who have to work.
They have a so-called safety de-
partment, but it doesn't do hardly
anything to protect the men, but
only helps to speed up production.
The other day saw two overhead
cranes 80 feet above the floor fall
down with two men in the cabs oper-
ating them. If the cranes hadn't
fallen on the big steel press they
were lifting up, the two men would
have been crushed to death in their
cabs. This thing happened because
the posts were too weak to keep up
the cranes lifting the machines,
These posts ought to be inspected
but A. o, Smith doesn't care whether
the men get killed or not. They
only want big speed-up and big pro-
duction so they can profit. thought
I would see something in the papers
about this but there wasn't anything
and that's why I'm writing to the
Daily Worker to put it in because I
know the Daily Worker is real
workers paper and puts the truth in.
With all this speed-up we are
forced to do in six hours under the
MIRA. what we did in IL hours be-
fore. We only get 40 cents per hour,
and besides, the night shift men don't
get paid in the shop on pay day.
They have to make an extra trip
to the shop and pay street car fare
SO they can get paid. Besides this,
rs out of 100 men are wearing ban
dages on their fingers or hands and
are always getting treated in the hos
pital every day. This is because OF
the terrible speed-up.
The only way to stop this is by
getting organized into union like
the Steel Workers Industrial Union.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Navy Yard Workers Tell How Capitalist
Papers Hid Facts About Their Struggles
Reporters Carefully Took Down Data Wages
and Conditions, But Nothing of That
Appeared in Next Days Articles
BY a Group Of Metal Correspondents

BY Group of Metal Correspondents
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Jan. 15-Due
to an announcement in the Daily
News Of Jan. 9, 1894, calling for a
mass meeting on Jan. 10 in the New
York Navy Yard, under the auspices
of the Metal Trades Council, an
American Federation of Labor organ
ization, several hundred Navy Yard
employees massed in front of Build
ing No. q in the Navy Yard.
The meeting was called for pm.
At pm. the lights in the meeting
hall we're still out. One of the coun-
cilmen standing in the hall suddenly
said that there would be no mass
meeting. However, most of the men
remained to find out for themselves.
About Sis this same councilman
disappeared. One Of the men there
heard him telling two apprentice
boys (who had come to voice their
issues that the council was meeting
in a restaurant across the street. A
group of three of the employees went
in as delegation, to the Office of
the Duty Officer, to find out what
was what. He told the group that
the newspa per1nen were also there for
the meeting.
We then went out to search for
this meeting. We found it. After ask
ing to be admitted, we were informed
that it was a cloSed meeting. The
newspapermen were also excluded
Mr.. Engel Of the Council said that the
announcement of the mass meeting
was not authorized.
During the day, the Secretary OF
the Council was called on the tele-
phone and asked whether it was to
be a mass meeting or not, and he
said it would be a mass meeting. The
apprentices were told to wait and
they would be admitted.
Outside of the meeting place, the
yard men told the reporters of the
conditions in the yard prevailing
These same reporters seemed eager
enough to gather all the details of
wages, hours, etc. In the news report
this morning in the Daily News, not
one word was mentioned with re-
ference to what the men told the
reporters. Not one word was men,
toned about the conditions in the
Yard.
However, the article re-afirmed
the fact that the meeting was to have
been a mass meet. 1t also said that
the crowd was too large to be accom-
modated. If this was true, why did
one Of the councilmen say that it was
q closed meeting? Why, after we did
find the meeting, and most of the
men had gone home, leaving only a
handful, Old they not allow these
few men to sit in and hear the
meeting? Why were the reporters ex-
Guided? How did the reporters know
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
81 to Sill a Week
at the Allentown
Mack Truck Plant
(By a Worker CorrespOndentJ

