The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 22, 1925, Page 5

, TERRBLE TRAIL OF BLOOD AND. DEATH OF COAL MINERS; WHOLE CITIES OF DEAD AND INJURED pa ES By ALEX REID (Secretary of the Progressive Miners’ Committee.) In the production of coal since 1906, 50,000 miners have been killed in the United States, according to the figures of the bureau of mines recently published. Since 1912 coal production, has cost the lives of 34,000 miners. Since In 1924, the last available official figures show that 2,871 miners lost their lives in the pits of this country. Wholesale Slaughter. The U.S, bureau of mines’ figures show that an average of 2,500 men were killed each year for twenty years. 000 men were employed 300 days, and 2,658 were killed, making a rate of 5.49 men killed per? That the| ment, that thousand that year. coal mining industry has made Bo appreciable progress in safeguard- ing’ the lives of the underground slaves is seen in the following com- parative figures. Killings on the Increase, From 1916 to 1920, there were 4.03 miners killed out of every thousand that were employed 300 days. in each year. From 1920 to 1922, the killing rate was 4.06, an increase of .03 per thousand men employed. The official figures for 1924 are not yet complete but those at hand show an enormous increase in life lost in the mines over 1928. For instance, the figures show there were 4.31 miners killed per million tons produced in 1924, as against 3.87 miners killed per million tons pro- duced in 1923. The figures for the first five months of 1925 already in- dicate an increase over 1924. City of Cripples. Two thousand five hundred miners killed and over 100,000 injured per year is the toll in human lives in the mining industry. Thousands of the injured would have been better off had ‘they been killed outright at the time of their injuries. Thousands of the injured live in misery for years racked with physical suffering, and mentally tortured by the sight of their loved ones in semi-starvation, Broken backs, broken ribs, crushed legs and feet, burned with gas, and others with internal injuries from which they will never recover are a sample of the injuries received in the coal mines in this country. Lawyers like Vultures. Coupled to this terrible suffering many miners totally permanently in- capacitated are hounded by coal com- pany lawyers in an attempt to have them settle their claims against the coal company for a few dollars in vio- lation of the state compensation law, which specifically states the amount that shall be awarded the injured, sometimes three and four, times the amount offered the victim by the coal company lawyers. Trick the Victims, The coal company lawyers take every advantage of the injured vic- tim, every legal technicality to beat them out of their legal award. The writer has known miners injured in the mines in Illinois that have had their cases against the coal company continued for over two years before they could get a hearing before the arbitration board. Finally, when it came before the ar- bitration board for hearing and de- cision, it was disagreed upon and ap- pealed, then again appealed, and final- ly referred back for a new trial, which many times has resulted in the starving victim accepting fifty per cent of what he was entitled to under the law, to be able at once to get something to eat for his starving children. No Sympathy tor Destitute. The same kind of treatment is giv- en to the widows and dependents of the fatally injured miners. In most of these cases a petition is made to the board for a complete settlement, better known as a lump sum settle 7 Send Your Sub TO THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. CHICAGO, Ips enern AAARRAAARRARAMa And Ae bttd LANGUAGES 1113 W. Washington Blvd. 1916, 21,000 lives have been lost. In- 1906, 484,- the dependents may be able to enter some kind of business with whatever amount they get in- stead of waiting for it to be paid them in small doles per week, After waiting until the operators are ready to give them a hearing on this case they generally get a lump sum settlement, but after it is whit- tled down, with percentage cut, off, in COUPLE SPENT MILLION FOR LIVING EXPENSES IN FIVE YEARS; DIVORCE NEW YORK, Sept, 20.