In Western New York, and Pennsylvania
Claessens, August
In Western New York, and Pennsylvania By August Claessens UAD an extremely lively and successful week in toil part of the ** country. Arrangements for meetings vara excellent, the crowds were...
...The final meeting in Rochester last Monday under Workmen's Circle auspices was very sue-cessful in spite of the mean weather...
...Socialist economics denies that a single measure will help all classes whose interests are in conflict...
...The alternative to inflation is not "onerous sales taxes" as our correspondent believes...
...We should demand heavier taxation of incomes, inheritances, etc., and, if possible, graded luxury taxes...
...Glancing at the table, he said : "We are just out of the trough of the greatest depression...
...On Thursday I made three meetings, also good ones...
...The general had finished a wonderful meal and was feeling happy, very happy...
...Incompatibility, varied temperaments and suspicions and the consequent cross-fire and bad cooperation long retarded the progress of our Party...
...Let us not, in the eyes of the farmer, fall into the same classification as the Wall Street bankers, the large capitalists and the reactionary creditor class...
...Merry Christmas to all...
...the process continues till the paper is worthless and millions are involved in ruin...
...80 many of our older comrades are still well on the job, and along with the fine newer and younger members they are carrying on against many difficulties...
...Spoke to a good crowd at the Y.M.C.A...
...Thanks to Comrade Martin Heisler, I had a chance to deliver a short talk to some 300 farmers and their wives at the twentieth annual meeting of the Erie County Farm and Home Bureau Association at Orchard Park and I was well received...
...GREAT news...
...if this policy is abandoned, it will restore "public confidence and encourage business enterprises...
...The depression is over...
...The Federal Government reads ethical sermons to European governments against repudiation while some of its own states violate this holy of holies...
...If you are interested ONLY in increased TOTAL payrolls, if you are interested ONLY in seeing more people receive wages so that more money can be put into circulation, more spent and business (and profits) revived, nothing could be sweeter tLan increased TOTALS...
...Babbitts Get Fits y^RROGANCE and class interest were combined in the protest of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association against the public and civil works program of tht Federal Government...
...Wednesday noon I spoke at the Buffalo Kiwanis Club luncheon and my half-hour talk went over the radio...
...There's a question to ponder...
...It appears simple to many people, but under capitalism we have a system of production of commodities for exchange...
...In the evening I had another splendid opportunity in ^addressing a gtood crowd of young working women at the Y.W.C.A...
...At midnight we celebrated our two-day "revival" sessions with a cheerful anti-prohibition party in the home of one - of our grand old German comrades...
...Just finished two busy days in Erie, Pa., and I was thrilled at our fine local...
...By the way, what is going to be recovered, human welfare or just the profits of the business magnates...
...Later in the evening I spoke to a goodly crowd at our old Labor Lyceum on Genesee Street, and our old war-horse, Gustave Strebel, held them spell-bound until I arrived...
...Without going into the economics back of our reasoning there is the fact that inflation has always ruined the farmers who luivc generally urged it, the workers, those with fixed salaries, and many thousands of the middle classes...
...To say that we must favor inflation to reach the farmer is answered by the story we run this week regarding the Socialist agitation among farmers in Wisconsin...
...Now and then something happens and the closet is opened, to the embarrassment of Washington officials...
...They warjt capitalists to have them...
...Merry Christmas...
...Heisler will not rest until thousands of Erie County workers and farmers are readers of The New Leader, and he gets scores of subscriptions each week...
...Righto, general...
...General Johnson reports to President Roosevelt that under the automobile code both employment and payrolls have increased...
...Happy to report that our local is growing fast...
...Spoke before the Riverside branch to a fine working-class audience and I was happy to meet this active new organization...
...With Comrade Hahn Soon again on the air with his weekly half-hour talks, our comrades aro in fine enthusiasm...
...The cheapening money it reflected in rapidly increasing prices...
...Millions who have paper rush to buy...
...The inflation following the French and American revolutions and the recent revolutions in Europe brought these results...
...Little Monaco now opens the closet and the Mississippi skeleton grins...
...What more could one want...
...Further, inflation would give the government additional revenue to carry on an extensive public works program, which would promote further employment of labor, and avoid the onerous sales tax which falls most heavy on labor...
...Arrangements for meetings vara excellent, the crowds were good and oar locals in good shape...
...Here are the figures: from July to September employment increased from 125,000 to 150,700 workers, and payrolis increased from $12,700,000 to $14,700,000...
...However, they, too, were happy, very happy...
...Inflation A BROOKLYN reader objects to the Socialist Party's opposition to inflation because many farmers fanwr it and urges that we should also support it...
...They tried to get me pickled with his choice wines, but I pleaded to stay sober and arrive sober on my entry into Ohio...
...We are out of the depression...
...If it is short of funds, it should print money and pay off its debts...
