6 TA MILITANT daturday, March 15, 1930 Next Steps of the American Workers HOOVER SPEEDS POSTAL CLERKS The London Debacle Arising largely out of the present conBy ARNE SWABECK ditions of a deep depression and widespread unemployment, working class forces and often repeated defeats of the defensive are now being set into motion. The most strikes. turned the workers attention topressing question of the moment before the ward struggle for political reforms which American revolutionary movement therefore, were often expressed through various forms 18 a correct orientation as a base for forof labor or middle class parties. This may mulation of its strategy and tactics among be said to have been particularly marked the masses.
up until the great upheaval in 85 and It 18 not yet possible to estimate the 86; but a similar recurrence of developextent, the depth and the duration of the ments of more recent date can be noticed.
present deep depression of American cap1talist economy; but certain characteristic As an example a few facts from the last industrial depression at the end of 1921 features are clearly visible. Financial exand beginning of 1929 will prove very inperts, when speaking seriously and not for structive.
mere public consumption, acknowledge the depression but stress every production inThe Bureau of Labor Statistics crease in single industries, particularly the gives the following figures on the character recent gains in steel output in some quarand cause of disputes during the depresters, as signs of an carly recovery. This, sion. We quote from the years 1919 to 1923, of course, 18 a deliberate policy, which does which, although incomplete, are very sugo not alter the actual situation in the least.
gestive Disputes for wage increases (ofHowever, there is today a noticeable differtensive character) reached in the year 1919 once from the various pre war crises. The a total of 1, 074; for the year 1920 a total latter were distinct symptoms of growth of 1, 328; 1921 a total of 120; 1922 a total of which were chiefly stoppages in the violent 133; 1923 (first six months) a total of 31.
growth of productive machinery and the Disputes in resistance of wage decreases expansion of markets to make possible cer( defensive character) were as follows: tain adjustments necessitated by this rapid Year 1919 a total of 86; year 1920 a total of process.
147; year 1921 a total of 895; 1922 a total Today the United States has reached of 256; 1923 (Arst six months) a total of 20.
the stage of large scale structural unem This is sufficlent to show clearly the large ployment, which, in other words, means a extent of disputes of a defensive character, standing army of unemployed. This is not to ward of wage decreases, during the demerely of those cast out from some induspression, to be immediately reversed and tries to be quickly absorbed into other or become offensive struggles, for wage innew developing ones, but superfluous creases, during the period of recovery, Simworkers eliminated by the rapid develop llarly, the disputes around demands for ment of machinery and immensely in.
union recognition reached their highest dur.
creased labor productivity in practically ing these years with a total of 360 in 1919 every sphere. This is sufficiently borne out and its lowest with only 53 in 1921. The by all available reliable statistics.
employers offensive zetted them the highest number of direct victories lo these disUnemployment Spur to Class Action putes in 1921 with a total of 701.
The spectre of the standing army of unemployed will hence be haunting the exThe Political Action of Laber ploiters and become a mighty spur moving How does the matter stand, then, with the workers toward class action. The di labor political action? One can, of course, rection and the speed this will take in speak only of labor political reformist acIts first stage depends, however, a great tion since the American workers as a mass deal on the present level of development.
have not yet learned the necessity of revoUnfortunately It cannot be expected, or lutionary action. The more recent labor even hoped, that the workers will as a and farmer labor party developments arose mass move with one leap to the Communist in 1919 with the formation of the National party or the revolutionary unions. Any Farmer Labor Party at Chicago. In 1920 orientation based upon guch hopes will there was the first appearance of the Farsurely come to grief. On the contrary, it is mer Labor Party of the state of Washingthe duty of Communists to be with the mas ton. In some other states there were labot ses set in motion and to show the proper activities within non partisan political direction through such steps that the work leagues. But in 1922 this movement reors are now ready to take.