ALLENTOWN, Pa.-Outside of the
textile mills in Allentown, Pa, the
Mack Truck plant is the largest plant
in town. In the good days it en-
ployed over 5000 workers and, &C
cording to publicity reports, Mack
workers were getting good pay mot
much, but good.
Since the depression the Stagger
system was introduced, which gives
two or three days Of work with 81 to
$11 per week. In some departments,
like blacksmith and sheet metal, a
system Of groups, teams and gangs
are practiced, to work for a bonus.
Into these groups the management
sets in unskilled laborers, so that in
stead OF bonuses the teams are al
ways back of the schedule "a new
system of slave driving.
Workers in all departments got an
edge Of discomfort. Talk about a
strike was brewing. The welders
walked out spontaneously. The rest
were too slow to follow.
There is no organization in the
Mack. Rank and file were looking
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Fired Because His
Brother Led Auto
Workers Struggle
(By An Auto Worker Correspondent

by An Auto Worker Correspondent
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-S o m e
weeks ago worker was fired be-
cause his brother was leader in the
Auto Workers Union in another part
OF the city. Yes, they want to keep
their employees from learning what
the company is doing to them. If
workers would stop and consider for
a minute they would understand that
the company would not stand back
of the A. F. of l.. if it did any good
for the workers.
The A. T. of L. organizers in the
plant here are workers who don't
know anything about the A. F. of L.
except that the company wants
everybody to join. A new gang of
men were hired in one department.
Instead of the organizer talking to
all the men, he singled out the group
leader and told him to sign up his
men in the A. F.. of L. The group
leader told him to do his own dirty
work.
This open dictatorship of the COM
pany is nearing fascism as they have
in Germany. It must be stopped.
Organize in industrial unions, with
rank and file control. No high SAL
aired Officials
a KELVINATOR SLAVE.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Bear Mountain
Workers in Danger
of Wage Cut Move
(By a Worker Correspondent


BEAR MOUNTAIN, N. Wage
cuts on C.W.A. projects have started.
The men up here understand that
the minimum pay was to be so cents
an hour for a 71a hour day, or SIS
for the working week Of four days,
but the 300 workers who came up
from the city Jan. are receiving
only Sc cents an hour.
When the men protested against
this, they were met with the excuse
that there had been a bookkeeping
error, and that this mistake would
be adjusted the next pay day. 1t is
up to the workers on the job to see
that this promise is kept, and if it
is not, to protest vigorously and mill
family against this wage cut.
Discrimination and favoritism here
are common. Some men, favorites Of
the foremen, are receiving 90 cents
and S120 an hour as skilled laborers.
Men close to the officials say that
although the skilled workers have
been promised that they would all
receive higher wages, only a selected
few would get them, making dis
elimination easy.
Three men who missed the regular
train from Weehawken, which leaves
at $40 am, and arrived at Bear
Mountain one hour late, were forced
to lay off for the day by the super
visor, Tamson. This slave driver not
only refused to let them work, but
also refused to allow them to return
home on anything but the regular
evening train.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
ADS m PHYSICAL CULTURE
Continued

But, Mr.. Atlas has competitors
H. Broom, "Britain's Premier (mean-
ing First) Physical Culture Expert"
offers you the greatest physical cul.
ture course of all time" This heavy
fellow seems to believe in "contrap-
TONS" among which ther is New
type Of Spring Grip Dumbells and
other exercises. The Englishman's
fees are modest: Six dollars for six
lessons. George F. Jowett is trying
to undersell him. II will add 3 in
ches to your chest, 2 inches to your
bicepS or it won't cost you one
cent?" You can have his six books"
which will build nerves OF steel and
muscles like iron," for one dollar.
Farmer Burns School offers to teach
wrestling by mail and the Physical
Science Institute promises to build
shapely legs for men and women by
the New Improved Leg Developer"
The Hercules EXerciser guarantees"
big husky muscles for only $296; the
German Iron Shoe Muscle Builder
Is itching Gin the palm) to add 4
inches Of muscle on your arms, the
Pandiculator Company wants you to
"pandiculate" for health (whateverH
that may mean; Anthony Barker
wants you to buy his book for 25c
which is equal to a $40 course; Joe
Bonomo offers you a free trip to
Hollywood with strings attached,
where he'll develop you into the He
Man the. Studios are Seeking" and
finally David P. Willoughy is ready to
tell "The Truth About Physical Cul-
ture, for consideration. So much
for the Big Muscle Fellows.
Ito be continued
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
lBr a Worker Correspondent

