The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 5, 1934, Page 4

Page Four Sent Back to Work Without Agreement; a Militants Should Stay UMWA Local Unions Betrayed by U Leaders. Lose Strike = MWA By F. BORICH is vears the northern West Virginia coal operators have enjoyed a “wage di rators ference in wages. It meant lower wages for the West Vir- ginia miners. Under the first N. F. A. “Appalachian Agree- ment” the w rg were 24 cents lower thar Penn- sylvania, although the cost of living is the same The miners for fought against this ential, which was always approved by the U.M.W.A n Wes leaders and incorporated in all the agreements. The Pennsylvania op- nst the dif- srators also fought ag he West Virginia op- ferential, as t erators had considerable advantage over them e struggle for mar- kets. But the Federal Commerce Commission, on several occasions, ruled in favor of the West Virginia operators. 30,000 Struck April 1 At the expiration of the agree- ment, March 31, the West Virginia miners threatened to strike for the same scale received by the Pennsyl- vania miners. On the other hand the most, powerful Pennsylvania op- | erators, led by the Mellon interests, threatened to reftise the renewal of the agreement with the UMWA un- less the differential was eliminated. The refusal to renew the agreement meant inevitable strike and prob- ably general strike of the miners. Fearing the strike of the miners, in the midst of the growing strike wave throughout the count the N.R.A. administration was forced, at the last moment, to issue an “ex- ecutive order” eliminating the dif- | ferential and equalizing wages in these two largest coal producing fields inthe country. The West Vir- Ri ‘Operators, however, refused to | accept the proposition as it effected their profits. On April 1, 30,000 West Virginia miners struck, closing every mine in | the field. to ease their wages | to the level of the Pennsylvania miners. Although the strike dis- | played no real militancy, for rea- sons too numerous to mention here, it nevertheless, remained solid and became dangerous to the operators, the U.W.A. leaders and the govern- ment. if a quick settlement could not be made. Miners Demand Relief Despite the fact that the miners have operated with: full force for the past four or five months, and despite the N.R.A. “increased” wage scale. the third week of the strike found the majority of the rw without any food. The committees from ell the U.M.W.A. locals packed up the Government Relief Associa- tion and the U.M.W.A. offices daily from early in the morning until late at night demanding relief. At the same time the fight of the unem- Ployed for relief was intensified as the state of West Virginia made no provisions for the unemployed after the discontinuation of the C.W.A. On top of this a movement is under way against the consumers’ tax of 2 ner cent put into effect on April 1. The situation became too danger- ous for the authorities and the U.M.W.A. leaders to handle. They were constantly in touch wit Washington. Something had to be done to send the miners back to work. On Saturday night, April 21, the local papers “suddenly” came out with “extra” editions announc- ing that the agreement was signed. Sunday, April 22, every .U.M.W.A. local met to discuss the settlement. But no one could produce the agreement or report its contents. The meetings correctly branded the newspapers’ reports as a “dirty piece of advertisement by the coal operators, business men and the au- thorities.’ The U.M.W.A. leaders un- questionably took part in the scheme. However, every local union made a unanimous decision to con- tinue the strike and to organize mass picketing on Monday morning to prevent any possible strikebreak- ine. U.M.W.A. Leaders Broke Strike Late Sunday night, after the min- ers went to sleep, the local officials acting under the instructions of the district officials, went from house to house, waking up the miners, tell- ing them that the strike was set- tled and that every one should re- port for work Monday morning. As a result of this scheme some of the mines operated Monday with a full force. Others remained on strike. In some instances the op- erators made no effort to reopen their mines. The strike is over but no one knows anything about the agreement and will not know until the pay day in the middle of May. That the strike was sold out is proven by the fact that the U. M. W. A. leaders refuse to answer as to what will be the new wage scale. The weakest feature of the strike was that it displayed no real mili- tancy and that it was sold out by the U.M.W.A. leaders without seri- ous resistance on the part of the miners. How is this fact to be ex- plained? Every mine in West Virginia, with | few isolated exceptions, is operat ing under the U.M.W.A. agreement; the U.M.W.A. is the recognized union. The overwhelming majority of the miners are members of the U.M.W.A. Yet, wherever there