ceived a pronounced impetus. During the With the lines of those seeking work summer the American Labor Party of New growing longer in front of factory gates, York City was organized; the Minnesota It cannot be expected that the worldog non partisan polltical league became re orclass will engage in widespread offensive ganized to the Farmer Labor Party, while battles. But we know, from what is in a similar reorganization took place in South herent in the capitalist system, that preDakota. The same year saw the organizaelsely in this situation the capitalists seek tion of the Progressive Party (farmerto get out of economic difticulties by in labor) in Idaho and one year later the creased pressure upon the workers throughFarmer Labor Party of West Virginia. At further reduction of their standard of liv the Conference for Progressive Political lng and conditions of work. This added Action conference in Cleveland in 1922, at pressure leaves no way open for the work which a number of international unions and ers but one of resistance. The logic of this central bodies were represented, a motion deduction leads to the conclusion of a made by the Chicago Federation of Labor coming period of defensive battles. The group to declare for Independent political katory of the American workers through action by the agricultural and Industrial out the various crises of capitalist pro workers through a party of their own duction is replete with defensive battles, was defeated with a vote of only 64 to 52.
before the offensive could again be assumed It is significant that these were the deduring the period of recovery. It is also velopments following right upon the heels one filled with many attempts to seek a of the last industrial depression. The solution in political reform activities, as culmination and beginning of the decline the most immediate outgrowth of the crisis. of this movement were reached at the July.
This suggests another conclusion that this 1923 convention in Chicago at which the is the trend of development we face at Federated Farmer Labor Party was formed, this moment.
but alas on paper. From the last gasp at Some Labor History and Struggles the Farmer Labor Party convention at St. cursory glance at labor history Paul the following year, there have been from the beginning of trades unlopiam in but little actual signs since in this direction, the thirtles, through tho various periods of The Rising Struggles cyclic crises, shows with almost unfalling The present dopression inds the vast regularity the same phenomenon. During gult of clasa distinctions greater than ever times of prosperity. with its labor shor in the United States. According to governtage and the cost of Hving invariably outment reports the total not proats of all leaping raises in wages, aggressive strike corporations in 1929 after all deductions offensives and expansion of trade unions were made have almost doubled since 1922, were on the order of the day. These Just rising to an estimated amount of 9, 900, 48 surely changed when a Dow crisis set in. 000, 000. While profits thus soared, wages While these were often accompanied with paid to workers in manufacturing Industries Lesperate and violent revolts, the character during the same period advanced but 19 per cent, not to speak of the level of the his cost of living From BUFFALO Hoover has issued December, 1928 to September, 1929 the Labor Bureau, cry Efficiency. The Buffalo postal emInc. estimates that the average wage in the ployees have already been efficiency ized so much that they carried their complaint country decreased percent.
to Congress. An investigator was sent to It is a foregone conclusion that AmerBuffalo He investigated the clerks ican imperialism will make efforts, abroad sweated: and now the report has been to get out of its economic dimculties, handed in. The official report admits the through war and otherwise, while simul truth of the complaints that the new systaneously strengthening its world hege tem is nerve wracking and a slave drirmony. The first steps are already being ing one. and undoubtedly showing put into operation. Leaving aalde here lack of consideration for the clerks. but, the matter of the effects of these efforts continues the report, the mail service abroad, American capitalism of course likecomes before the clerk.
wise tries to make the workers at home In short, present speed up bear the increased burden. The results busirese. and decreases the money necwill almost surely lead to a repetition of essary for clerks (thus leaving more for past history. But this will take place now, the politicians in the form of supervisors however, under conditions of a higher de and inspectors. So the speed up is apvelopment of capitalism and also on proved and continued.
higher plane for the working class. The The Post once clerks appealed to crushing capitalist offensive during the pre Congress and now they are left holding Bent heavy unemployment, with the aim to the bak. Thus far they have been afrald reduce wages, increase speed up and to to resort to any but congressional action cripple the unions, will bring forth resis for the improvement of their conditions.
tance through workers defensive struggles.
The Post Office speed up is recognized by It will certainly involve workers organized connected with the service. Since in the existiag trades unlons. The neceg1921, according to government reports, the sarily accompanying despotic use of the output per man has increased over 32.
