The Daily Worker

COSSACKS OF
TAMMANY RIDE
DOWN WORKERS

Extras of Post Office
Waited for Pay

(By a Worker Correspondent)

Last week a notice was posted in
the Brooklyn post offices telling
the Christmas rush extras to come
to the main post office on Washington
Street at two o'clock on Friday,
December 28, for their pay.
At two o'clock on the day on
which we were told to come there
were about 1,500 of us waiting out
on Washington Street for our money.
Remember, we weren't there to
demonstrate, but were just doing
what we had been instructed to do.
Suddenly, five of Whalen's cossacks
came riding fast down Washington
Street. With utter contempt they
rode into us. Their horses pawed us.
Men were knocked down, some were
bruised, some were badly hurt. The
cossacks cursed us.
We tried to scatter, but weren't
fast enough. We ran into alleys
and on steps. We pushed one another
trying to get out of each other's way.
We were dumbfounded, not knowing
what we had done to warrant such
treatment.
By three o'clock the cossacks had
finished their job. We were in a
line that stretched for three blocks
from the post office, and Firman
was satisfied. That lickspittle bureaucrat,
who is constantly advertising his
efficiency, had thought our "disorderly"
presence might harm his hollow pretentions
to efficiency. Hence he had issued the
order to put us in an "orderly" line.
Incidentally our job had been to
carry messages of peace on earth,
good will among men"—the damned
hypocrites!