davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21

Capitalism derives too great profit
from unemployment to agree to its
complete abolition.
The Townsend Plan stoops to the
vilest sort of chauvinism in its
efforts to peddle its pro-capitalist
theology. The Plan proposes that
the pension apply only to "Ameri-
cans; and non-citizens, or the I'M
lucky foreign-born worker who acct
dentally or otherwise may survive
past the age Of 60 would not be
eligible for this Pension. Since the
sales tax which is to raise the
money for this Pension is to be uni
versal, the foreign-born workers, of
whom there are still many millions
in the U. S., are to have the
privilege of paying this tax while not
receiving any benefits from it.
Benefits of Workers Bill
Despite the fallacies and unfeasi-
bility of the proposed Townsend
Old Age Pension Plan, the necessity
Of making provisions for the "old"
workers is becoming increasingly
urgent. The development of ration
alization and speed-up in capitalist
industry is prematurely aging the
workers, and today workers only
past 40 are considered too old to
work in many industries. The re-
suit is that fewer gray and bald
heads are seen among the working
class. The provisions to care for
these men and women are outlined
in the Workers Unemployment
Insurance Bill (H.R. 1899.
This Bill provides that those who
are too 'old" to find employment in
industry should receive benefits
regardless of whether they are
foreign born or native born. Both
foreign and native-born workers
have contributed to building up the
wealth of this country, have been
equally exploited in the mines,
mills and factories, and should
therefore share equally in any sys-
TEN of social insurance. The Bill
opposes any such scheme as the
sales tax, which would throw the
burden upon those who can least
carry 1.-THE workers and farmers
and would exempt the rich. 1t OPP
poses any contributions by the work
ers and demands, instead, that the
necessary funds be raised through
increasing the taxes on the higher
incomes and properties, plus con-
tributions by the government. 1t
proposes not 10 per cent sales tax
but a tax on the wealth of the
millionaires like Ford, Rockefeller,
Mellon, Morgan, and the like. In
that way, the fund needed for social
insurance could easily be raised
without increasing the already
heavy burden carried by the workers
ADD the poor.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21

But even this relatively high tax
would be far from sufficient to
raise the first 6OO,0oO,O0O. The
sales tax bases itself on total sales
To raise that sum monthly, with a
tax rate of 10 per cent, sales must
average about $4,000, 100000
monthly, or 192,000,0O0,000 a year,
a sum which cannot even be Wis
ualized under present conditions.
In 1928, which was better than av-
erage, the total sales were only
SAC, 000,OO0,0O0, or about % per cent
of what is necessary to raise the
sum needed for Townsend Plan
Pensions.
Even if the entire national in
come, and not sales alone, was
taxed the rate would have to be
over 20 per cent to reach the sum
needed. Total sales would have to
be four times greater than they are
before the proposed tax would
raise the necessary fund for the
first month of the Townsend Old
Age Pension. Such a rise is i'm
possible under capitalism, since,
through low wages and permanent
unemployment, the tendency is to-
ward limiting rather than increas-
ing the growth of sales.
If the tax were lowered to five
per cent, as some supporters Of
o. A. R. P. advocate, the possibility
of making that plan work would
become still more doubtful.
The whole purpose of the Town
send Plan is to increase the volume
Of business by increasing the
amount of money in circulation.
This is more or less similar to the
theories of Roosevelt. However, the
desired result does not always fol-
low. Despite the rising volume of
expenditures of the government, the
volume of business has not been
rising, and for the past few months
it has even been falling.
InfIationary Character
Placing more money in circula-
ton, as proposed by the plan,
would mean the introduction of in
flationary measures and a rise in
prices. No amount of argument will
prevent rise in prices in the event
that monthly expenditures of the
government are increased by the
issuance of $1,000 100000 of new
money. Increased prices, rather
than helping to increase the vol
ume of business, will have the
tendency of limiting consumption,
and, therefore, limiting production.
The whole theory of Townsend is
in accord with the belief that re-
striction of credit was the chief
cause of the crisis.
The exact opposite was the case
in 1929 The restrictions on credit
were not very severe, interest rates
were not high, and a great deal of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
n Northwestern Road
Pleads Economy in
Firing Men

