davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
I.R.T. Workers Are
Forced to Pay for
Beer for Bosses
BY a r. R. Correspondent

NEW YORK. - Enclosed find
notice from the Brotherhood union
calling us I. r. T. employees to
this meeting.
When we received the 10 per cent
pay cut nearly year ago, we also
asked that the dues which we pay
to the Brotherhood be reduced 10
per cent but We were told that the
dues do not cover the expenses of
our so-called union. Now the en-
closed shows that our union Off
Gals are entertaining the Bosses of
the Transportation Department on
Wednesday. The entertaining con-
sistS of barrels of beer and sand
wiches, which will also be distrib-
uted to the men as sop.
Employees of the I. r. T. know
that if we had a real union, it could
not spend time swilling beer with
the bosses, whom we have to fight
to get better hours and pay.
The circular says:
All motormen, switchmen, train
men, and conductors of the sub
way division: A joint meeting will
be held at New Terrace Garden
181St st. and Boston Road on We'd
nesday, April 18th, by locals No. 7,
8 and 9. The purpose of this meet
ing is to promote safety, and the
supervising officers of the Subway
Transportation Department will at
tend and address the men in the
interest of safety.
The members of these locals are
expected to attend either the morn
ing or noon session and present
their passes for identification, as a
record will be kept of each man
who attends.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
4 NetU Orleans
Scdb Nest

NEW ORLEANS. La. - The
crew of the SIS Robin Hood went
out on strike against a $40 wage
cut on April II. This brought
into activity the scabherders to
furnish scabg so the Lucken-
back line should not have to
withdraw the wage cut that these
seamen were striking against. In
this case the Marine Exchange
at 531 Canal st. were the ones to
do the supplying. This has been
established beyond a doubt from
admissions from those that they
shipped and from the seamen
that saw them running scabs to
the ship.
Sam Unger, who also has
a saloon on 200 Chartres st. and
a partner in the Marine Ex-
change, with the other ones of
the "Kamil' Bros, are nothing
but crimps and suppliers of
Scabs.
The Marine Exchange intends
to make it both ways, one way
from overcharging the seamen
and the other by acting as the
scab supply house for the ship
owners.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
BY BEN THOMAS
Philadelphia AIachinist


ROSTOV-ON-DON, U. S. S. r.
AS a native American machinist
working in the Soviet Union for
the past two years and three
months, I find life and work the
most interesting during my As years
Of life. I came here with my wife
and five-year-old child and have
never regretted it. I am working
in farm machinery plant employ
ing 5000 workers.
Nearly every day brings forth
something new in the way of hui
man and material progress. New
inventions, new industries, new
campaigns to correct some evil, or
furthering some good idea or prin-
ciple. For instance, during the past
few months, we have had cam
paign on for the full utilization of
the seven-hour work day. Every
day at lunch hour or after work we
held meetings and discussed ways
and means of eliminating every
minute of our working time that
was not productive. We kept ac-
count Of all lost time and the
reasons thereof, and at the end of
the month we reported our lost
time ana took measures to elm
mate the causes for lost time in the
future.
When we read about the new
machines or processes, we are very
happy, because new labor-saving
devices for us means greater wealth,
greater well-being and shorter
hours. Every worker is encouraged
to make inventions and suggestions
for better means of production. I
have received several hundred
rubles for several suggestions I
made to improve production meth
DDS.
We read of new discoveries, such
as new mineral deposits, oil, gold,
iron, etc, with great delight, be-
cause all these things belong to the
workers. 1t means greater wealth
for us, and not for the capitalists,
as it would mean in America.
Education for Everyone
We are also in the midst of a
campaign to raise the technical level
of the workers. Nearly every worker
attends some kind of an educa-
tional institution. I myself attend
classes in drawing, mathematics and
the Russian language, and I am as
years old.
In my opinion, another 10 years
will see this country the most highly
mass-educated country in the world.
Most of cur stores are becoming
well-stocked with consumers COM
modities, such as clothing, toys, mu-
steal instruments, food stuffs, etc.
Of course, there is still some short
age, especially of housing, due to
the constant expansion of our in
dustry.
Victories in Agriculture
I suppose most of the American
papers have written about ou1
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
Murdered by Shipowners