—The dec- laration that Thomas H. Syming- ton and his beautiful wife, ida May, spent $990,000 for living expenses alone in the five years that they lived together was made to Sup- reme Court Justice Isador Wasser- vogel, today by Max D, Steuer, counsel to Mrs, Symington. Steuer’s statement was made in his argument of his client’s motion that her husband be ordered to in- cre. her alimony from $18,000 a year which she is now drawing, to $60,000 a year, pending decision of Symington’s appeal from the judg- ment in his wife’s favor at the trial of his divorce action last spring be- fore Justice John Ford, told misery, and existing in a state of sem-starvation and despair. If you can picture this condition of affairs in our mining communities, you can readily understand the terrible life in the mining industry in America. Twenty-five hundred slaughtered and one hundred thousand injured every year, for the last twenty years favor of the coal operator, because of his “kind heart” in permitting the lump sum settlement, the victim is permitted to go his, or her way badly shorn, and the lump sum is a very small lump indeed. Capitalist Press is Silent. The terrible suffering amongst the miners and their families as a result of injuries to the bread winner is a phrase of life in the mining communi- ties seldom mentioned. When you consider the fact that over 100,000 injuries of major or minor degree happen in the mines thruout America each year, you will readily understand the intense suffering amongst the miners, and understand the conspir- acy of silence of the capitalist press in keeping this condition from the public, One other reason the enormity of this suffering is so little understood, is because the accidents ‘are scatter- ed over the entire country, and it is only in cases where there are large explosions and appaling loss of life that we ever hear of them at all. Cities of Dead. To understand the actual suffering among the miners and their families let us gather the coal mining acci- dents that happen thruout America, into two coal mining centers. One city with a population of 2,500 miners with their wives and families, and another wth a population of. 100,000 miners with their wives and families. Witness, then, at the beginning of each year,for the last. 20,years,a city of 2,500 miners with their wives and families in the fulness of life, look- ing forward to a happy home, as most miners do, dreaming of the time when they can give to their children an| education, and a better start in life than they themselves had, Graphic. Picture of Death. View this city at the beginning of each ye 7, full of life, and the same city = ‘ine end of each year, a city of the dead—the 2,500 miners com- pletely wiped out, killed at their toil in the bowels of the earth, a city of two thousand five hundred now still- ed in death, a city of widows and’ starving children, fatherless and in despair, their spirits broken, their hopes and aspirations crushed, twen- ty-five hundred ‘slaves crushed into profits for the coal magnates of America. 100,000 Crutches. View another city, one with one hundred thousand miners at the be- ginning of the year, healthy and strong: with hopeful outlook on life, in the course of one year become in- jured, some of them maimed for life, some whom would have been better off had they been killed outright at the time of the injury. ‘Witness this city of 100,000 miners, their wives and families suffering un- THESE PAPERS Lead the Fight for Communism in this Ande Mey Te ARMTAM. Prolene In New York 580 BULGARIAN. Saznanic Semi-mouthly 1.50 CZECHO-SLOVAC Obrana Weekly 3.00 FINNISH ‘Toveri Daily 5.50 ——— eee 8 Bteenpain Daily 6.00 poset sahara ITALIAN Il Lavoratore Weekly paras JEWISH Froiheit Daily 9.00 Semi-We Y LITHUANIAN —Vilnis egal poke ne “ Laisve Daily 6.00 ROUMANIAN —_Desteptaren = Weekly 2.00 POLISH Srybune | Weekly 2,00 RUSSIAN. Novy Mir Dally 7.00 SCANDINAVIAN Ny Tid Weekly 2.00 SOUTH VIC Radnik 3 times a week 400 Dai or a total of 50,000 killed and around 2,000,000 injured for the same period —20 years. Little progress has been made in safeguarding the lives of the underground slaves in the t two decades. The main causes are the same today as twenty years ago de- spite the fact that there have been many preventive measures discovered. Rockdust Lessens Explosions. One of the main causes of the fa- talities is due to gas and dust explo- sions. A few mines in a few states have made an attempt to lessen the danger by rock dusting, but the most of the companies have refused to use it, declaring that it is “too’ expen- sive.” It is claimed by many coal com- panies that if the state forces rock dusting in the mines, it will put them out of business as they will’ be un- able to compete with the other states that do not have to rock dust the haulage ways, so the merry round of killing goes on. It is cheaper to kill coal miners than to make any effort to safeguard their lives with rock- dusting, Nationalize the Mines. i There is only one remedy for this continuous killing of coal miners in “America and that is nationalization of the mines with workers’ control. The first consideration of the mining in- dustry. must be service, instead of profit, but before this can be accom- ben A the workers must be organ- ized, politically. They must build from the trade