The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-26

l4hL W &c a LAAoAn VI EAOn LA4s
Discuss Concentration
On Saturday Charles Krumbein,
district secretary Of the Communist
Party. in a report which lasted over
two hours. had dealt vigorously on
the concentration problems Of the
district, giving an extended report
on achievements as well as short
cOmings, and streSSing the tasks
which now face the Communist
Party. He singled out for greatest
attention. in a report which was
noteworthy for its completeness,
the questions Of Negro problems
and the Negro work of the Party;
Of the railroad, marine and trans
port workers; of the metal industry
struggles. of the recruiting Of 1900
new members for the Party in the
last period and of the role which
the Daily Worker had played in
this, as well as in other achieve
ments.
He stated that the revolutionary
trade unions had led IS, 900 workers
in struggle and that the Trade
C4AAGll OAlAbN SOQllGl4 lAhu q AllCllA-
bership of $4,000, not counting lO0,-
600 in independent unions. In
stating that an opposition center
had been established, thus greatly
improving the work Of existing op-
position groups among the carpen-
tiers, painters, needle trades, etc,
Krumbein also pointed out that the
party's work had been exceedingly
weak in several such groups in con-
centration industries-the Interna-
tional Longshoremen's Association,
the international Machinists AsSo-
citation, the railroad brotherhoods,
etc. In the company unions, which
have greatly increased in number
since the N.RA, Krumbein declared
that there had been practically no
work done.
Rank and file delegates centered
their remarks around the new wave
OF strikes which is arousing the
workers IN New York, parallel with
those throughout the country, into
greater struggles and ever increas-
ing militancy. Speaker after speaker
stressed the ripeness of the present
period for decisive action, led by
the Communist Party, among the
workers in New York and through
out the country.
Delegates from a score of diff
ferent nationalities, - Negro and
white, native American and for
eign born, Puerto Rican and italian
and many others-riveted their at
tention to the platform as speakers
reviewed the activities, both
achievements and failures, of the
Party in recent struggles in the
metropolitan district. And thi,
engrossed attention, from every
corner of the hall, remained stead
fast as new tasks, new perspective
for successful struggles, we're emu.
msrated and discussed.
Ready for Struggle
The extension of the District
perspectives was in every case mad
specifically. Earl Browder agar
made a vital and leading contribu
ton to the discussion when he
stated, in connection with the be
ginnings that the Party has mad
among the longshoremen, that:
From this point of view, the
development of the taxi drivers
struggles and the building of their
union has a larger significance
than merely the taxi section of
tbs transportation industry. 1t
should serve to us as a sign that
what we have been able to do in
few short months among these
thousands of taxi men, who year
ago did not know us from Adam
VIC car also do among the subway
and elevated traction men,"
The discussion OF recent struggle
in New York's industries durin
which much attention was paid b
the militant strike of the taxi driv
ers and the struggles Of the Stee
and Metal Workers Industrial I'm
ion to penetrate the heavy sectiol
of the metal industry, were greete,
with loud and protracted applause
The Party, now more than ever
before" declared Rose Wortis,
must prepare to take leadership
in New York strike movements,
since the desire to strike and to
engage in struggle is growing. New
York workers, in common with
others throughout the u. S., no
longer have the confidence in the
N. r. A. which R0Osevelt's cam
paign of demagogy instilled into
their minds last year"
In describing the progress which
mas been made during the pas
period, many delegates at the sam
time criticised the party's work il
many fields and phases, pointing
to weaknesses which must be over
come by greater understanding o
the Party's problems and more con
sistent work. AS Browder expressed
It:
Anybody that reports stagna-
ton and no change today must
at the same time explain why,
because everywhere the conditions
are favorable for progress. Wher-
ever we have had serious work
we have had progress. We have
gotten away from the old method
of what we used to call seIf-cri-
ticism, which was in the nature
of wailing about how little we
had done and how weak we were.
Now we understand little bit
more, and we see how self -criti-
cisrn must be. We begin to learn
how to overcome these weaknesses
and to put achievements in their
place"
Fight for Negro Liberation
James w. Ford and Steve King
ston dealt with the question of Ne
gro liberation, pointing out the Lift
and death necessity of strengthen.