The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 11, 1926, Page 3

“\"red” remarks since. . fight, Because of the fight we have | Vote ‘BROPHY REFUTES STATEMENTS OF LEWIS MACHINE}: "Save the Union” Ticket Head Answers Lies Continued from Page 1.) We knew now that he did not mean it because he hes sabotaged these ideas ever since, Now we have just received an un- @ated circular, which is a pot-pourri of half-truths and out and out un- truths, the whole being false and mis- leading. Fake Local Unions, The circular purports to be from five locals of district two, but a little observation makes it clear that it is @ national organizer’s inspiration. We find on our district books that one of the locals, whose officers’ names are signed to the letter, consists of seven exonerated members and one tax-paying memiber—an international organizer; another local since May has been composed of a few exonerat- ed members and one tax-paying mem- ber—another international organizer; a third has 331% members,. Locals of this character do not represent the minds of the men of District Two, Some Examples. It is impossible in the short time at my command to refute every mis- statement of fact expressed in this etrcular, but one or two examples will serve to show the falsity which ap- pears thruout, For instance they at- tempt to prove that I do not even try to enforce my slogan “Sign for all ‘the mines or none” in my own dis- trict. “Cunard Steamship Company” reads the circular, “are permitted to operate Miller Shaft Coal company at Portage, Pa., union, and Morrisdale Coal company of the same interest ‘perating at Morrisdale Mines, scab.” The facts of the matter are these: Over a year ago the Morrisdale men, who had grown weak in spirit from a long period of slack work and from gumbers of men under direct com- any influence who had worked their ‘way into the local, brdke from the nion and went back to work for a Feduction. I myself spoke at meet- ings there urging them to strike and appeared on the picket line after the break came, traspassing on company property, being threatened by com- pany guards, and as each group of miners appeared at the shaft I urged thom not to fall for the worthless promises made them by the' company @nd asked them not to go to’ work. But in their weak spirit they returned inspite of all we could do, as men have also done in Districts 5, 17, 29, 21 and other districts in spite of everything the officers of those dis- tricts did, Shaft Closed Two Years, At the time the Miller Shaft at Portage had been shut down for mearly two years, It wae Impossible fo pull It out on strike for it was al- ready shut down for about two years. Recently the Miller Shaft Coal com- pany opened the mine again on the Jacksonville agreement, Altho the miners at Morrisdale had been work- ‘ing non-union for over a year and although the connection between the Morrisdale Coal company and the Miller Shaft Coal company is very Vague (the only proof being that the fame superintendent spends part of Bis time at both) I personally appear- ed a short time ago to the Morrisdale non-unionists and told them if they would strike for the union contract I would refuse to let the Miller Shaft Fesume operations until they at Mor- Fisdale got the soale, They were too cowardly to join, So this ig a case of the miners themselves at Morris- fale not even being members of the #0 how could a much smalier Miller Shaft, which had been shut down for over two. years, be used to enforce the former con- at Morrisdale, These are the not given in this national-in- wpired circular, and the other mis- Fepresentations are as farfetched as Phis, Pay For Car-Pushing, r haired to car-pushing, I have al- done everything pessible under ws Meg in our district to have this evil eliminated, On account of the Bpusually thin seams in our district, this could not be accomplished over waged in District 2 against car-push- ing, we have obtained payment of six vents @ ton where there fs car-push- “Save By B, K. GEBERT. ‘DUSTRIAL peace is secured for the next five years in the anthra- cite region,” declared John L, Lewis & Co, So said also the operators and business men, and the press lauded the agreement signed by the union of- ficials and the coal companies, This happened just nine months ago, after five and a half months of a strike of 150,000 miners, a strike which was 80 courageously conducted by the miners, with suffering on the part of them and of their families, and which was betrayed by the union bufeaucrats. At the trf-district convention held in Scranton