...But if you happen to be interested in human welfare it's a different story...
...Martin Heisler also did a swell job...
...At first the farmer and other debtor...
...Our correspondent implies that because big bankers oppose inflation we are their allies...
...Comrade Hahn is also an inspiration to meet and to see his fine growth and influence...
...No government need worry about balancing its budget...
...Due to some hesitancy on the part of the local, my meetings were not arranged by them...
...I got a great reception and achieved good results...
...The manufacturers do not object to government funds being spent for them...
...in the afternoon I talked on organization before a large membership meeting hastily arranged...
...Neither the Socialists nor the farmers are urging it there...
...Our correspondent thinks of inflation as benefitting farmers, workers, the business class and the government...
...I pleaded with them to organize a number of ward branches and get to work...
...The difficulties that have bedeviled our Party here are still with us, although I believe that I did observe a little more harmonious relationship among the several very active comrades...
...Out of the trough into your food tanks...
...In Western New York, and Pennsylvania By August Claessens UAD an extremely lively and successful week in toil part of the ** country...
...Then the General...
...Well, one could do a little long division and find that in the .pre-NRA month automobile workers received an average of $101.30 per month, while under the Elue Eagle the larger number received $97.50 per month...
...A Mississippi Skeleton GOVERNMENTS like individuals sometimes have skeletons in their closets...
...It is so embarrassing to the gentleman's trade of diplomacy...
...Next day in Buffalo...
...Commodity is exchanged for commodity and flooding a nation with paper is not providing commodities to he exchanged for other commodities...
...And there you have it...
...Great...
...Unquestionably, where the worker is a debtor as well, inflation would benefit him, too...
...They wruld /aint at the proposal to scrap the Commerce Department and many costly bureaus that inform the exploiters how to sweat more values out of the workers and where best to dispose of those values abroad...
...At night I lectured at Comrade Hahn's church and got a grand reception and a full house...
...They mention four cities that propose to have their own electric light plants...
...Whenever the government needs money, let it start the printing presses...
...will be able to pay off some debts with the cheap paper, but in the general ruin that follows they are also involved...
...Not at all...
...The buying stimulates production...
...That policy fosters the "public confidence" of the exploiters, but if a city decides to have a light plant of its own, these Babbitts get fits of despondency...
...What happens when inflation acquires momentum...
...Ii the workers were as conscious of their interests as these gentlemen are, the latter would not be so arrogant...
...in the evening a great meeting under the auspices of the Central Labor Union...
...The more paper the cheaper it becomes and there is a nation-wide panic to get rid of it...
...Heirs of the holders have been trying to collect...
...I had five gatherings with them in the two days, and just missed a sixth...
...NRA Arithmetic THINGS are picking up under the NRA, that is, if you look at things in the right way...
...Intense activity is the best cure for idle bickering...
...Sunday morning before a large group at the Unitarian Church...
...General W. W. Attcrbury, president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, announced this last Sunday night at a dinner attended by the very best people in the Waldorf...
...Thanks to our splendidly active Comrade Robert Hoffman, my services were well used...
...A remarkable young comrade, William F. Mann, took the job upon himself and arranged things beautifully, and I must say that he had the cooperation of the local and an unusually fin 1 group of workers...
...This remarkably vigorous comrade is as much and as effectively at work as he was twenty years ago and he doesn't miss a moment in doing something for our cause...
...in Buffalo...
...His basic argument is contained in the following reasons: Many feel that labor would benefit considerably in the form of additional employment for millions, by the stimulus giyen to business and agriculture by inflation...
...They object to "using public funds to promote and subsidize projects intended to compete with existing private enterprises...
...We favor taxing the super-rich to the limit for the relief of the workers and the big bankers will fight this to the last ditch...
...Perfectly gowned ladies and correctly dressed gentlemen had shifted back from the table, some drowsy from packed stomachs...
...Mississippi refuses to pay and stands for repudiation...
...Before the Civil War a number of southern states repudiated their bonds, many of which were sold in Europe...
...It has a fine Rand School study class and a great new crowd of harmonious and active members.^ Thanks to Comrade Gray and an ardent young minister from Youngstown, N. Y., nearby, our new members are being well schooled in our philosophy .and program...
...A little bit pessimistic and hesitant to undertake more and larger activity, they are, nevertheless, a large and experienced group and have all the potentialities for great achievements...
...If inflation will give the government "additional revenue to carry on" then the problem is very simple...
...The little nation of Monaco is now seeking to sue Mississippi to collect $100,000 and interest of $400,000, due for ninety years...
...We have only two branches in Buffalo, and although I noted considerable improvement in our Party here, we are still very, very far from effective and from the great organization we had in this city before the war...
...Had a very good meeting in Niagara Falls Friday, the best and largest crowd here in a long time...
Vol. 16 • December 1933 • No. 26