unions, and all other organizations of a working class na- ture,.a labor party for the establish. ment of a workers’ and farmers’ gov- ernment. Hii Lantsutsky Is ye «Given Six Years at Hard Labor (Continued from page 1) fended the socialist, agents of capital- ism with a disguised name, The verdict against Lantsutsky is not only a defiance of the Polish work- ers, but ‘the international working- class as well, who have made the fight to free Lantsutsky. American Workers Aroused. The workers of America who have already démonstrated on behalf of Lantsutsky before the Polish embas- sy at Washington, and Polish con- sulates thruout.. the country, must again raise their voice in protest against this fresh crime of the white terror, backed by the socialists, against the workers of the world. Shame to the government of Grab- sky! Long live Lantsutsky, champion of the working class! Country: Yearly Sub Rate Weekly Weekly 3.00 5,00 2.00 6.00 Weekly Daily $$$ $$$ - | of delegates had been instructed by the local unions’ to support this par- ticular proposition afid they were de- THE DAILY WORKER (Gontinien \ffom page 1) with James McSweeney, president of the “open shop’=chamber of com- merce of Kansas City, followed by Pres. Green of the A. F. of L., who read a lenghty paper, sometimes in his excitement getting his sheets all mixed up and floundering around from one subject to another; turning in with Noonan of the Electrical Workers’ Union, and James Davis, secretary of labor in the strikebreaker Coolidge cabinet, and other lesser lights, all delivering the typical stereo- typed speeches, jumping about and swinging their arms in all directions in a frantic effort to terrify the dele- gates while they were lambasting every progressive thought and move- ment on earth. °* After handing each other verbal bouquets, such’ et “my good friend,” “your ‘worthy president,” “his won- derful personal gharacter,” “wise and efficient ledders,” “their supreme wis- dom,” etc. etc. they all without ex- ception, poured forth a flood of lies and villification against the progress- ive element im the American labor movement. The unions, (iby said, were never in a healthier condition than they are now, wages were"never higher, and in general paint ‘4 Tosy picture pf the nition of the Amer. ican working clags. Progressive Program The biggest issues before these con ventions was the progressive program advocated by the supporters of the railroad amalgamation movement. Among the méasures supported by this group was amalgamation of all raflroad unions into one industrial or- ganization, an immediate joint camp- aign by all railroad trades to organize the vast number of unorganized, gen- eral increases in wages for all rail- road workers, opposition to the “B, & O. plan,” so-called labor banking, recognition of Soviet Russia, and in- ternational trade union unity. As against. this constructive pro- gram the reactionary officials had not- hing to offer, Not a practical suggest- ion was made in the reports of the officers to regain the lost membership or give the organizations a fighting poligy. Constitutional amendments on amal- gamation Had been initiated in the Railway Carmen’s Union during 1923, which received twenty times as many indorsements as was required by the constitution but the grand lodge ab- solutely refused to send the proposi- tion out to a vote of the mem- bership, This ‘was one of the most flagrant violations of the law-of the union that-had‘ever been witnessed in this organization. A great number j termined to have it adopted by the convention, In their dewperate attempt to stem the rising tidé of the left wing in these two uniofs, organized tactics were used to terrify the delegates and build up a wall of blind prejudice against the progressive movement and the constructive measures it stands for. One speaker after another said amalgamation, was imported from Eu- Tope, particularly from Moscow, that the Knights of, Labor, the A. R. U., I. W. W. and.O. B. U were. demon- stration of its impracticability. They had been apparently informed RAILWAY UNION CONVENTIONS AN ORGY OF REACTION; PROGRESSIVES BATTLE BRAVELY AGAINST ODDS before hand that amalgamation and the progressive program of the rail- road amalgamation movement would come before these conventions, and they were all well prepared with stock arguments to confuse the minds of the delegates. Perhaps never before was the stage so well set and the re- actionary machine, both inside and outside of the Carmen’s and Boiler- makers’ unions, so well oiled and or- ganized. Going to Rounds While the. boilermakers and car- men's conventions were in session in this city,,the convention of the Bro- therhood of Maintenance of Waymen is meeting in Detroit. Similar bull- dozing tactics are being used in all