June'29 to July 2, 1925, del- egates formulated the following de- mands, among others: 1. We demand the next contract to be for a period of two years, with complete recognition of the United Mine Workers of America, 2. We demand that the contract wage scale shall be increased 10 per cent; all day men shall be granted an increase of $1 per day. 8. We demand uniformity and equalization of all day. rates, 4. We demand that where coal is now paid for by the car it shall be chenged and payment shall be made on the ton basis of 2,240 pounds; pres- ent unreasonable penalties and dock- age shall be abolished, 5. We demand payment for all sheet iron, props, timber, forepoling, extra and abnormal shoveling; miners and company men shall be supplied with tools free of charge. 6. We demand that a uniform rate of 20 cents per inch be paid for refuse in all kinds of mining up to 10 feet pen in this election, are filled out correctly. turn sheets. Mery aaa locals, hours, BERSHIP, big icin Boe tn vislation of the ing until the proper machinery ig in- stalled to eliminate it, The authors of this circular of my opponents neglect to call attention to the fact that @ number, of districts submitted complaints about, car-pushing bofore the 1920 coal commission including Districts 2 and 6, The language used in the circular under Rule 34 is the decision of that coal commission. What rule 34 of our agreement does provide for, which is carefully omit- ted in the circular, {s the fact that where there Is carpushing In our dis- trict, the operator pays six cents a ton to the miner, whereas In District 5 and other districts, no compensa tlon |e provided for this work, Shows Disastrous Polley, They also gay that “Brophy has made no attempt to save the union organization in District 2 from the : nt of non-union opera- id anything be more un- and slanderous than this? The Struggle of the Stop Election Continued from Page 1.) THE TIME LIMIT. See that this does not hap- 14, See the original return sheets are mailed right after the count is finished in a registered letter to the international office. sheets are mailed in the envelope provided for this purpose and that the blanks on the envelope 15. Insist on your right to inspect all return sheets before they are sealed up. This vent a crooked secretary from switching t! 16. As soon as the count is completed and the return sheets mailed, write or wire the result of the elecion in your local union to “The Coal - Miners,” P, O, BOX 8, SPRINGFIELD, ILL. 17. If crooked election methods are used in spite of all precautions, AND THIS REFERS TO ALL KINDS OF ELECTION CORRUPTION, IN- nyo ig THH VOTING OF BLUE SKY LO- constitution provides: ests in connection with the vote of any local union must be filed with the international tellers NOT LATHR THAN TEN DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION, by some responsible member of Li the local union whose yote is contested, 18. If a@ fake local has no members at all or simply is composed of machine tools, the pro- » test should be made by the members of nearby. 19. Send into “The Coal Miner” a short de- scription of every crooked ‘method which the machine {s discovered using in the election as soon after the occurrence as possible, 20, See that the election takes place at the “mine if the mine {s working, If the vote is taken at the hall see that it is done during working 21, First and last—MAKH EVERY EFFORT TO GET OUT A FULL VOTH OF THE MEM- 22. MAKE THE MACHINE) OFFICIALS UN- DERSTAND FROM THE BHGINNING THAT YOU INTEND to INSIST ON YOUR CONSTITU- TIONAL RIGHT AND HAVE AN HONEST VOTE AND AN HONEST COUNT. phd 00 psig salleaaeemmamiom abeas ecg Sy Gh tied thn jelinn waa constitution, << wide, and that the rate for blastin, > top and bottom rock shall not be les 3 than 30 cents per inch.” 7. A fiveday work week shall b . established. Contract miners shall bi ¢ provided with work at the considera tion rate when, thru no fault of thet own, they are not permitted to worl at the face of their regular working place, Supplementary demands called fo1 1 repairs, rebuilding and erection of new F buildings, nenessary to relieve the , housing situation in many sections of , the anthracite region; equalization of ' work at all collieries under any one company. These demands came from the union and were necessary to maintain a standard of living and to improve the conditions of the miners. Nobody could “peak against these demands, They were recognized ag conservative Progressive delegates urged increaz on’ ite Miners -|tled by the boss with the union of- -]}out