usually healthy looking man in his
middle thirties, and two other oil
ers were similarly effected.
Enroute south, the condition of
the three grew steadily worse. They
could not eat, and received no
medical attention whatever. They
could easily have been sent ashore
for the proper care they deserved
and needed at the Marine Hospital
in Miami Without delaying the
vessels nine knot clip doctor
could have boarded at Miami.
Later on radiogram re-
questing a doctor to investi-
gate the cause of death of
Sellan and the suffering fellow oil
ers plight was answered by the ap-
pearance of a doctor who deemed
an hours chat coupled with cigar
smoking on the bridge followed by
brief nap of four hours was JUS
tiflable before attending to his
duties. 1t was too late for this
croaker to do anything, but there
is no plausible reason for Sellan's
premature passing, which was as
unnecessary and as inexcusable as
the general condition aboard Amer
lean Merchant flag vessels today.
Seamen of the Benson deeply
lament the loss of the late Richard
Sellan whose nearest relative, &C
cording to the Mobile press, is
brother in Sydney, Australia,
through whom we may learn of
any possible nearer relatives and
inform them of the simple truth.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
'FOrUGrd to q United Front
of All Utilities Workers
$3.50 Of Brooklyn Edison Employees Reject
Tricky Company Union Plan

that IS per cent of the employees
had rejected their Plan. President
Cortelyou of the Consolidated Gas
system announced to us through
John C. Parker, the Morgan-Cor-
telyou mouthpiece and Sycophant
in Brooklyn, that half of last years
pay-cut would be restored by May
/, 1884.
The employees recognize this as
a step to prevent the formation Of
militant rank and f1ls union,
since the restored cut amounts only
to IL to ? hours pay, half the pay
lost when the system put its work
erS on the f1ve-day week in May,
1884. Furthermore, the Brooklyn
Edison employees, thanks to the N.
r. A, have been deprived of their
annual Christmas bonus" which
was from 2 per cent to 8 per cent
of their regular pay"
The employees do not consider
themselves radical, but they I'M
derstand the maneuvers of the fl
nanciers who dominate the utilities
and they are beginning to under
stand the necessity of militant de-
tense.
The Brotherhood of Jtiliti En-
ployeS has been successful in or
ganizing the power station men in
Brooklyn and in New York, but the
Brotherhood is a reformist union
and its leaders hobnob with Nor
man Thomas and the Labor Board
and will no doubt soon be flirting
with company executives and even
Father Morgan himself.
All metropolitan utility workers
should labor toward Incorporating
their demands into a Program of
United Action against wage-cuts,
intimidation, discrimination, lay
offs and trade union bureaucracy.
Forward to a United Front of
Utilities Workers.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
Lessons of Struggle on
the MuIlSOn Line
Union Members On Ships Must Learn to
Develop Corps of Friends
BY a Marine Worker Correspondent

BY Marine Worker Correspondent
NEW YORK-The strike on the
Munson Line is over. So far we
have gained back pay for the crew
and besides that acquired more ex-
perience in leading future strikes.
On the ships where you have over
200 workers in different depart
ments, five or six members of the
union are not enough to start
strikes.
The only remedy I see is they
should draw into their body more
and more sympathizers and grow
in numbers. Meetings should be
called in each department as often
as possible. Delegates from each
department should be organized in
ships committees and be trained
to respond to the call at once. More
Party literature be put up all over.
Fractions should be engaged in
Party work.
When I came aboard the ship two
days before the strike took place,
the ships black gang" Spanish
f1remen, water tenders, ETC., had
been deceived so many times by
Wobblies, International Seamen's
Union and the rest of the racket
eering outfits, that they had lost
faith in all unions.
We told them about the afhla-
ton Of the Marine Workers Indus
trial Union to the Trade Union
Unity League, and that in our
union are many Communists, and
by this we gained their confidence.
When we pulled out on strike
every man of the deck and engine
departments and walked to the
stewards, funny argument took
place between strikers and the
colored chef The chef said his
boss is the white Chief Steward
and if he wants to they will strike.
We told him he might as well ask
for permission to strike from Mr..
Munson himself.
In the process of paying, men
have been taken individually by
their authorities and put to work.
We didn't have q chance to call
one meeting A bunch of us, all
union members, have been fired.
That is drawback.
We should have at least one
union member in each department
underground" Next day leafiet
was issued by the M. w. I. U. Re
fuse to sign on, and strike for
Shipping Board wages!" Since the
most active strikers were dis
charged, nobody could take the in
itiative. We failed.
Nevertheless, we remained aboard
the ship, in spite of the officials,
who told us to get off the ship.
The BLACK gang" pledged to
carry on if the first to sign refused.
After Is or 20 men signed, they
still came to us and asked What
should we do?" Being isolated, we
couldn't stop the men, so we told
them to go and sign.
The very men that were bitterly
up against us, came and shook our
hands and decided that the only
union they will join is the M w. I.
U. They pledged to carry on agi-
tation and to prepare the crew for
strike at the first opportunity.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
BY an Edison Worker
Correspondent

