The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-03
''LaGnardia to Date

LUOWCLIntu W D(ICS
WITH its usual liberal" insight the current issue OF
The Nation" examines the first month of La
Guardis in Oice and states that he has accomplished
enough to make his election memorable"
After citing list of what The Nation" considers
the achievements Of the administration the
editorial called "LaGuarda to Date goes into liberal
ecstaces over LaGuardia's economy bill With whole
hearted approval it quotes the dernsgogic Fusion
Mayor
Il found shipwreck," LaGuardia is quoted say
ing, "and trying to get the city employees into
nfeboat until put them sound ship"
The economy bill which The Nation" 50 ful-
soney praises, is intended to enable the New York
Board Of Estimate to cut the Of city employees
rutheSsly to put enforced furlough for city
workers, and to reorganize the city bureaus In order
to put them under the complete political dominance
Of the Fusion administration This will be evident to
any worker who examines the actual activities and
facts of the first month of the LaGusrdia adminstrs
ton.
The achievements which "The Nation" lists are
nothing than continuation of the corrupt poll
teal dogghts of former years: threatened inyesga
tons which accomplish basic changes witness the
debated Welfare Island probe which, after initial
lions Of publicity, has died down to weak
sparrowchirp) removal Of appontees of previous ad
mnistrationS in order to grab the lucrative chair
warming and grating jobs for their hsngers-on.
This is really the base Of all LaGuardia activities at
the present: the consolidation OF the Fusion machine
through the process of onopozing the municipal jobs
and snecureS And whenever it is better to play ball
with Tammany (Which occurred in the charter reyi-
sion PROPOSAL, the Fusion gang will not hesitate 1t
will be happy to do so.
AS for the Mayors economy BILL defeated in the
State Legislature at Albany by the Democrats, who
resented LaGuardias attempt to put all his ten fingers
into the municipal political pie it is nothing
than this very attempt to grab off the high
saaried jobs in the city, to keep up the pay
ments of Taxpayers money flowing into the hands
of the Wall Street banking interests, and to balance
the present budget deficit of 81 to IS million dollars
by continuing to lower the living standards Of the
workers Of New York.
Let no one be fooled by 1.-THE Nations" docile repe-
tition Of LaGuardias promise that the proposed
forced froughs and wage-cuts of civil employees
moderate and temporary measures. just as tempo
rary" Roosevets wage-cut imposed the Federal
employees when he first assumed Office. But the Fed
eral workers still laboring under their cat pay,
made doubly crushing by Roosevelt's imitation.
WHAT is IT, then, that 1.-THE Nation finds so memoir
able in the new administration? The very core of
the Fusion machines activities lie in LaGuardia's
financial program And LaGuardia'S avowed fnan-
cial objective is to carry out the Unteryer fouryear
tax agreement with the Wall Street clique of Morgan
Rockefeller banks-the Chase National and the Ma
tiona City banks All the rest is merely new tech
nque OF continuing exactly the practices of the
previous administrations, technique covered with the
demagogc of progressive" and liberal phrases,
technique made necessary by the widespread dis
gust of the of New York with the ooover and
corrupt tactics of Tammany.
This financial program is meant to insure the col
lection by the bankers of $l26000 600 every year. out
Of total city budget of $700000O0O per year! This
could have been foreseen even during the election
campaign, when LaGuaroias campaign manager was
none other than Malcolm D. Simpson-of the House
Of Morgan.
It is for this reason that 1aGuardia is drawing
rapidly forward to a seven-cent subway fare. 1t Is
for this reason that he is vctizing civil employees
not only teachers but the entire school system, in
GLIDING the children, whom he will crowd into bigger
classes while their parents money will make up the
bankers payments.
And what is 1.-THE Nations" role? We remember
that "The Nation" squawked at the crude means en-
ployed by the Tammany Administration But that
THE Nation" had and has no basic disagreement with
the Tammany program is fully exposed now when 1t
praises memorable the program of LaGuardia,
which is identical with that Of Tammany, although
sweetened by progressive" phraseology and tactics
LaGuardia was consciously chosen by Wall Street
to carry out this financial program If 1t meant
the crushing Of millions Of workers in the city Let
the readers of THE Nation-school teachers py des-
SIGNALS, white collar workerS-see for themselves what
THE Nation" supports when it comes to choice be-
tween bankers bonds or education!