The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-14

bUob VI llNluE.
The only gains registered here are
slight increases in retail business
brought by government work-relief
money which is now dwindling since
C.W.A. workers are being fired, and
those few who we're put to work
when the N.R.A. started. This latter
gain, however, is more than set of
by the general reduction in wages
and salaries of other employees
where NR.A. workers were taken
on. The reason generally given is
that reductions were necessary TO
balance the overhead" Actually, the
NR.A. served as an excuse to re-
duce wages all around.
Business has failed to show much
Of an upgrade trend here. This city
is not essentially industrial It is
mostly a white collar community
with clerks, stenographers, minor
business executives comprising the
largest single class of workers.
Longshoremen, who once numbered
5000 when New Orleans was the
second largest port in the Country,
have dWindled to less than 1000,
and these live precariously by earn
ing a few dollars occasionally load
ing or unloading ships.
New Orleans was famous for its
wharveS and docks but today it
ranks fourth as an American port
and the miles Of concrete docks,
and sheds for storing cargoes, are
now virtually silent, grave yards.
Longshoremen, nine out of every
ten Of whom are Negroes, sit around
Chose who have not been able to
get C.W.A. Jobs waiting hopelessly
for a call TO work q day or two
once a week or once in two weeks
And when they do work they can
not earn enough to support them
selves and their families and con-
sequently, have to appeal for char
ity. Many dock workers have found
it actually disadvantage to get oc-
caslonal work loading or unload
ing ships for even if they sweat at
the killing labor for two DAYS they
get ony $3.50 at the maximum
wage scale. This wage has to do
them for the week or two they have
to wait until another ship is loaded
or unloaded. Many do not earn even
this much and when they appeal
Tor government relief it is refused
on the ground that they have Jobs
Hence, a large number of longshore-
men have simply stopped going to
the docks, prefering the certainty
OF little charity relief to the un-
certainty of occasional underpaid
work.
By putting together those facts
and figures which are available. in
complete as they are and talking
with government relief officials.
business men, white collar. skilled
and unskilled workers, it was pos
sible to arrive at approximate
figures showing what happened
here since the depression.
ONE out of every four persons out
v of the total population of 46o 900
is absolutely destitute. This class
depends upon charity for every
piece of bread it eats. The charity
these destitute persons get has de-
creased considerably in the last
two years and is still decreasing.
These are the ones who get direct
relief. To these must be added that
countless number which is working
part time or full time only occa-
sionally and thus earning something
once IN a while and those who are
living of relatives and friends who
still have a few dollars or a Job.
Organized labor here, since the
depression, has been completely
shattered. Once this city was an
American Federation of Labor
stronghold, Most crafts were or