is no forcible check-off, large groups of the miners remain outside the U. M. W. A. These are the most clas conscious and most militant miners. They refuse to join the U. M. W. A. on the grounds that Lewis is an agent of the coal operators and that they will not pay dues to him Opposition in U.M.W.A. Chief Tasks | erenti The differential was } pment of coal from West V transportation was | saw the sellout. | 1” over the Pennsylvania op- ased on the theory that the a was more costly. The met by the dif- group of the miners in oppo- n to Lewis, luenced by the P.M.A. leaders, advocates the build- ng of the P.M.A. and refuses to join the U.M.W.A. In some places, on the direct initiative of the Piercy-Keck agents, they have built ting in each instance of a hand- ful of militant miners, who are di- vorced from the main mass of miners Other groups remaining outside of the U.M.W.A. advocates the build- ing of the N.M.U. Even some of the Party members share this opinion and refuse to join the U.M.W.A This despite the fact that the Party formulated its policy very clearly way back in December of last year to the effect that our chief task at the present is not to build the N.M.U. in the fields where the min- ers are organized into the U.M.W.A., | but that our task is to organize a |mass Rank and File Opposition | within the ,U.M.W.A. and lead the | | fight for the interests of the miners. The sectarian policy of remain- ing outside of the U.M.W.A. when the overwhelming majority of the miners are in it in a given field does not help the miners. It | helps the coal operators and the Lewis machine to carry out their strike-breaking policy. This was so clearly proven in this strike, The most miiitant miners, who who understand the militant strike policy, but who were separated from the main body of the miners organized in the U.M.W.A., and excluded from the meetings because they were not members of the U.M.W.A., found themselves absolutely help- Jess in the effort to fight the sell- out. Had the few thousands of militant miners, who divorced themselves from the masses of miners by refusing to join the U.M.W.A. and by attempting to build the N.M.U. or P.M.A., had they been active members of the | U.M.LW.A., the outcome of the strike would have been different and the sell out could have been prevented. It is undisputed truth that Lewis and his paid henchmen are agents | of the coal operators; they are open | strikebreakers, Probably most of them are on the payroll of the coal | operators, But it is also undisputed | fact that at least 75 per cent of the | | miners belong to the U.M.W.A., that Lewis continually betrays them and together with them those that are not members of the U.M.W.A. In} the West Virginia strike Lewis sold | out not only the members of the U.M.W.A. but he sold out also those outside of the U.M.W.A, One of the immediate Party tasks in West Virginia is to strengthen the Party organization by recruit ing new members and building new Mine Units, making every Commu- nist an active fighter in the U. M.| W. A. through the formation of | functioning Party fractions and the building of a mass Rank and File Opposition on the basis of immedi- | ate needs of the miners, fighting systematically against the Lewis machine, Mili Farmers Unde: Inside | mall, sectarian organization, con- | = E ‘DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, | Striking Alabama miners picketing a struck mine in the recent strike of 15,000 coal diggers there. The men were fighting particularly against the wage differential which gives them a wage $1.20 lower than Northern miners, They refused to go back Scabs, Beware! The Fighting Alabama Miners c ‘ SATURDAY, MAY 5, 1934 = % when virtualty ordered to do so by a statement of Roosevelt but | were finally sold out by the leader of the United Mine Workers, Mr. Mitch, | Are on the Picket Line Sipe | | \ igilantes Ai d ‘ Bosses In | Shoe Strike When NRA Fails, Fas-|| 4reement Gives Roi | cists Raise Red Scare; 6,000 Are Out | ‘The following letter received from = |a worker makes an analysis of the By A. ZIEBEL and | recent “victory” achieved by the FRED BIEDENKAPP | railroad workers under the leader- HAVERHILL, Mass.