THE MILITANT Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America Opposition)
Vol. III, No. 15, Telephone: DRYdock 1656 NEW YORK, Y, Saturday, April 12, 1930 PRICE CENTS The Year Plan and World Unemployment RALLY WORKERS Opposition Paper Published ST. LOUIS BUSMEN in the Argentine ON MAY DAY WIN STRIKE By TROTSKY The internal development of the soviet Unior is reaching a critical point.
No matter in what way we evaluate the La Verdad (Truth. organ of the Left present course of the collectiviation which, Communist Opposition in Argentine, has 19The solidarity of labor against capitin one year, has surpassed by two and a sued its first number (4 pages. and here As we go to press, we learn that the aliam is the watch word of May Day demhall times the plan elaborated for the onstations by the working after will appear regularly. It is printed masses St. Louis bus drivers have won their strike.
whole five years (Afty percent of the peain the Spanish language and will also cirthroughout the world. To unite the workA flat 1 hour day is established, instead sant oldings collectivized instead of the ers to see as their common enemy the culate among Spanish speaking workers in of as much formerly as 13 hours; a six twenty percent prescribed at the end of the other countries, bosses and capitalist government; and to five years. it is clear that the tempo of see in the Workers Republic of the Soviet Among the contents of the first issue day weeks supplants the seven day week; collectivization has already blown up the are Lenin Testament to the Party. supgaragemen work 41 hours with a Saturday Union the first fatherland of the workers; whole five year plan. Up to now, the offlto truggle militantly against capitalism, pressed by the Stalinist regime, and which hálf holiday. The union is recognized. cial leadership has maintained silence on to overthrow it; and to aim o achieve in now appears in print for the first time in Other demands of a secondary nature are this point. But it would be impossiblo to the Spanish language in the South Amerieach country a government of the tollers, also gained.
be silen: for long. To imagine that all the can countries; articles by Robert Guinney.
This summarizes by contrast the objecother elements of the plan industry, transDvorin and others on the situation in the tives of the class conscious workers for Communist movement of Argentine and portation, commerce, finance can develop ST. LOUIS (TP) With 5, 000 members May Day. 1930.
South America and in the International; a on the formerly prescribed scale while agriof the St. Louis street car men union In the United States the millions of culture makes totally unforeseen Jumps, statement of principles and organization, workers find themselves enduring the assessing themselves a month. The strike would signity to see in the economic plan declaring adhesion to the Left International of bus drivers and conductors enters its scourge of unemployment, caused by capnot an organic whole but a simple sum of Opposition led by Trotsky and many italisin.
third week assured of financial support. varlous departmental orders. Until recentThey find themselves either other articles of importance to the workers The international union is also granting thrown out of work, or wages reduced, ly it was recognized, at least in principle, of the Argentine relief funds.
work speeded up and hours of labor inthat the relations between industry and agLa Verdad is further evidence that the creared.
Reaction, under the leadership The inembers of this young union voted riculture. smytchka. form the principal ruthless efforts of the regime of the bureauof President Hoover is in the saddle.
a unanimous No to the company proaxis of the plan. Well, what has happened crats from Stalin down in the Comintern Rough shod, it rides brutally over the will fail to stop the development and pene.
posed terms of strike settlement, which to this axis? If the smytchka was taken basic needs of the workers.
into consideration Protest would tle the men for three years under tration of the ideas of the Left Opposition the plan, then it must against unemployment is met with:arrests, among the Communist workers and sym open shop conditions at wage rates in now have been destroyed by the prodigious perfecution; Jailings; removal of civil pathizers.
effect prior to the strike.
leaps of the collectivization which nobody rights, such as the right of assemblage Not a bus has moved since the walk foresaw. On what side will an equalization and press; deportation of foreign born, The Communist League of America out. Threats to operate busses with cabs be made?
eta, Arrogance, brutality, extreme ex(Opposition) and the Militant greet La Ver under police protection have not passed At this very moment, complete collecploitation by the ruling class are dad and the Opposition in the Argentine.
the the threat stage. The Central Trades and We are confident that the militant and contivization has already aroused among the order of the day.
Labor Union has voted to accept the new sclous efforts of the Argentine Opposition frightened leadership a certain back wait The Situation of American Labor union and exempt it from pyment of per will in time bring the regeneration of the movement. At what point will the commen.
The government persists in its capita tax until the strike is over.
revolutionary movement there and the reesced recession come to a halt? It is as yer refusal to recognize the Soviet governtablishment of a Communist Party on the The central body stands ready to go impossible to foretell. It is probable that ment of Russia, now in its 13th year of original foundations of the Communist In into action with strike relict machinery in this tim also the retreat will extend much existence. The agents of the bosses in the ternational as led by Lenin.
behalf of the 750 strikers if the situation further than is required by the objective workers ranks, namely, the American warrants. The strikers offer to return to conditions. But the retreat itselt is unFederation of Labor officials. Wm. Green, avoidable.
work when the right to organize is recog.