openly in a union meeting in the -| interest of the union he fs persecuted Ticket Page Three and agreement, there can be no strikes, All grievances shall be set- ficials, board. __ Officials of the union are under di- rect influence of the’bosses. It comes to this, that if the any miner comes or sent to the conciliation by the bosses, He is given a job on which he cannot stay and finally finds himself out of work. Miners ate terrorized by union of- ficials and bosses. Free speech in the +|region is only for officials of the union. If any opposition against of- ficlaldom tries to get public expres- , | sion, it is found that its voice cannot be heard; halls are closed to them. At the present time the miners more and more realize that the fight against the bosses and their own of- ficialdom is the same. Miners every- ing the demand to a 20 per cent raise ? and $2 for day men, The United Mine Workers were in & position to get these demands. The rank and file stood solidly behind them. But the leadership of the union —Lewis, Cappellini, Kennedy and Golden—in the time of struggle re- treated from this position. They sur- rendered, point by point, to the coal operators, and finally the operators were on the offensive. Lewis & Coethrew the miners’ de- mands overboard on February 8, 1926. They accepted in principle the propo- sition of the milMonaire publisher of the Scranton Times, a proposal which provided, among other things, “a com- mission consisting of Hon. Charles Evans Hughes, Hon, James J. Davis, and Hon. Gifford Pinchot.” This com- mission was to be empowered to in- | ings and said that, under the contract| where in the anthracite region, if only the news reaches them, are for the program of Brophy, Stevenson and Brennan. They are for unity with the bituminous region; they are for or- ganizing the unorganized; they are for nationalization of the mines; they are for a labor party; they are for the re- instatement of Alex Howat and others, Yes, anthracite miners are once more coming to fight for bettering their conditions, for a strong union, for a radical policy. Yes, the anthracite miners are form- ing in line to save the union, There is no peace in the anthracite. There is a fight on—a fight by the miners against bosses, against opera- tors, and their servants in the United Mine Workers—a fight to win a place in the sun for miners and their perc lies, Rolie Stealing! Alex Howat See that the pre- e re- Me icu ime ugne against the Kan- sas Industria! Court, served 17 months In jail as a result, was removed from office and expelled from U. M. W. of A. while in jail, by order of John L. is, Howat has just finished a speaking tour for the “Save the Un- lon” ticket. Joseph Tumulty sveecrr, 1emULTY “Save the Union” candida’ President of Distriét 12, (Iilinols’ in, 1922 and held them ‘on strike for nearly a year after the International called off the coke region strike, Tbe reason we lost those men, just as we have lost others since them, is® be cause the very companies we were striking against in District 2 were signed up and permitted to work in other districts in accordance with the policy of the International officers, Even at the present time the interna- tional organizers who are flooding the unionized parts of this district are spending their time playing pol- {ties, slandering myself and attempt ing to have some of our most active fighters against the coal operators ex- pelled on false charges from the or ganization hecause they favor pro- gressive policies, . No doubt this letter from my ‘op ponents will be published in the Mine Workers’ Journal, Wqually there is no doubt that this reply will not, be- cause the Journal has in the past re- Fefusod to publish state- they were Circulars stich as that aro issued for no other réason than to fill the minds of the men with trivialities and to keep theip,attention from the real issues, I feel confident that the rank and file recggnize its contents for what {t {s—last minute political bunk, With every, good wish, | am fra- ternally yours, (Signed by) JOHN BROPHY Petrillo Re-elected Musicians’ President James ©, Petrillo was re-elected president of the Chicago Federation of Musicians at the election held Tues- day, Edward A, Benkeri was re eleéted gecretary without opposition. Petrillo received 2,000 out of 3,000 votes cast, the other 1,000 being split between Ben Dillon and Joe Winkl former president. Henry Kai was re-elected treas- urer, and s Runge Won the ¢ fice of Anancial secretary, (Continued from Page 1.) policies in the union means the wreck of the