—Over 6,000,ship of the Brotherhood Chiefs in shoe workers were on strike for six | their parleying with the railroad | weeks in Haverhill under the lead- | managements. Taster Workers Uvath Shoe and| phe letter reveals that the graded | R.R. Wage" Victory”Conceals Joker, W orker’s Letter Reveals : m 7 . aside ing improved conditions, a living| Tetum of the 10 per cent cut id wage and the abolition of compul- sory arbitration, because the manu- |facturers were able through arbit- ration to slash the wages of the workers, To beat down the workers and subject them to slavery, the manu- facturers had to resort to more open terrorist and fascist methods. The city administration, the busi- ness men and professionals organ- ized a Vigilance Committee | To cover up their real intentions | from the fact that this cut has al- ready been the cause of a sharp up- turn in railroad profits and divi- dends, actually gives the workers in dollars and cents pretty close to what the exploiters wanted in the first place. In addition, by the sim- ple expedient of returning about $15,000,000 out of a wage slash that robbed the railroad workers of over $300,000,000, the railroad owners are insured against strikes for another ar—a pretty cheap form of strike |the workers into slavery and sub- | tant Farmers of U. eT. nited Farm League Prepares for Further Struggle Against Ruination of Small insurance, that is, if the workers| will stand for it. ‘The Daily Worker urges all work- ers to send in letters on shop condi- tions and all matters of interest to other workers regarding conditions, etc. Particularly does it urge raliroad workers to write us regard- ing the working out of the new) agreement, conditions of speed-up, spread-work, etc. and activities as strike breakers, |these self-appointed saviors of the |poor and down-trodden throw a smoke screen around themselves by | stating that they are going to fight |mot only agai the Reds, but also! | against the chiseling manufacturers. The fas in Haverhill organ- jized in the Vigilance Committee began an agitation to split the union and to create an isolated Haverhill organization where the P . ‘4 capitalist politicians will have the e control just as Mr. Goodwin, a capi- | Dear Comrade Editor: talist lawyer in Brockton, controls| I believe that the “Daily” over- the Brotherhood of Brockton. looked one of the most important To achieve their aim to beat! aspects of the recent railway “com- down the workers, the Vigilantes,| promise’ between the Railroad with the aid of the police and manufacturers, will attemp: to frame up militant workers, to in- stitute a blacklist, to try to run out of town militant organizers of shoe workers. The shoe workers in Haverhill will not be misied by these fascists. They will close their ranks in the Brotherhoods and the N, R. A. Co- ordinator Eastman. As the enclosed chart shows, the | workers were completely betrayed in | that under the compromise exactly | the same amount of wages is being taken out of their envelopes for the | next year anyhow as the employers United Shoe and Leather Workers | °'isinally proposed. The railroad | Union and will defend their organ- | OWners did not want to restore the ization and their militant fighters |e" Per cent wage cut before Jan- | concerned.” against any fascist attempt to drive; Uary 1, 1935, In other words, figuring on a wage | jection to the shoe bosses. basis of $100 per month (how many occasion without exception sold out, the farmers, calling strikes off against the wishes of the farmers, oN | very often on the eve of victory. r “New Deal” | All these false prophets and fake CHICAGO, Ill, May 4—A call for the first national conference of the United Farmers League, militant farmers organization, has | been issued by the Executive Com | mittee. The U.F.L. with branches |in the leading farm states of the| |; country has been in the forefront | }of the small and middle farme: struggles against the yoke of mort | sage Wall Street oppression. | The Convention will be held at Minneapolis, Minn., June 22-25,} 1934. | The call in part reads as follows: | Despite Roosevelt's numerous | | promi “the forgotten man,” ‘New Deal” is a continuation and more ruthless carrying out of |the capitalist policies initiated by | the Republican regime before him. By his first act, the bank mora- torium, he reduced the buying power of the consumers by helping | the Wall Street bankers rob the life | savings of small depositors. | Roosevelt quickly followed this up| h the N.R.A, AAA. the re- inancing swindle, inflation, process- ing and other taxes levelled on the common people, and has thus most effectively helped the big bankers }and trusts to further rob the toil- |ing population and to drive 2,000,000 | |farmers out of production. The in- | sane destruction of life - giving | | necessities carried on while mil-| | lions go hungry, reveals with start- |ling clarity the criminal character | of the “New Deal” and the sys-| }tem which it represents. And on| messiahs play théir part in putting blows against ti rs aval | across the capitalist program of croppers. in ia Sune Shite ae jqeaceevellis New Daal. phky wereby especially the Negroes. It is driy-| help the big bankers, insurance ing huge numbers of them off the | COMPpanies, monopolies and rich land and out of production, In| Jandlords to intensify their robbery addition, the Negro farmers are de- | Of the toiling people. nied all political and social rights. | Fascist Features in the New Deal They are forced to live as an op-| With the masses of workers and pressed nationality, subjected to| farmers putting up growing resis- semi-slavery by the while landlord | tance to the robbery of the New ruling class. | Deal, the government resorts to Unity of Negro and white farm- | force to carry through the so-called ers struggle is a necessary pre-| ‘Voltntary” codes and allotments. requisite for winging freedom from | Machine gun and tear gas are used their oppression. pth workers on strike. Militant = i EON . | fighting farmers’ leaders like Alfred eibnicese ronda wipe aarti | Tiala, Harry Lux, and the Walstads “Progressive” politicians such as| te thrown into jail. Injunetions Norris, LaFollete, Frazier, and Lang-| 8T@ issued against militant farm er speak loudly against Wall Street, | 'S@0zations to make them illegal, because they represent the interests | 88 in the case of the United Farm- of the smaller capitalists and rich | eS League in South Dakota. farmers. The Frazier Bill which pro-| By various means( Bankhead Bill, poses mortgage refinancing at lower | ete.) farmers are being forced to interest rates, offers no solution to | reduce their acreage. Dairy farmers the poor and small farmers and the | Who refuse to sign A.A.A. milk codes masses of tenants, because ruined | are driven out of the market with farmers cannot pay these debts any-| the aid of the leaders of the milk way. It can only aid the rich farm- | Cooperatives who have made these ers and the mortgage sharks. | orgenizations subsidiariés of the The Farmer Labor Party, the So- | milk trust. cialist Party, and the newly formed Secretary Wallace declares that at American Workers Party leaders, | least 49 million acres of farm land such as Lemke, Norman Thomas,| must go “back to grass... even Oscar Ameringer and Muste, make | if’ harsh measures are necessary.” flowery speeches and even call for| And the increasing number of evic- a change of system. But their every| tions and sheriff sales are heing put ect is directed toward preventinz | through more and more with the use the workers and farmers from us-| of force. ing united action to better their con-| All these New Deal measures to ditions, break the resistance of the workers |top of all this, the billions handed| Milo Reno, Walter Singler, C. C. | out through the R.F.C. and the| Talbot, and other leaders of the Farm Credit Administration to the| old-line farm organizations such as bankers and industrialists, as well| the Farmers Union, the Holiday As- | |as to the landlords and rich farm-| sociation, and the marketing coop-| jers, has helped them to shift the | eratives, are another group of wolves} burdens of the crisis ever more|in sheep's clothing. While com- heavily on the backs of the work-| pelled even to call strikes under jing masses. | presure of the rank and file in their and toiling farmers are steps toward fascist rule such as exists today in Hitler-ridden Germany. The Farmers Begin to Fight With the sharpening of the crisis and increased robbery by the banker class, the American farmers have put up heroic resistance. A huge number of successful mass struggles Owners Exactly What They Asked for in the First Place railway workers really get that much?) the bosses would take ten dollars per month for at least 8 months more at any rate from the workers. The workers, because of the miserable starvation conditions un- der which they were living, de- manded immediate restoration of the wage cut and an additional ten per cent increase. Under the “compromise,” 214 per cent is to be restored in July, an- other 2% per cent is to be restored in Jan., 1935, and the final 5 per cent is to be restored in April, 1935. This means, as shown in the chart, that the employers are getting just what they were demanding in the way of extending the cut in wages. Of course, on May 1, 1935, under the agreement signed, they have the right again to demand a “change in the v*ge scale.” You can figure out for yourself how much opposi- tion will come from the Brotherhood leaders.” | Everybody all the way down the line, from Roosevelt to Whitney, praised the wisdom of the parties | The workers can effec- | tively smash this machine by organ- | izing rank and file organizations of | struggle and throw out the reform- ers. (Socialist workers, please take note.) A WORKER. The Great Railway Compromise 1 a What the Bosses wanted Extenston of 10 per cent pay cut to Jan. Ist “Compromise” The Amounts Below show the wage cut per month on @ wage of $100 per month. May, 1994 $10.00 $10.00 June 10.00 10,00 duly 10,00 7.50 August 10.00 September 10.00 October 10.00 November —10.00 December —_ 19.00 January, 1935? February ? March 2 380.00 Prepare for years for relief and against sheriff sales and evictions. Particularly Significant have been the great farmers’ strikes against price rob- bery of the food monopolies. In these struggles workers have fought side by side with farmers like com- rades in arms, establishing the be- ginnings of a powerful class alli- ance against their common exploit- ers and their government. The U.F.L., Leader