my - NUAAGA CVAAN@EeAAeNNNF
NEW YORK.-The Real Estate and
Financial section of the New York
American Of Sunday, Dec. 10th, con-
tains a contemplate lying item under
the head: IN. r. A. Apartment Code
Decision is Postponed" written by L.
Berger, General Manager Of Greater
New York, Taxpayers Association. A
hearing was held in Washington, Dec.
on a code for apartment houses, and
owing to the representations Of Mr.,
Berger looking after the landlords in
terests, the possibility of code for
owners Of apartment houses has been
eliminated for the time being.
These are the worthy fourfiusher's
trumps:
Il. Landlords of housing property
would be wiped out if a code imposing
maximum hours Of labor go hours
per week. and a minimum scale Of
wages ($15 per week would require
an expenditure Of $782I4 a year, to-
gether with the renal value Of free
living quarters to janitors).
In thousands Of tenementS, the
total rent income amounts to $500 to
$1,000 per annum," says the article,
so that the labor cost would reach
a prohibitive figure if owners of such
properties would be obliged to operate
under CODE
Janitors Quarters
The gentleman tries to tell us that
the quarters" the landlord furnishes
the janitors cost him $500 in cash.
How come? Does the landlord pay
rent for it to himself? This can't
be figured in the cash labor costs, nor
even in the potential income, because
the room or rooms, generally rooms,
furnished to the janitor is such that
no one would pay any rent for 1t.
I have worked good deal around
apartment houses, and have such a
Job at present, and can vouch for
the fact. The rooms are in the damp
dusty, dirty, bug-ridden cellar. The
furniture consists of junk thrown out
by the tenants. The janitor has
neither the time nor the spirit to keep
the place clean. Bedclothes consist
of old ragged blankets, clean.
AIr. Berger has the cheek to cal
culate sucn a death trap to be worth
$500 8 year cash or SIS a month!
In the small houses our worthy is
so solicitous about, there is no room
for a jsnitor. He can sleep in the
furnace room on the floor. Besides,
one janitor does for many houses.
IN this news item the word janitor
is used throut. The caretaker in the
small houses is called a janitor, but
where more men are needed there is
a super, fireman and sometimes a
handyman This last is on the way
TO extinction. His work is being put
on the super ard the fireman.
Sometimes Charged for Gas
I personally know of houses con-
tanning from II to Al occupied apart
mehts, where the fireman gets $50 a
month Gin some he even has meter
on the miserably amount Of gas he
uses and has to pay for it,, and is
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Open Letter BY AUTO Yorker to
johnson about FOrd's Methods
by an Auto Worker Correspondent

tBy an Auto Worker Correspondent
CThe following letter was sent by
an auto worker to Hugh S. johnson,
chief OF the MIRA, at Washington,
D. CO
Dear Mr.. Johnson:
/ have worked for the Ford Motor
Co. several different times during my
career. One time I was making S1.15
an hour. This last time, / was max
ing the magnificent sum of ST a day.
l worked for the Ford Motor Co.
approximately six months, this time
as tool and die-maker on this So
called 81 day system. When went
to work, L was taken into the en-
ployment office, signed the slip of
121a cents an hour, and through his
investigating, I was given the under
standing that the contract on my
home would be paid for at the rate
of $40 per month and all other bills
that I had incurred up to that time
would be paid.
At the end Of six months, went
to Mr.. Brown, who is the head of
the so-called Welfare Department or
81 system, and asked him for state
ment. He refused to give me, telling
me that they weren't giving out any
system. Then went to see who had
been paid. I found, upon invest:-
eating, that no money had been paid
upon my home. In fact, the only
bills that had been taken care of was
the electric bill, which amounted to
about Sc and 81 OF my taxes had been
paid. had balance of $3.50 taxes
to try and pay myself.
I have g. family of seven. We were
allotted $4.75 per week for groceries.
During the time I worked for Ford
on this system, received five tons
of coke and clothing order of $48.
When we would go to the grocery for
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16