CHICAGO, Ill, Nov. 20. - The
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
has again initiated a campaign of
mass layoffs Of shopmen, mainten-
ance, and other workers. 1t is ru-
mored that this attack of the COM
pany is due to the fact that the
government, which has loaned them
over $30000,000 which has been
used to pay dividends and interest
on their highly watered stock, de-
mands a drastic efficiency program
before it will grant them money for
wages to take care Of the equipment
which has already been neglected
to the point where the safety of
both passengers and employees is
endangered. These layoff econo-
mics can only be effected through
intensifying the speed-up and by
violations of the working agree
mentS.
Since the first of November the
road, which had called some men
back to work has day after day
posted new layoffs till the shops
and round houses are working with
minimum crews.
Forces Reduced
At Proviso the force is reduced
to about the minimum Sunday
schedule. At the Chicago Ave.
roundhouse a new layof of 81 added
to the past layof of Is makes over
70 machinists, boilermakers, pipe
filters, laborerS and helpers cut off.
At the Crawford Ave. shops in ad-
dition to the large layoffs of the
first of the mont hsome 119 were
cut off on Wednesday, November
18th.
The Galena roundhouse was closed
one day, gatemen are reported laid
off; the Ravenswood General Of
flee has laid off 80; entire section
gangs have been laid off, and at
other points only the foreman and
one man kept on; while at the
Chicago depot station employees are
being cut off despite the pickup
of work, which begins at this time of
the year and lasts till Christmas.
The same drastic cutting off is tax
ing place at Omaha, Madison, Mil
waukee, and other points. These
layoffs find the equipment already
dangerous from neglect and past
layoffs.
The operating department, which
has not been so hardly hit in the
past, is not being hit and will suffer
much more in the future if the
economies are put over. Two sub
urban runs have been taken off the
Galena division. A gas motor has
been put on the Freeport run.
Omaha trains Nos. and 81 are
being doubled up. Trainmen, engine
men and switchmen are thus being
affected and will also become
victims of the proposed economies.
Sharing the Work"
At some places meetings have
been called to discuss Sharing the
work" This has occurred at Craw-
ford Ave and at Chicago Ave. Some
of the workers have been won to
this program of general starvation
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21

Calling upon the district to carry
out the decision of the Central
Committee by completing its quota
before the end Of the month, Kay
Heikkila, Communist Party District
Organizer of North Dakota, yester-
day declared that North Dakota's
$3.50 quota is mot too great to full
fill"
while the North Dakota Mon
tana district has been in the heart
of the drought area" his full state
ment read, with the crops burned
out and the masses of toilers on
relief, we feel that the District
quota of $3.50 is not too great to
fulfill. At the same time we realize
that many Of the outlying units
(some are 1900 miles from the
District office have not been mo-
bilized for the Daily Worker Cam
paign as they should have been in
order to put it over the top. Many
have reported lately that they have
collected funds and are sending
them in.
"The District Committee calls
upon every unit to Immediately
send in all funds raised for the
Daily and exert every effort to
fill our quota before the drive
ends. Especially in this widely
scattered area is the Daily Worker
of the utmost Importance as an
organizer and propaganda. In
addition to raising funds for the
Daily we call upon the units to
begin establishing the reading of
the Daily Worker for educational
work in order that the members
learn more of the Party.
Comrades, we must go over the
top in the drive before Dec. 1
and then begin the spreading of
the Daily throughout the Dis
trict to every town and village"
Chicago Section Has Plan
In Chicago, the Buro of Section
4 has developed a plan of getting
the tagging units in it's territory
into action. Chief among the
points is an emergency committee
Of two which will work with every
such unit. The tasks of this COM
mittee will be the following:
Ito see that every sympa-
thizer or business man in the
territory of the Unit is visited
or approached for donation.
&TO find a member or sym
pathizer who is willing to arrange
in his or her house a card, buncO
or any other kind of a party for
the Daily Worker.
$40 place one or more of the
punch boards in the hands of
some one who is willing to do
some work for the Daily Worker.
Don't limit yourselves to Party
members only.
These steps apply especially" is
the announcement of the section, "to
Units 4O7, 400, 400, All, 416 and 419."
1t is an example that may well
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21