conventions. Most of the speakers, delivering the same speeches, are making the rounds from one conven- tion to the other in a concerted at- tempt to use-the big.stick and brow- beat the delegates into line with their reactionary policies. Progressives Were Organized After three and one-half days of red baiting of the progressive delegates the conventions finally took up the various propositions before them. Be- lieving that they had the progressives ‘rushed, by that time, one of the first measures taken up after disposing of he officers reports were the amend- nents dealing with amaigamation. However, they found the progress- ve element well organized and in the armen’s convention the proposition was debated from 9:30 a. m. until ad- journment at Friday session. Delegate after delegate pointed to the Shop- men's strike of 1922-23 showing the necessity for amalgamation, and stat- ing that their membership was over- whelming in favor of bring all unions under one head. Others stated that as soon as amalgamation would be brot about that tens of thousands of work- ers now on the outside could be brot back into the various unions. raft unionism was a dead issue -was the the keynote of all progressives. Progressive Rally 100 Votes At the close of the debate. the. offi- cialdom one after another. took the floor pouring a stream of lies and falsifications about amalgamation and the progressive railroad workers that were supporting it. They thundered that amalgamation and. .¢mmunism were synonomous and if adopted by the convention it would destroy. trade unionism on the railroads, For an hour they again plunged into a,red baiting campaign attempting. to, tright- en the delegates. into voting, against amalgamation or any other. progress- ive measures, - After refusing to permit: arroll call} vote which had been votedsupon and carried the day previous, the-question was put and altho no count.was made, the progressives claim over w bundteed votes in favor. The same tactics were used by the machine in the boilermakers conven- tion where the reactionaries -succed- ed also in defeating the measure. The progressive delegates; were not disheartened by their defeat under such circumstances, After the con- ventions had adjourned they. stated that the rank and file of the unions were for amalgamation and the fight had pust begun, They were determ- ined to carry on the struggle in the future among all trades and come to future conventions in larger numbers and better organized, CHICAGO CITY CENTRAL DISCUSSES QUESTION OF PARTY REORGANIZATION The City Central Committee, Local Chicago, at its meeting Wednesday, Sept, 16, held a long and enthusiastic discussion led by District Organizer Martin Abern on the plan of reorganization on the shop nuclei basis for this district and the city of Chicago. This was the last meeting of the C, C. C., since the adoption of the new constitution automatically abolishes the C. C..C. Dozens of questions pertaining to the reorganization, func- tioning of nuclei, how to * organize workers’ clubs,‘party language frac- tions, building trades and migratory workers were asked. The effective- ness of shop nuclei and street nuclei and many other matters were put to the meeting. The reorganization in Chicago district, is to be ‘completed by December 1:" Prior to that party membership megtings, branch meet- ings, section membership meetings and at the samg time actual reorgan- ization will takpeplace. Speedy reorg: pation if Lo be prop- erly effective, stressed. The com- rades showed themselves in a spirit to go forward-ewiftly with organiz- ing our party on shop nuclei basis, which would present itself as a first step toward Bolshevizdtion of our party. b Russian Branch W. P. Will Open School at Philadelphia A Russian school for children and adults will be opened by the Russian branch of the Workers Party of Phila- delphia on Monday, Oct. 5, Good teachers have been engaged. For the beginning the school will be open twice a week, Monday and Wednes- day, from § to 9:30 p, m., at the Peo- ples’ Home, 521 York Ave., near 5th St. All who wish to learn the Rus- sian language are invited to join, Build the WAILY WORKER with subs, SE DAILY WORKER BUILDERS MEET MONDAY, SEPT, 21 NEW YORK, Sept, 20.