The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-29
BY J. G.
Boston. Mass.

BY J. u.
Boston, Mass.
The need for theory can never
be overestimated in our work. Just
as our organizationsl activities in
the factories, on the farms, among
the Negroes, all form integral parts
of our Party work, so must the task
of raising the political level Of the
masses be considered an integral
part of our movement. In reso-
lutions, at conferences and in
speeches, the need for MarxiSt
theory is stressed. But in practice,
in our day to day struggles, in all
too many cases, it is still brushed
aside as an insignificant part of
our work. This alone proves the
deep impressions that the neglect
Of theory within our Party has left
among large majority of our Party
membership. This shortening be-
comes more and more serious, when
comrades commit political and or
ganizational errors in their daily
assignments, which with proper
theoretical equipment would never
occur.
Two years ago. I asked the local
district to assign me to the work
of organizing and putting on a per-
manent basis a Workers School in
Boston. The district fatty refused
this request, giving the reasons:
Were in the midst of an election
campaign and couldn't spare the
forces, and we haven't the money
with which to back such venture"
I maintained that l needed no
forces" only one comrade to as
sist me, and that I would organize
a committee of sympathizers and
raise funds from people seldom APP
preached for money. Again the dis
trict organizer refused to sanction
this work, stating that there was
no need for a Workers School at
that special time"
Hard Work Popularizing School
I went to work and organized a
committee of non-party comrades
first, then we raised $500 and then
after much searching located suit
able headquarters. After this, it
was simple enough task to OBJ
tain the districts approval. Our
work in popularizing the Workers
School in Boston was difficult
task. Not only had we to pene-
trate the so-called outside" organ
izations around the movement, but
we had to combat in our own Party
the underestimation of the study of
Marxist theory, and in most cases,
an actual contempt for it.
During the first year of the Work
ers School of Boston we ran two
semesters, enrolling altogether $50
students. The proportion of work.
ers was as high as so per cent. This.
however, was not significant. since
of this 80 per cent only about 20
students w=Se of one trade group,
and these were white collar workers.
Our Industrial unions, like the
Needle Trades Workers Industrial
Union, the Furniture Workers IN
dustrial Union, as well a good op-
position group both in the I.L.G.
WI. and the N.S.W.U., did not con-
slider the school as theirs and did
not come to school during this first
year. We ran IA Sunday night
forums, which could not be consid-
cred successful, since these also suf-
Tered from the general attitude
around us, the neglect for the study
OF theory. At the same time. the
Party and League formed about IS
per cent OF the total registration.
And on the whole the school gained
quite bit Of popularity.
Growth This Year
This year, the recognizing of
the school was a comparatively
easy task. Our committee was
larger. The school has become known
not only in Boston, but even in
some other cities nearby like Lynn,
Salem, Quincy and even Providence
We rented larger headquarters.
handled larger supply of litera-
ture and drew in more instruc tors
The support of the Party and
League, as far as student registra-
ton is concerned, increased SUBJ
stantially, forming now As per cent
of the student body. Twelve courses
were offered and several unions
and fraternal organizations sent
scholarship students to the school.
We succeeded in drawing in quite a
group of shoe workers this time, as
we'll as furniture workers, marine
workers and dye house workers.
The needle trades workers still did
not respond to our consistent pop
ularizing of the school, which we
carried on at all times.
During the two Semesters which
we ran this second year, we en-
rolled $50 studens in Boston, or
ganized branch in Chelsea (Which
offered three courses and enrolled
so students) and one in Maiden
with one class of Is students) and
ran q short series of lectures on
Fundamentals of Communism in
Quincy Our experiment" of send
ing our instructor in Negro Prob
lens to the South End similar to
New York's Harlem) proved sue
cessful and the attendance rose
from II to as in a comparatively
short time Our class in Trade
Union Strategy and Tactics, which
during the first semester did not
materiali1e. now number % stu
cn,afr ,.a.,,.n.n.ati..nr LIS,