development, DR.. Townsend blames
the machine" and inventive ge-
MUS" for the widespread unemploy-
ment and surplus of products.
However, it is not the inventors nor
their machines which are RESPONSE
BILE for unemployment, but the use
to which these are put under CAPT
talism. 1t is because of the failure
to understand this that we have
such proposals as that made by Sir
Josiah Stamp, leading British capt.
talist, to declare a moratorium on
inventions. 1t is but another sign
of the decadence of capitalism.
At no other time in history and
in no other country, has there been
such a great development of inven-
tive creation and growth of indus
trialization at such rapid pace, as
at present in the Soviet Union.
However, these conditions, strangely
enough, do not cause either a sur
plus of workers or of products, but
rather a shortage of both. The
shortage of goods is only temporary,
arising out of the necessity rapidly
to industrialize the country and
from the backwardness of the
country when it was taken over
from Czarism. Every new machine
installed, every new factory opened
is helping to overcome this shortage.
Under capitalism, machines in
crease production and cheaper the
output, thus creating competitive
advantages for the individual indus
trialist; they displace labor in order
to cheaper production costs, thus
making possible the realization of
larger profits; they intensity the
labor process and thereby increase
the surplus value wrung from the
workers; the increased output re-
sulting from greater use of ma
chinery takes place in face of a
narrowing market; the socially pro-
duced commodities are privately
appropriated, creating the condi-
tons which lead to overproduction.
In the Soviet Union, these condi-
tons are lacking and therefore the
result is different.
Will Give No Benefits
The Townsend Plan, because of its
implicit faith in capitalism, cannot,
therefore, achieve those things in
which it processes to believe. Even
if capitalism would like to do away
with unemployment in its present
sharp form, it would never agree to
the complete abolition of unemploy-
ment, which in any event is i'm
possible under capitalism. A reserve
army of unemployed is a necessity
fo- capitalism in order to make pos
sibie any further expansion of in
dustry, and in order to use unem-
ployment as a threat against the
employed workers, to lower their
wages and to increase their hours.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
BY HARRY YARIS


The five years of crisis have been
productive of devious schemes and
patent-medicine cures for the pre-
vention of future catastrophes.
Just as quack doctors spring up
and thrive during an epidemic, so
have the economic and political
quacks, fakirs and what-nots thrived
and grown fat upon the misery of
the past years.
Lately New Messiah" has ap-
peared upon the scene-Dr. F. E.
Townsend. AS the originators of
many other utopian schemes,
EPICS, etc., he comes from the
State of California, home of many
a faker and charlatan. His scheme
is known as the Old Age Revolving
Pensions, which at present is get
ting considerable publicity, and has
even acquired a following.
AIlsged Aid to Aged
The plan proposes to take all
people over the age of so out of
productive work and supply them
with 5000 a month. The only con-
dition for receiving this stipend is
that the entire 5000 must be spent
every month. Quite a seductive
proposal, and the simple minded
are beginning to fall for it.
The plan itself is great deal
more ambitious than it appears to
be at first glance. Pensioning of
the aged is only means to an end.
The end, in the words of DR.. Town
send, is:
lido away with unemployment.
27Do away with crime.
$40 bring back prosperity.
40 abolish poverty.
$40 cause greedy accumulation
to disappear.
Just slight examination of the
economic and political theories and
philosophy of DR.. Townsend will
show that they have about the
same possibility of realization as
the theories of the biblical Mes
Siah."
No Criticism of Capitalism
The o. A. r. P. (as the Town
send Plan is known has no criti-
cism to make of capitalism. On the
contrary, the plan depends upon
the continued existence of capital
ism. THE plan interferes in no
way with our present form of gov
eminent, profit system of business
or change of specie in our economic
set up" CDR. TownsenO. This
statement is the basis of the
utopianism of all phases of the
plan. Without doing away with
capitalism. none of the things the
plan processes to want can be
achieved.
Because of its faith in capital
ism, the o. A. R. P. has been en-
braced and endorsed by a large
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
Anti ascists
Ask for Aid
From Prison
Are Held In Boston for
Demonstration at
Nazi Ship