It is quite probable that beMathew Woll, et al, stand by and approve 12 Va. Miners Fatally Gassed nized Pres. Meade of the St Louis cause of the effects of the signs of inflation bourbon rule in the United States.
ARNETTSVILLE, Va. Twelve min Bus Co, who boasts that he has broken there will begin a revision of the slogan The Labor movement in the United ers, among them four Negroes, were fatally The five year plan in four years.
six strikes during his career, refuses to States finds itself weaker than at any pre gassed and burnt in a mine explosion in consider any proposals which fail to give vious time in its history.
But potential the non union Yukon mine of the Crown the company the world incircled by an The Bureaucracy Runs Blindly power is still there; it need only direction Coal Co.
airtight fence.
Retreat is always a painful operation, and militantey from conscious revolutionin the military field as well as in polities.
aries who understand the immediate and But a retreat carried out in time and in an ultimate interests of the workers.
elements are the Communists. Untortunlosses and prepare the possibility for se.
ately. the Communists in the United MINNEAPOLIS On April 1st a large Switchmen Union, No. 7; Paul Johnson, veloping an offensive in the future. The iaStates, even as throughout the world, gathering of Minneapolis and St. Paul rail Firemen, No. 887; Carl Skoglund, Railway tal danger is always a belated retreat. pen.
find their forces divided, split into three road workers held their second meeting at Carmen, No. 299; Glaser, Firemen, No. ic stricken, under fire, when the enemy iz fundamental groupings. An effective Woodruff Hall, Prior and St. Anthony Ave. 841; Earr, Switchmen Union, No.
at your heels. And that is why we, the struggle against capitalism presupposes St. Paul, for the purpose of developing a 206; and Hedlund, Firemen, No. 814, Left Opposition, are not afraid to call back the struggle for the unity of the Communation wide movement for a six hour day Secretary. Other active forces are. Wm. the bureaucracy which is running ahead nists again on a common principle platon the railroads. third meetings has been Watkins, Switchmen Union, No. 206; blindly. It is necessary to call a halt to form.
Notwithstanding. May Day dearranged for Tuesday, April 22nd at the Nelson, Engineers.
the prize races of industrialization, to remands from the otcial Communist Party, same hall.
and from all Communiste, in and outside vise the tempo on the basis of experience The first Twin City Conference of Rail( onsider Labor Economic and and theoretical foresight, to reconcile colthe ranks of the official Party, the initiaroad Workers. was held on March 19th and Political Problems lectivization with the technical and other tion for May Day of a genuine mass united was called originally by Local No. 206 of The question of setting up a permanent resources, to subordinate the policy towards front of workers and all workers organthe Switchmen Union. Among the points organization in the shape of Railroad Counthe Kulak to the real possibilities of colizations against the employers, on a numdiscussed were the railroad mergers and cils in each railroad center is also being lectivization. In a word, after the periods ber of immediate and burning issues that speed up, the need for a six hour day and considered. These Councils will consist of of Khvostism (the policy of dragging concern all the workers in the United five day week without any pay cut, and elected delegates from the several locals along at the tail of events and move. enis.
other problems affecting the organized and in each place or terminal. The purpose of. Ed. and adventurism, it is necessary to The Issues for May Day unorganized rallroad workers throughout these Rallroad Councils is to provide it take the road of Marxist realism, What are some of these immediate the United States, The Conference went medium which will enable the workers from demands of the workers that must serve to unanimously on record to fight for the six the 21 different Railroad Crafts to get to The plan corrected in this sense would unite them on May Day, 1930? They are: hour day, for the organization of the railgether periodically to take up the many present a minimal variation. It would neeThe struggle against unemployment; for way workers, as well as for other demands growing problems the railroad workers have essarilly proceed from the situation which work or compensation for the unemployed of an economic and political character. in common, of which the growing unem has been created up to now as a result of at the cost of the employers and the gov Provisional Committee, consisting of ployment is an immediate and serious one. great successes and no less great mistakes.
ernment; for the seven hour day and five members from the different local unions, It is also proposed to induce railroad Such a plan cannot eliminate the contrahas been set up to organize these meetings day week; against any reductions in wages workers in other terminals to set up sim dictions that flow from the historical past and to send out the calls. The Provisional and for an increase; for a united front ilar councils in connection with the six and the world environment. But it must against the repression and persecution of Committee consists of: Farrell, Rail hour drive.
reduce to a minimum the results of misworkers by the bosses agents, the police. way Clerks, No. 319; Ulrick Ulrichson, The Twin City Railroad Workers Con takes, partly mitigating and partly post(Continued Ou Page 2)
Railway Clerks, No. 1310; Case. Continued on Page 8)
Continued on Page fortune HOUR DAY AIM OF TWIN CITY RAIL WORKERS orderly manner can prevent unnecessary States.