The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-07
BY SIDNEY BLOOMFIELD


SPARK PLUG looks like a run
down victim of the crisis. One is
forced to arrive at this conclusion
after studying "Old Sparkle" Yes,
old" because it is the organ Of a
shop nucleus that has been in exist
ence since 1927, Instead of dis
playing vitality SPAK PLUG is
tired, is skipping and not hitting
on all cylinders. The January issue
came back on the job again" after
a lapse, and the next issue We got
was the March issue. Sparkle" must
have been i'll in February; he still
looks bad and talks very weakly.
The cover has an excellent car
toon showing how the leaders Of
the A. F. Of L. unions are corrupted
by Roosevelt, and exposing their
role as agents of the bosses who
hold the workers back from struggle,
But the volume number, issue num-
Der and year number are missing.
Page is marked 3, page 3 is
marked 2, page 4 is not marked, the
fourth page is marked 5, while a
leaflet, larger than the other pages
and advertising a meeting is used
as a page instead of neatly folding
and inserting it into the paper,
This makes SPARK PLUG look like
few leaflets slapped together.
A good article appears on the
third page, exposing the Grand
Sell Out" of the Fisher workers by
the A. F. of L. labor skates, while
pointing to the victory Of the work.
ers in the Eaton Axle strike who
were led by the Industrial Union
with honest rank-and-fil lead
ership that has belief in mill
tant action" But this article ends
by letting things hang in the air
/ so to speak, and concludes with
/ don't take it without a murmur.'
! No program or instruction for actor
| is given.
An article written by a Member
of Communist Party Fisher Bod,
| Unit" tries to explain the difference
between the Communist Party anC
| the Auto Workers Industrial Union
The article states that the Party
is to lead the workers and farmers
out of the crisis by taking powe
out of the hands of the few bill
lionaires and set up a New
/ System, a Workers and Farmers
! Government. "A trade union
on the other hand, is an econonii
organization which should organiz'
the workers for immediate demands
That is, for more pay, better work
ing conditions, less speed-up, nc
lay-offs." Such a formulation O
the question is a mechanical divi
sion and limitation of the roles botl
Of the Party and Of the TRADE
Unions. It tends to fall into pure
and simple" unionisn
In narrowing the role of thu
union to problems of wages, hour
and conditions, the writer fails t.
see that every class struggle is ;
political struggle" Although Thu
union is based upon the economii
needs of the workers, the yer,
nature Of its actions and interest,"
are both economic and political
Particularly now in the epoch o
Imperialism the economic and poll
tical phases Of the trade unions
become interviewer and inseparablt
as class relationships become sharpe,
and more distinct. Every economi,
struggle today concerns and inv.
wolves not only the individual boss
but the whole system Of capitalism
with its injunctions, courts, police
military and other governmental
apparatus up to the President an6
the national government.
The article should have pointed
cut that the Communists alone are
the best fighters for the immcdiat;
demands Of the workers b2csusc
they do not sell out or compromis,
these Demands but actually fight tt
realize tlem for the workers. Ir