BROOKLYN, N. Y. - Tuesday,
April II. the employees Of the
Brooklyn Edison Co. voted on col
lective bargaining and a company
union. The number Of employees
for collective bargaining was 1914,
opposed 266. Those that favored"
the company plan numbered 5,185-
those opposed 2,617 or around IS
per cent.
The company plan, which was
mailed to all employees in advance,
proposes an elaborate set-up Of
departmental councils, to be elected
more or less directly by the men.
But, like all cooperative documents,
the company plan has its loop
holes. One Page 6, Article 3 of
The Employees Plan for Collec-
tive Bargaining Through Employee
Representation" chat is, the COM
pany union) we read, relative to
participation in the proposed Or
ganization:
"Au employees shall be en-
titled to become members to
vote in the selection of represen-
tatives on the Bureau Council
provided officers, department
heads, bureau heads, general fore
men, and the immediate supervisory
assistant of any of them or any
other employees vested with the
power TO hire or discharge en-
pIOyees shall not be permitted to
be members or to vote or hold Of
flee or in any way participate in
this plan. Emphasis mine.
FOremen Allowed to Join
The workers we're quickly dis
illusioned when foremen in all de-
partments, bureaus and divisions
were listed as eligible for Office. OF
course, these foremen are not vested
with the power to hire and dis
charge employees, but as one worker
remarked, They can do whole
lot toward getting you fired"
The biggest Ioop-hole is found
on Page 5, Article l, End paragraph:
Collective bargaining under this
Plan may relate to wages, hours of
labor, working conditions, safety,
education, recreation, and like mat
ters affecting employment, together
with the adjustment of grievances
arising out of the relation of En-
ployees with the Management; pro-
vided emphasis mine, however,
that this plan and any actions
taken hereunder shall not apply to
any matter which is under the reg
ulatory power and jurisdiction of
any public board or body created
by statute or as to which public
duty or obligation is imposed upon
the Company as to public utilities. :"
Very slick, Mr. Morgan. If the
apparatus of the company union
should fail to check the growing
militancy Of theBrooklyn Edison
workers, they would be reminded
that militant action is against pub
lie interest, and the same laws sup
posedly desinged to check unlicensed
looting by the utility robber barons
apply to the latter's victims and
wage slaves.
The day that it was announced
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
ONE PATH FOR RAIL WORKERS
By a Railroad Worker
Correspondent

ST. LOUIS, Mo.-The conditions
in the railroad shops in and around
st. Louis are in a bad way. The
abolition of the shop union has put
the men in the shops, SO to speak,
on the fence. The shops union was
bad enough, and the A. F. of L. is
worse.
Until all the r. r. unions, all
of the standard 81 crafts, some
under one organization and some
of the present officials, act together
to win rank and file control, the
unions will dance to railroad die
tation.
One of the big four officials went
hay wire, but the rest have not
been found out, which is only a
difference of exposure. There is
only one remedy, a solid body of
the 81 Standard Crafts.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
Get "DdiLieS'' to
Postal Men
By a Postal Worker
CORRESPONDENT

NEW YORK.-The bosses are
continuously at our backs driv-
ing us to an ever faster tempo.
If a man so much as goes for
a drink of water, the boss i'm
mediately follows him and checks
the time he takes.
Every reader of the Daily
Worker should help the Postal
workers by letting them know
that here is a paper, the only
paper, that takes up their griev-
ances and fights for them. They
should throw their Daily Worker
into the mail boxes every
day, but especially on Friday,
when special space is given to
the Postal Worker. This method
will get many new readers. The
selling Of the Daily Worker on
Friday before the Post Office
may also be tried.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
L. A. Railway
Uses Vicious
Spy System
BY a Railroad Worker
Correspondent