that the press release was true
report of the meeting2
The news report also stated that
1000 men waited to hear the result
Of the meeting. This is absolutely
false. There were only about 10 men
waiting. They waited only until they
were told that they absolutely would
not be let in to the meeting, and
then went straight home.
We are sending this bit Of news
to several newspapers, in an effort
to have the truth published. We want
to know whether it is still possible
to have the truth circulated through
the press. The papers will be followed
up very carefully for two weeks, to
see this in print
A GROUP OF NAVY YARD
EMPLOYEES.
Editors NOte-The above letter is
graphic example of how the cap
italst press 0Astorts all working class
news. The reporters probably handed
in to the editors of their papers a
doctored report Of their interview
WAbA1 Wiz WI WIZ WC1G
away from the meeting described. But
even this did not get in. The report
ers handed in their reports, which,
not meeting with the policy Of their
ooSs-cadoying papers, were slashed
beyond all semblance of recognition.
OF course, the reporters-who were
not present at the closed meeting''-
could not tell whether the press re-
leases about the meeting held be-
hind closed doors was correct. But
capitalist papers are in the habit Of
taking for granted the word of the
bosses and those that serve the bosses
(the American Federation Of Labor
leaders,.
These papers reflect the life and
ideas Of the ruling class. That is
their reason for existence.
Only the Daily Worker reflects the
life and needs Of the workers. Only
the Daily Worker reports accurately
all working class events. The Daily
Worker is the paper for the workers.
The Daily Worker is glad to print
the above letter entire, and any other
letters coming from the Brooklyn
Navy Yard workers.
We urge the Navy Yard workers to
call a mass meeting of their own
under rank and file leadership. The
Navy Yard workers who belong to the
union demand from their union rep
resentatives that the Metal Trades
Council cooperate and give full sup
port to the organization of the meet
ing.
We urge all the unorganized Navy
Yard workers to join the Steel and
Metal Workers Industrial Union, a
militant, fighting union, under rank
and file leadership. Their headquar-
tiers are at 80 Smith ST., Brooklyn
l N. Y.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16
Letters from,
Our Readers
CHILDREN'S SHOUTS OF 1--WE
WANT SOUP" PENETRATE
INTO JAIL HOUSE

Woodbury., Co. Jail
Sioux City, Iowa
Dear Colnrade Editor:
I believe the Party Life Column is
the best column to make its appear
ance in the Daily Worker, has been
more Of a big help to me and I hope
the general membership has bene-
fitted as have. Yes, our Daily
Worker improves every day.
Why couldn't we run short stories
on the subject, why I joined the
Communist Party" by comrades es-
pecially who are national figures, like
Bob Minor etc. or Section organizers,
etc. 1t would give the lower cadres
in the Party clear analysis of them
selves and we must get ourselves or
gained before we will make serious
Roadway to toss capitalism overheard.
see in some districts we have made
slight Roadway that way.
I've been a Daily Worker reader
for over z years and have seen the
steady climb our Party has made and
the steady degeneration of the Social
list Party which I used to belong to
for years.
I was lying asleep on my back in
my cell when I was awakened by a
child's voice, 1--WE Want Soup" be-
lieved I was having another dream,
which often have, as always dream
Of the millions of suffering. But no,
this was no dream. 1 heard several
voices cry again, 1--WE Want Soup"
I got up and rushed to the window
and there was a group of children
down in front of the Y.MC.A. shout
ing, I'VE Want Soup" They stayed
there IS or 20 minutes before they
left. I see the kids are ready to fight.
1t gives my heart great JOY to have
seen this little demonstration. love
youth. hope my baby Caroline Mar
CINE, months old. at home in Lincoln
will be leader for the downtrodden
children. 1t will not be my fault II
she isn't so.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16

our supply, we seldom knew just what
the price of anything was. I did
manage one day to find out from
the grocery clerk that We were paying
nine cents a pound for lard when it
was selling for five cents other places
could cite numerous other things
and shall be glad to furnish you with
other data if you would care to hear
them. If you are interested, | can
give you sworn statements which will
convince you that the people of Ink
ster, Garden City and Dearborn
Township are held up by the Ford
Motor Co. during these days of the
N.RA.
This 12R cents an hour was getting
too strong for the Ford Motor Co.
recently, so they called their 81 slaves
INTO the office and asked them If
they would be willing to purchase
their groceries, clothing, coal, ETC.,
from the Ford Motor Co., and If so,
that they would be put on a scale
OF 80 cents an hour. OF course. the
employees agreed to this. Shortly after.
these employees receives bills from
the Ford Motor Co. ranging from
$500 to 5000 back payments on items
which they had been receiving, as
Ford would not give a statement.
II you care to send an investigator,
I can give you sworn statements of
several other men around here re-
garding their dealings with Ford,
Which would without any doubt sat-
lsfy you after the investigation that
King Henry First OF England looked
out OF date handling slaves, alongside
OF King Henry First of Dearborn.
If you care to interest yourself in
this matter, I shall be glad to meet
any OF your investigators any time at
any place, within q reasonable dis
lance.