of Struggles The first initiator and the most militant leader of these mass strug- gles of the toiling farmers has been the United Farmers League. It has conducted numerous victorious struggles, it has drawn large num- bers of unorganized, impoverished farmers into these struggles. It has also played an influential part in making the great Washington and Chicago Conferences successful, and it has carried the united front pro- grams of these conferences into ac- tion. The Need for a Strong Militant Organization In the farmers’ struggles against robbery and oppression, a broad and effective united front movement can be formed only under the leadership of a strong militant organization. The United Farmers League is such an organization. It has a clear class struggle program, based upon the interests of the poor, small and | ruined middle farmers, and directed against the interests of the land- lords and rich farmers. It has al- ready established state organiza- tions in ten states. There are affili- ated with it two other state organi- zations, the Michigan Farmers League and the Ohio Farmers League. In addition, the United Farmers League has members and locals in many other states, Several independent organiza- tions such as the United Farmers Protective Association of Pennsyl- vania, the Share Croppers Union, the Holiday Associa‘ion of Nebraska (Madison County Plan), the New Fngland Farmers Protective Asso- ciation, and other local groups, have The New Deal has deal heavy! organizations, they have upon every have taken place in the last three @ program and carry out actions & Glove Strike Solid; 3,000 | Are Picketing Militant Strikers Break Down Craft Lines Set Up by A.F.L. Heads By M. E. During the week end of April 14 over 3,000 glove workers belonging to the International Glove Workers Union, Local 69, voted to go out on strike. The six different branches of Local 69, each representing dif-| ferent crafts in the industry, voted separately on the strike. Yet, in} spite of the policy of the A. F. of L.) union leaders to divide the workers along craft lines, so great was the indignation of the workers against their conditions, that every craft voted to go out together. This was the first time fn the history of the glove industry that such a thing happened. Eager to Picket | The workers are eager to picket. A large group went on their own initiative to Mayfield to picket scabbing shops. The union presi- dent ordered the pickets to go home, when he conferred with the bosses. As a@ result the factories in Mayfield continued to scab. It is this kind of collaboration with the bosses that is endangering | the glove strike. The glove workers | are in a better position than ever to win their demands. If they do not win 100 per cent it will be be- cause of the policies of the A. F. of L. leadership and because the rank and file opposition failed to point out to the workers the correct policy of action. Workers, if you wish to win your strike, organize a rank and file strike committee with delegates from each shop. Fight the bosses militantly. Refuse your leaders policy of class collaboration! Demand daily mass meetings! Then you will know what is happening in your strike. You have followed the example of the leather workers by, uniting your ranks solidly. Now carry on like they did, a militant war against your enemy, the bosses. In this way, and in this way only will you win your strike and maintain a | | were hired. 14,000 miners were working out of 45,000 members in Dj Coaldale, Post Carbon | | was making a hitch for timber. Lower Anthracite Coal Miners Faces Hunger and Death Workers Fired When They Bring Grievances J.M.W.A. Leaders; Taxes of Companies Are Lo By CARL wered HERMAN TE to the cold winter, the production of coal in February U H) and March considerably in Despite the seas 6 a week.) The miners on the job are being speeded up to the limit; a constant cry of the boss is: “Load coal! Give me coal or tak your tools and get to hell out; there are plenty of men that are looking | for work.” Many Are Killed There is not sufficient timber in the mines to hold the roof up, nor proper ventilation to chase the gas out and the powder-smoke after blasting the coal. On account of the threats by the bosses and the efforts to make a couple of dollars a day, the miners are taking chances on their health and lives in hazardous places. The local press carries news like the fol- lowing almost every d “Shenandoah Miner Killed. Fall of Rock in Makeshift Mine Hole Snuffs Out Life of William Kotzen.” “Smothered in a rush of coal, An- drew Taren, 41, of New Philadelphia, a miner of fifteen year experience, was working on a steep pitch and The face of coal was pushed out by the | gas and he was caught beneath the | fall. While the coal companies are en-| joying profits, the diggers are suf- fering daily injuries and fatal ac- cidents! Fired for Stating Grievances Miners have plenty of