BOSTON, Mass, Nov. 2O.-From
their prison cells, the Is young
anti-Fascist workers and students
whose appeal will be heard next
Tuesday, Nov. 20, in the Suffolk
Superior Court in this city, have
issued the following appeal to the
entire working class to rally to the
fight against fascism and for the
rescue Of its imprisoned opponents:
Those Of us who followed the
course of the trial last May will re-
call that the Nazi cruiser Karlsruhe
came over from Germany at the
behest of Hitler to act as Nazt
propaganda in line with his deter
minated attempts to win mass sup
port in this country for his murder
regime. The thousands Of workers
and students who demonstrated in
City Square, Charleston, in the name
Of the oppressed German workers
and prosecuted intellectuals and
Jews effectively neutralized any
Nazi propaganda value Hitler may
have expected to derive from this
visit Of the Karlsruhe.
City Officials Ordered Attack
TT will also be recalled that tbs
demonstration was finally broken
up by unprecedented police brutal
ity with mass arrests, which were
afterward proved in court to have
been done by direct orders of the
city authorities of Boston The
tremendous student participation in
this demonstration indicated clearly
the rising anti-Fascist sentiment in
the student bodies of the schools
and colleges Of Boston. Savage
sentences of from six to eight
months in jail at hard labor were
melted out to the Karlsruhe de-
PENDANTS, this initiating a deter
mined and concerted drive on the
part of the authorities to quell the
growing anti-Fascist sentiment with
Fascist methods.
THE Karlsruhe case was only the
opening gun for the dealing out of
sentences equally vicious to anyone
who dared to resist actively in any
way the spread of Nazi propaganda
in Boston and vicinity. We cite
notably the cases of the seven
workers and students who are now
serving sentences of six months at
hard labor for daring to demon
strate against the opening of the
doors of Harvard to Hitler's chief
propaganda agent, Hanfstaengl.
Ask Funds for Defense
THE appeals of the Karlsruhe
defendants come up now at a time
when the drive to stamp out all
opposition to Nazi propaganda is in
full swing. All sincere opponents of
Hitler and the reactionary, bloody
program that he stands for, are
urged to rally to the defense of
those arrested workers and stu
dents who dared to voice their pro-
test against it. The ruthless drive
Of the authorities of the city of
Boston must be met with wave of
protest in the form of letters, tele-
grams, resolutions to District At
torney William ]. Foley, Pemberton
Square Court, Boston, Mass.
THE campaign for the freedom
of the Karlsruhe defendants is very
sorely in need of funds. The sub
poenaing of city authorities to the
trial, the court expenses, expenses
of attorneys, literature, ETC., call for
the immediate support of all those
opposed to the spread of Fascism.
Send all contributions to the Karls-
ruhe Defense Fund, care of the In
ternational Labor Defense, IL Hay
ward Place, Boston, Mass.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
INTERNATIONAL SUNG IN
CHJJR

SEATTLE, Nov. 20.-For the first
time in Seattle's religious hisory
the International has been sung
in church! 1t happened last Sum
day at Rev. Fred Shorter's Church
of the People as part of the ARMS.
tice anti-war service.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
SOVIET FILM IN HAMTRAMCK

HAMTRAMCK, Mich, Nov. 90
Sentenced to Health" Soviet film.
will play at Yemans Hall, 3O14 Ye-
mans st. Monday, Nov. 26th pm.
Zone showing only Adm. 15c.
Benefit for the Daily Worker.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
WHAT'S ON
Chicago. III.

,icdgO, I'LL.
First Annual Dance given by Painters
Br. SOS TWO. Saturday. Dec. 8 at
Mirror Hall, 1856 N. Western Ave.
Adm. Csc in adv, S5c at door.
Ten Theatre Groups in action. Second
Midwest Festival of League Of Work
ers Theatre. Performances by Gary,
Tri-CitieS, Milwaukee and Chicago
Groups. Peoples Auditorium, PAST w.
Chicago Ave, Friday, Nov. % at 8
pm. Adm. 35c.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
Chicago, III.
Newark, ". J.

House Party given by Two. Br. 5lz
at Ill So. Grove St. 1ryington. Sum
day, Nov. IS at pm. Real turkey
dinner will be served. Adm. Csc.
House Party at home Of Estelle Hoff-
man, 32l Leslie ST., Sunday, Nov. IS.
Concert and entertainment, SuncSS,
Nov, ls at 1862 Lincoln Pl, Garfield.
Concert and Entertainment given By
Passaic Unit, Saturday, Dec. l at
Msciacs Hall, 40 Third St., Passaic.
Adm. 2oc in advance: 25c at door.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-21
AFFAIRS FOR THE
DAILY WORKER
philadelphia Pa.