—No collec- tion will be taken at the meeting of the DAILY WORKER Builders Club of New York at Manhattan Lyceum, 66 East 4th street, New York, this Monday~ evening, Sept. 21. In this respect the meetings of the DAILY WORKER Builders will always be different from all other meetings, as it is one of the fundamental prineiph of the DAILY WORKER | Builders’ Club not to collect funds trom each other within the ranks, but to so or- ganize its campaigns as to raise funds for the DAILY WORKER trom others. The organizing committee will pro- pose rules for the conduct of the club, a board of directors will be elected to co-operate with the manager of the DAILY WORKER New York agency in arranging future affairs and campatgns, and the next specific ef- fort of the DAILY WORKER Build- ers’ Club will be decided upon to la> the foundation for the publication of a DAILY WORKER in New York at the earliest practicable date, ; J, O}Bentall will speak on the future of the DAILY WORKER Build- ers’ and L, EB. Katterfeld will report ‘results of the work for the year just ended i Mexican Commanist Deputy Murdered RANCISCO J. MORENO, shown on the right, Communist deputy of Verm cruz, assassinated because of his exposure of the traitorous policy of the Calles government. Moreno was assassinated a few hours before President Calles was due to arrive in the city for a visit. On the left is shown Viadimie Mayakorski, the Russian proletarian poet. $3,900 MORE NEEDED TO SAVE DAILY WORKER FROM DANGER; THIS WEEK IS CRITICAL TIME ESPONSE to the danger call sent out by the DAILY WORKER two weeks ago fell $3,500 short of the amount needed to get the paper past the period of financial crisis. Only $6,511.75 of the $10,000 required was raised. Unless the rest of this sum comes in immediately, the call must be repeated in a more drastic form. So far, those branches and those DAILY WORKER readers who have given, have been unsparing in their desire to help. Their spirit has been like that of the Ukrainian branch of Minneapolis, which writes, “Our quota is only $8.00; but we herewith send $20.00.” But hundreds of others must be heard from,—hundreds whose names have not yet appeared on the daily record of Communist standard- bearers. Saturday, the Brownsville English branch of New York lead the list of militants,—not only forwarding a check of $105.00, but promising to fol- low this with another equally large, resulting from a branch vote to raise $5.00 a member, These Workers Carry on the Fight to Safe- guard the DAILY WORKER: W. P., Boston....$15.00; Russian Br., W. P., Jamaica, Armenian Br., Joseph A. Ueker, St. Louis, Mo. 10.00 N.Y. .. 12.00 ©. Coover, Minneapolis, Minn... 5.00, Progressive Women's Circle, English W. P. Br., Astoria, N. Y. 5.00; Pittsburgh, Pa, - 20.00 S. Slavic 51, N. S. Pittsburgh 1.00| S. Seiler, Los Angeles, Cal.. 5.00 English Br., W. P., Hancock, 5.00 Mich. Anthony Verhagen, Schenectady, » We esotee 2.00 L.: Nierman, San Diego, Cal. Pottsville Br., W. P., Boston...... “ Scandinavian Br., W. P., Boston.. 5.00 0. H, Hanson, Live Oak; Cal .C. V., New. Yor! - 10.00; Lewis -Altschaffl, Reading, Pa..... Pocatello Club, Pocatello, Idaho 5.00) J. Kosky and Constantin, Har- Hans Peterson, Pocatello... 50} marsville, Pa. - 1.10 W. P. of A. L. B. 44, Waukegan, | So, Slavic Br., W. P., Los Wh, ae raed 4 5.00; Angeles, Cal. ............. 10.00 John Paulauskas, Waukegan, Ill. ..50/ Y. W. L. No, 3, Los ‘Angele 2.00 N. S. §. J.. Newport, N, H.......05 10,00] Paul Podleck, Los Angeles, Cal. 3.00 Steve Grdinich, Hayward, Cal.. 5.00) G. Angus, Bronx, N. Y......... - 3.00 Russian Br., W. P., Scranton, Pa. 5,00) Regine Schreiber, New York 1.00 Jewish Br., W. P., Buffelo, N. Y. 15.00) Anton Zilich, Bulgar, Pa.. . 1,00 Rehm and Friend, Springfield, O. 2.00) English Br., W. P., New York Sam Fargotstein, Galveston, (Brownsville) sess 1 0500 5.00! English Br., W. P. ‘New York (Down-town) Sesh . 12.00 5.00 Geo. Ashkenudse, New York... 3.00 Buffalo, N, 5.00 Shop Nucleus, New York 1 H. Christ Conapere, W. Frankfort, Anis) sSchisiicint- OMe > ssi . 2,00) Wm. Beck, New York... om Anton Kratofil, Norwalk, O.. 5.00 | J, H., New York. ’ Hungarian Br, W, P., Coraopolis, | Czecho-Slovak Br., Binghampt Pa. . careers 800) N.Y... ) Owen Gammill, Reliance, Wyo... 5.00| Y. W. L., Kansa: City, Mo. 10.00 N .S. English Br., W. P., Pitt | Carl Dahiquist, Forest Park, Ill. 2.00 burgh, Pa. 7.00} Albert Wechsler, Chicago, III. 5.00 Jewish Br., W. P., b paibacatiny | Hungarian Br., W. P., Chicago... 10.00 25.00/ James H. Dolsen, Evanston, Il!. 1.00 5.00} Saturday's total ...... $ 505.10 L., M., R., Superior, Wi: 6.00; Previously reported ... . 6,006.65 Benjamin Smith, Charlotte, N.C. 10.00| —— F. Voigt, Fort Lauderdale, Fia.. 1.00 Total to date ....... $6,511.75 But by the Combined Ev‘orts te “All Will It Be Possible to Save THE DAILY WORKER I am sending you my response to your appeal. I en- CORO Bo ceesiedesssesecsee POMIVES:sisshetesevigngdyseresasevapesmsantoxcenpepsens shookeee suebinaansuvsasuasossnses easennanence BONES Lsscastinitb\eisnaadesakt Aaoreghanctabbamnbsapesans asiieandib bvoepponbonesuney ag euepaaneben MMU Y Adis skedossnnansthoctp hearenlohis ahichphep abil venta BGACA S|. isesayesocntontamteubeen iin letters and make checks and money orders payable to THE DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Il. — Page Five iY :