union, leaving the workers at the mercy of the coal barons, The “Save the Union” Ticket. GAINST these union wrecking pol- icies and activities of Lewis the “Save the Union Bloc” offers a pro- gram for the immediate strengthening of the unfon and policies which will re-establish it as a fighting union of} the miners, which has been the pride of the’ organized labor movement in this country, The “Save the Union Bloc” pledges itself to an immediate campaign to organize the unorganized miners into which all the forces of the union will be thrown. This is the basic necessity | for preserving the miners’ union and strengthening it for the struggle which the union will face with the expiration of the Jacksonville agreement.--The unorganized miners must be brought into the union to “Save the Union” as a fighting organization of the work- ers. HE Nationalization of the Mines, which {s the second point in the program of the “Save the Union Bloc” 1s the only solution of the present chaotic condition in the coal industry. It is only thru nationalization of the mines that the worked-out, high cost mines can be eliminated, hours of work reduced further and production regulated so as to give regular em- ployment to all the miners. Support the formation of a Labor Party, which the “Save the Union Bloc” advocates, must go with the campaign for nationalization. It is only {f nationalization !s accompanied by the organization of the political power of the workers, making it pos- sible for them to carry on an inde pendent political struggle against the government which represents the mine owners, that nationalization will se- cure these benefits for the mine work- ert HE “Save the Union Bloc” supports the reinstatement of Alex Howat to full rights in the union, together with the reinstatement of all the militant fighters for the miners whom Lewis has expelled. The “Save the Union Bloc” comes beforé the miners on a program which contains the minimum of action neces- sary to again restore the union to the powerful position {t has held in the mining industry and to enable it to win new gains for the miners. The Workers (Communist) Party and the “Save the Union Bloc.” The leaders of the “Save the Union Bloc” are not Communists. They are not pledged to the full Communist pro- gram for the miners’ union, The “Save the Union Bloc” includes individuals wha,are opposed only to the Lewis ma- chine, it includes honest progressives who stand for a move forward by the miners’ union, but who do not yet see the need of a full left wing program; it includes left wingers who stand for making the miners’ union. a militant fighting organization against the cap- italist class and capitalist system, RESOLUTION T0 BAR VARE, SMITH IS INTRODUCED Dill Demands Senate Shut Door on Pair (Special to The Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, Dec. 9. — Resolu- tions to bar Frank L. Smith of Illinois and William S. Vare of Pennsylvania from ever being: seated in the senate were introduced Thursday by Sen. Dill of Washington. The resolutions came as a bombshell in the senate, republican leaders not expecting any action on the corruption charges against the two senators-elect until the next congress, Would Deny Privileges. Dill asked that the senate prevent the two from even exercising their privileges as senators elect, and urg- ed that they be refused the privileges of even presenting their credentials, closing the senate doors in their face should they arrive. Expenditures of such huge sums of money to secure the nomination taint-} ed Vare’s credentials before they came into being, Dill said. Hits Insull Donation. The acceptance of the Insull con- tribution by Smith show such lack of| consideration for sound policy on the part of a man aspiring to high office, that the senate should declare him} disqualified on that ground alone, he said. The resolutions were ordered “laid on the table,” but can be recalled at any time for vote. Workers Party Issues Statement on Election in the Miners’ Union The Workers (Communist) Party may find itself in disagreement with some of the leaders and supporters of the “Save the Union Bloc” in the future over questions of policy, BUT IT CALLS UPON ALL THE MEM- BERS OF THE UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA TO LINE UP SOLIDLY BEHIND THE “SAVE THE UNION BLOC” IN THE ELEC- TION NEXT TURSDAY AND OUST| JOHN L. LEWIS AND HIS MACHINE) FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MINERS’ UNION. VOTE FOR ORGANIZATION OF THE UNORGANIZED. VOTE FOR STRENGTHENING OF THE UNION FOR THE FIGHT NEXT SPRING. VOTE FOR THE NATIONALIZA- TION OF THE MINES. VOTE FOR THE FORMATION OF A LABOR PARTY. ELECT THE “SAVE THE UNION BLOC,” AND MAINTAIN THE UNIT- ED/ MINE WORKERS’ UNION AS A FIGHTING ORGANIZATION OF THE MINERS. Central Committee, Workers (Communist) Party, C, E. Ruthenberg, General Secretary. ida hades Rehearing m Brandeis Decision Against Kansas Strike WASHINGTON, Dec, 9.