LOS ANGELES. Cal. 49, When I
started going around organizing
the L. A. Railway men into the
new A. F. of L. union. the Anal
gamated Association of Street and
Electric Railway Employees, I be-
gan to get a whole lot of dement's
under the company's discipline
system, and I was in the way to
be demerited out of my job, so I
got wise and quit talking organiza-
ton.
Six or eight men on the Pacific
Electric formed a union there and
got the charter and they were i'm
mediately fired The boss didn't
make any bones about it; he told
them they we're fired for organiz-
ing the union.
When the complaint was sent in
to the N. R. A. the company was
fined for being too frank, and took
the men back. I don't know
whether they paid the fine, but
the L. A. Railway learned their
lesson and used some tricks.
After the Amalgamated got their
charter, the L. A. Railway formed
company union, the Association
Of Employees of L. A. Railway,
then they gave a few petty conces-
sions and ballyhooed them on the
bulletin boards. In the meantime
lot of the A. F. of L. union men
were fired all of a sudden on one
pretext or another.
The organizer said the company
didn't really understand his union.
Since then the company is getting
pretty friendly with the Amalga-
mated, and that looks bad to me.
tell the fellows that any union
the company approves of is no
good for us.
In 1929 I was making $168 a
month, and I was able to begin
buying a house. Now I'm getting
500, and can't make the payments.
The state law requires all en-
ployers to insure their employees.
We have to pay our own insurance.
It's not supposed to be compulsory.
When it started, one of the men
wouldn't pay it. since he had lots
of insurance already. They called
him in to the Office cts not COM
pulsory, is it?" he said. NO" the
superintendent said, cts not COM
pulsory to work here, either"
Beside that, they've been taking
$3.50 a month out of my pay for
what they call the providence fund.
When they put through seven
cent fare, they raised our pay e.
and took exactly the amount of
the raise for the Providence fund,
which they promised to pay back to
us doubled. We can't draw on this
fund; you have to quit or die to
get it. One of the fellows told
me when he quit they paid him
back what he put in, no more,
though it has been invested in
bonds and drawing interest.
The street railway companies
have a vicious spy system. People
often wonder why we're so strict
about late transfers and missed
fares. If they could only read the
rules of the company! And know
what system of spoilers they've
got. Two late transfers or missed
fares, and you're fired, no matter
how long you've been working for
them. And discipline and dement's
all the time, and you don't even
know what you're getting a de-
merit for.
I'd like to see the street railway
men get organized in a real union.
L. A. Railway Worker.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27

the Finnish Workers Club in Chi
cago for nine months, during which
time he managed to swindle a con-
siderable sum of the committees
funds. He may be identified by the
following description: about five
feet, nine inches tall, dark COM
plexion, black hair, slightly hunch-
back, lisps, born in this country
but speaks Finnish well. He used
the name of Nels Kangas here.
We ask the comrades to clip this
out and save it as we believe that
Kangas will avoid the Finnish peo-
pie for awhile and then appear
again.
Chicago Finnish Workers Club,
BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
Castoria


April Is, 1884
Dear Doctor Luttinger:
THE first thing 1 read in the
Daily" is your column of advice.
I am certainly glad that this column
was added to our paper, and can
truthfully say that I have learned
much by reading the same. Perhaps
you can help me, and maybe others,
by answering my inquiry through
the paper.
ST suppose by this day and age
'Castoria' is out of date. Just start
ing to raise young family, would
be pleased to have you write some
thing about it. That is, if it is as
good as advertised, etc.
IT certainly was glad to learn
about Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable
Compound. I never used any, but
knew some that did, and was glad
to be able to show them just what
they were taking
Thanking you for answering this
inquiry, I am
"Comradely yours,
MRS. j. w. M"
Castoria, in spite of its suggestive
name, does not contain even trace
of castor oil. 1t is connection of
SIENNA leaves, sodium bicarbonate,
Rochelle salts, potassium and So
dunn tartrate and flavoring. This
remedy was patented about fifty
years ago by DR.. Samuel Pitcher
and was the foundation of the late
Mr.. Fletcher's fortune (the same
Mr.. Fletcher who discovered pro-
longed chewing as remedy for
all ills). The patent for Castoria
has expired long ago. 1t called for
the following ingredients:
135 pounds of SIENNA leaves
IS gallons of water lat IS c.
AZ ounce sodium bicarbonate
210 pounds sugar
4 ounces Rochelle salts
18 pints spirits of gaultheria
(wintergreen)
2 pints spirits of pepo
81 plutS SpulNc VI CiACliOPOtluAu
(wormseed)
2 pints spirits of peppermint
2 pints of aniSe
If you want to make your own
Castoria you can percolate the first
three ingredients and add the rest
gradually. 1t will be much cheaper
to get it at the drug store by asking
for the official U. S. Pharmacopeia
product known as Syrup of SIENNA.
We wish to draw your attention
to three points about Castoria which
is common to nearly all patent
medicines. First of all they always
claim that the medicine does not
contain any drugs or chemicals and
that it is purely vegetable" COM
pound. You will note that Castoria
contains several salts which con-
tradicts this claim. Secondly, note
the large amount of water used
(65 gallons and sugar (210 pounds
for which the consumer pays fancy
prices. Finally, note the numerous
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27