Nor has this been due to facreased use capitalist machinery of the state, to carry the offensive through more effectively. the foremas at your side ready to jump of machinery. It is due to the system, to points to the workers resistance in this On you and write you up the minuto fleld taking a direction towards political you turn your head.
reformist activities, most likely to be exA long night is ahead of the postal pressed in a labor political party.
clerks before this speed up 19 eliminated.
The Labor Party and the Communista No amount of Congressional appeal wh!
Under such conditions would a labor ever do away with the constant riding of party spring forth as a full fledged inthe emciency administrators. The clerks will have to initiate. movement for a strument of imperialism? Reactionary labona fide and strong unlon.
bor leaders would surely become part of its composition and strive for leadership there the same as they do in all other broad non revolutionary workers orga They will, of course, continue in their role (Continued from Page 1)
23 tools of imperialism. Very consciously American Imperialism will learn to utilize will be achtered is obvious from the whole them as saviours of their system and view point of capitalist diplomacy, which privileges fully as well as in the case of can only try to solve its differences in the the McDonald government in England toArena of war, day. The American McDonalds in turn will exert all energies to subject the labor The Lineup against the Soviet Uafon party as a whole to further this alm. But The question of the relations of the their success in this endeavor depends prepowers to the Soviet Union received apecisely upon their ability to keep Communcial consideration during one of the sesist influence isolated on the outside. Neysions in which there appeared no possible urtheless, as a means of helping to separsolution to the conference negotiations. Jaate the working masses from their politipan opened with a defense of its naval procal bondage to the historical capitalist pargram on the basis that her position ott tho coast of Siberia demanded that she be fully ties, the labor party would serve as well today as in the past and would occupy the prepared to take part in a general offensive same place in history as previously assigned against the Workers Republic. This set.
to it. In that sense it will be one step precedent which was followed by the other powers.
toward the logical revolutionary position France and Italy la particular that the American working class must finemphasized this as one of the main reaally assume.
song for their naval program. It goes without saying that all of the powers have So far, this working class, as its history shows, has only reached the point of in mind an attack against the Soviet Union more or less localized and sporadic at the question of the relation of forces beand that this conference has already posed tempts in reformist politics, It is still tween these imperialist walves in that completely bound within the capitalist poevent. The problem of the defense of the Itical party system which thereby serves Soviet Union grows greate and greater as a mighty brake upon the essential charand becomes one of the chlet tasks of the acter of any economic struggles of the international proletariat.
workers. That is today decisiye, and the problem is to break through this barrier.
Conference Can Offer No Solation lacreased pressure upon the workers will It is clear that the London conference lead to finding the forms for breaking will arrive at nothing definite regarding through What road will the Arst steps Daval Imitation. The disappointment of take? The road of the revolution with the Social Democracy and Pacifism is a great Communist Party? That is quite inconcelv00o. Their hopes have been sbattered able, even with a rapid tempo of develop through the miserable collapse of the con.
ment. Can we in America avoid the stage ference in which they pinged such exalted of a national scale of labor political retorhopes. Along with this destroyed hope, mist activities? That is the way to put the open betrayal of McDonald has become the question, and to also add, that even Ho much the more clear to his resignation though it can hardly be avoided, it will of from the Independent Labor Party. and necessity bo of short duration in the pre his completo solidification with British Insent epoch of rapid development. It then porlaltam.
become pertinent to ask, how can the work ing class best and most speedily draw the The much heralded London conferenca correct conclusion from such political rebas collapsed. Attempts to revive it will fall exceedingly short of their mark.
formist experiences, and how can it best be helped on the further road to a terolu The problem of war remains as ever tlonary position?
the problem ot the International proletarUpon the Communlat movement devolLat Irrespective of sham conferences, utves the duty of giving a correct answer to iltret only to mislead the workingclass and this question as well as to employ the put them in a state of falso security. Its tacties which will really be a help to the solution lies in the destruction of this sysrigtet direotion. This we intend to discuss tem of exploitation and war.
further in another article, ALBERT GLOTZEN