— Supreme Court Justice Brandies’ recent decis- ion In the case of August Dorchy, vice- president of the Kansas district of the United Mine Workers, does not finally dispose of the question as to whether the Kansas industrial court can fafl Dorchy for a year because he called a strike. That strike was called ,to force a coal company to pay a dis- puted wage claim of a union member. Brandies upheld the Kansas industrial court in finding this strike “illegal.” He said there is no “absolute right to strike” in this country. Dorchy has now asked the Supreme Court for a rehearing, on the ground that the compulsory features of the e Mergent ray we Saturday, December 11) es > CANTON TELLS THE WORLD By Manuel Gomes The first installment of this article appeared in the New Magazine last week Tomorrow's article . deals princip: with the Philip- pines, part of the world that is very dear to the hearts of the American im- Perialists but which may cost the American working class dearly in lives unless they co-operate with the Fili- Pinos in their fight for in- dependence + +S INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY REVIEW By Max Shachtman Not only a summary of the outstanding events of the week internationally but also a political anilysis of those events. Comrade Shachtman is one of the most brilliant of the young journalists in the Communist movement. He is a member of the exec- utive committee of the Young Workers League and editor of the Labor Defender, official organ of the I. L. D. +++ A GUITAR IN THE RAIN By Walt Carmon A short story of a few Mexicans on their way to work in our famous stock- yards. They murmur “Jesus, Mary and Joseph” at every opportunity and a catholic street car conductor mutters almost continually: “What the bloody heil?” “The breath of the stockyards crawls thru every pore,” says Carmon. If you don’t believe him ask the Iittle editor who sits next to this anonymous writer. Every time I seek a little fresh air by opening the window a little, he flies to protect his nasal organs. And we are fifty blocks from there, And that means abort six miles +++ HE HAD JOINED THE NAVY By ©. A. Moseley Moseley can tell an inter- esting character by the cut of his jib. Let him see a fel- low sitting on a bench ina * park and he can tell by the way he tickles his midriff whether he needs a meal or “not. Besides this personel incident Moseley turns out “Proletarian Odes" weekly for the New Magazine. +++ POWER AND SUPERPOWER By N. Sparks The first of two articles on the Machine Age. The second will appear in the next issue of the New Mar anine. +++ Kansas industrial court law do not}/IN THE WAKE apply to coal mines, 30 Killed as Dust Explosion Shatters Mine in Indiana ~ (Continued from Page 1.) his bed at the Methodist Hospital described the disaster. “I was the last man out of the cage,” said Shafer. “It shot upward and I had taken about a dozen steps when there was a sudden gust of wind so strong it knockéd me and the others flat on our backs, it was a ter- rific blast.” Shoots Flame. The explosion shot a flame 100 feet into the air, About 125 rescue work- ers are on the job working their way to the bodies in the shaft. The par- tial list of the identified dead as given HE crisis which the United Mine Workers’ Union is facing makes the need of the hour such a united front of all the groups -who sare ready to fight to SAVE THE UNTON from the results of Lewis’ reactionary policies re een aha, tae tabi by J. L. Kremeyer, mine official, fol lows; W. T. Byrd, Charles Junkin, W. H. McCannon, H. J. Turner, Orville Slater, John Dailey, Jolin Helsey, John Driscoll, John Ireland, Roy Shaw, L. Yates and Everett Statler. OF THE NEWS By T. J. O'Flaherty Covers important transpi- rations in the United States and some not so important. The writer aims to be in- structive and interesting and seems to get away with it. +++ CARTOONS OF THE WEEK By Hay Balee Other features may come and go but Hay goes on for- ever drawing his propaganda pictures for the American workingclass. Good art and g00d propaganda, . bli ly. OTHER FEATURES Cartoons by Becker, Vose, Jer- ger. Poems by Covington Ami, Jim Wallace, Oscar Ryan? Sports — Theater — Movie A see t we ‘