Thanksgiving Eve Dance, Wed. Nov
% at State Dance Hall, Goth ana
Market SITS. Good Dance Orchestra.
Come in costume. Prizes for best
costumes.
Chicago, I'LL.
Gala Dance and Entertainment, sat.
urday, Nov. "a. Workers Lyceun,
2733 Hirsch ST. Auspices: Wiggins
Br. Y.CL. 9 and CP. 5i2
Gala Affair and Dance given by Rus
sian Organizations on Saturday, Nov.
"a at Douglas Auditorium, Kedzie and
Ogden AYES.
Affair given by Unit 800 and 300 at
2S17 Clifton Park Ave, Saturday,
Nov. gath. Refreshments, dancing.
Dance given by Sec. II C.P. Stock
yard Section, Sunday, Nov. IS, at
522 E. 4Srd St., pm. Adm. 15c.
Affair given by Russian Organiza-
tions, Saturday, Nov "a at Peoples
Auditorium.
The Bismarck tribune., 1934-09-04
Pirates Take Lead
In Northern League

st. Paul, Sept. 4.-(R)-Although
half the teams Of the league were idle
Monday because Of wet grounds, three
changes in the Northern League
standings resulted from the two Labor
Day doubleheaders played.
Crookston, by its 6 to and SIS
victories over Greater Grand Forks,
went back into the leadership, q game
snd q half ahead Of Fargo -Moorhead,
which dropped q pair to Winnipeg,
Us and 6 to 5.
The Maroons' double victory elevat-
ed them to third place. one game
ahead Of Brainerd.
Brainerd and Eau Claire will play
a doubleheader Tuesday. with the
other contests scheduled, Crookston
at Greater Grand Forks, Duluth Su-
perior, and Fargo Moorhead ct Win
nipeg.
The Bismarck tribune., 1934-09-04
VICTORY COMES ON
18TH GREEN AFTER
HARD UPHILL Fight
James Barrett Succumbs to Su-
perior Shotmaking Of North
Dakota Champion
MINoTER TWO UP ON 18TH
Local Golfer Shoots One Over
Perfect Figures for
Medalist Honors

Minot, N. D., Sept. 4.-tR-Two
down and two to 60, in the finals at
the Minot country club Monday Of
the fifth annual international golf
tournament, Paul Cook, Bismarck.
state champion, evened the match on
the 18th hole with James Barrett,
Minot, and went on to win the first
extra hole and the championship.
It was the third consecutive year
that the brilliant golf playing Cook
has won the championship Of the In
te,national tournament.
In addition to continuing as cham
pion. Cook also won medalist honors
in the tournament with a 73, one
stroke over par for Is holes, with
Herman Dahl, Minot, runner-up for
medalist honorS with n.
The champion took home with him
a silver trophy. presented for the
first time this year by the Truax-
Traer Ignite Coal company, and
which will become the permanent
property Of any golfer winning it for
three consecutive years.
Cook and Barrett were all even on
the first nine holes Of the 18th hole
match.
Barrett Leads
On the second round, Barrett
jumped into the lead on the llth with
birdie three and went two. up on
the 18th with par three. He lost
the 18th but took the l5h and 18th
par three. He lost the 18th but took
the 18th and the 10th was halved to
leave Cook dormie two. Cook nearly
esgled the 18th and had an easy
birdie to win the hold and was con-
ceded the 18th after Barrett, short
Of the 800 yard green on his second
shot, bobbled short approach and
missed long putt. Cook was on in
two and his first putt was close to
the hole when Barrett conceded.
Cook had an easy par on the 10Th
to win the hole and championship,
putting an end to q thrilling match
that was watched by q crowd Of sew
elal hundred Labor Day holidayers.
To enter the finals, Cook beat w.
K Nimmo, Devils Lake. three and
one: Neil Croonquist, Bismarck. two
and one; and Herman Nitsch, Minot,
four and three. Barrett went into the
finals by defeating DR.. Russell Gates,
Minot, one up: M. v. Carlson, Portal,
two up; and Raymond Holt, sanish,
six and five.