branch of our mass organizations,
such as the I. L. D., F. S. u, l.. S,
N. r., T. U. U. L., L. S. u, Pioneers,
Women's Councils, ETC., should
strive to prepare and present for
public view in the demonstration
at least one dramatization of a
working class demand, at least one
live educational float or picture or
sketch, or what you will.
In order that you may get the
idea, will describe here one ef-
fective development of our demands.
In one demonstration for jobs and
bread, a whole troop of children
carried in their right arms, an
empty milk bottle and shouted to-
gether, Fill them up!" Their ban
ners said, I'VE demand milk"
A crude but effective replica of
a fire-trap was carried with the
slogan, Strike for Lower RentsI"
Demand an end to fire-trapsl"
There can be no doubt that such a
scene causes comment in the homes
after the close of the demonstra-
ton.
In the May Day parade and dem
onstration, the Pioneer Troop of
the Cuban Julio A. Mella Club will
show a mud or clay reproduction
of the island of Cuba with 80 Amer
lean warships surrounding it. They
will carry banners saying, Down
with American Imperialism and
Hands off Cubal Free Porto Rico
and Philippines" This will be their
contribution to an intensely inter
esting demonstration.
Let our slogan for the May Day
and all other demonstrations be,
Dramatic our slogans, symbolic
our demands, enliven our demon
STATIONS, enrich their content"
Finally, to put this slogan into
practice, 1 feel that special sub
committee of the Agit-Prop De-
partment should be formed to
gather data and to spread it among
the mass organizations, with spe-
cial articles in the Daily Worker a
few weeks before each major event
of our movement for q Soviet
America.
H. HADLEY, Organizer.
Y. G. L. Harlem /.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
We Love Brooklyn


For some reason which we can
not understand a runor has been
spread that we dislike the Borough
of Brooklyn. We have tried to deny
it, but without avail. 1t is true
that various organizations have
tried to get us to lecture before
them and because we always re-
ferred them to the District Or
ganizer, they got the impression
that We do not care to lecture in
their borough. Finally something
had to be done, and in order to
demonstrate our love for Brooklyn,
particularly for the East New York
section of Brooklyn, we have de-
cided to deliver one Of our most
interesting lectures to that part of
New York.
Those who have never heard us
before, will have the opportunity to
hear us lecture on Workers Health
in U.S.A. and U.S.SR." at the
Hinsdale Workers Club, 572 Suffer
Ave-, Brooklyn, N. Y, Sunday
evening, April %, at $3.50 pm. The
lecture has been arranged under
the auspices of the Carnarsie Youth
Club and admission will be Is cents.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-27
SLOGANS FOR MAY DAY
SHOULD BE LIVELY
New York
Dear Comrade:

Dear Comrade:
After several of our lemonstra-
tons during the past year, I have
heard comment and criticism on the
insufficient interest aroused by these
important events because of the
unimaginative way in which their
purpose was presented to the on
locker, In our unemployed dem
onstrations, no attempt is made to
dramatic the plight of the unem-
ployed in the midst of America s
plenty. Too often faith is shown
in the effect on the mass mind of
the simple unadorned slogans which
are no doubt politically correct, but
need dramatization to compel mass
interest and support.
Every lower Party organ, every