grievances, but they do not present them to the union U. M. W. A., because they have no confidence in their officials For example, in one local union of the U. M. W. A. six have put in their | grievances, Yes, they won their pett; grievances with pay for a few day that they lost on account of the bosses fault, but in a few days all | six were fired. The Conciliation | Board took up their cases. After six | months of waiting the Umpire ruled | them out of the Industry. One was | called “lazy,” another “drunkard.” | nevertheless, they worked an aver- | age of 15 years in the mines, a third, | * fourth “too old to work | ’ etc. The local union took up a collection at the miners’) pay-day and then forgot them and their families. . . | There is a resentment against the | intolerable working conditions in the | mines. Miners are walking out in spontaneous strikes. The union dis- | | ers and Farmers Unemployed Union| in Schuylkill County. With their) fascist rule in the organization and | a play in political game known as “robber check” they supported Mr.} Cloud Lord for mayor of Pottsville. | He was elected and recently ordered | tear gas bombs and machine guns against workers in Pottsville. After political maneuvers and financial) crookedness the organization ceased | to fight for the needs of the un-| union which will protect the in- terests of the workers! National of a class struggle character. We invite these organizations to affili- ate with the United Farmers League in order to consolidate our militant ranks into a powerful, nation-wide fighting organization. First Convention of the U.F.L. Faced with the necessity for uni- fying our ranks, improving our pro- gram, and taking up more ener- getically the struggle against the capitalist attack contained in the New Deal, the Executive Council of the United Farmers League calls the first National Convention of the United Farmers League to be held in Minneapolis, Minn., Jine 22-25, 1934, The struggle for relief, can- cellation of debts, unity with city workers, and the struggle against the New Deal, fascism and war will occupy the main attention of the Convention, The Convention will work out and adopt a new program and set of by-laws for the United Farmers League. It will elect a leadership, a National Committee and a Na- tional Eexecutive Council. How to Elect Delegates The locals of the United Farmers League and affiliated organizations (Michigan Farmers League and Ohio Farmers League), may elect one delegate for every 15 members or major fraction thereof. Every local, however small, is entitled to elect one delegate. It is necessary that many active farm women and farm youth should be included in the delegations. Women and Youth Sessions Among the wors! sufferers of the robbery and oppression of the American farmers ate the ferm women and farm youth. There will be special sessions for youth and women at the National Convention to discuss their problems, formu- Convention Nation-Wide Meet To Be Held in Minneapolis On June 22 to 25; Election of Delegates Begins in Many States employed workers. | The branches of the L. & F, Union work out methods of drawing the masses of farm wives more actively into the struggles for the right to live. Fraternal Delegates from Other Organizations Invited The United Farmers League in- vites all independent farmers’ or- ganizations to elect and send dele gates to discuss jointly with us the best methods of struggle and or- ganization, and the formulation of a militant program. This invita- tion is extended also to local farm- ers’ groups, militant locals and groups of unorganized farmers, as well as workers’ and farmers’ co- operatives, trade unions, unemploy- ed councils, and other workingclass organizations, Financing of Delegates Upon registering at the Conven- tion, every delegate will be required to pay a $3 registration fee to take care of his upkeep and the Conven-— tion expenses, Organizations should begin immediately to raise funds for financing their delegates, by holding affairs, dances, socials, etc., as well as by taking collections at mass mectings and asking friendly | business people to contribute. Arranging for transportation re- quires well-planned organization. Steps must be taken well in ad- vance to secure autos and trucks. Locals in the same county or near- by vicinities should arrange joint transportation of their delegates. For further information write to your U.F.L, state secretary or to | the national office of the United Farmers League, 1817 South Loomis St., Chicago, Tl. Fraternally yours, National Executive Council of the United Farmers League late a special youth program of the United Farmers League, and to Henry Puro, Acting Nation- | have creased, but no more miners onable demand for coal, only | trict 9 U. M. W. A. (the majority worked only 2 to 3 da of yikill Haven are working jointly h the Unemployment Council of The members of despite our advice not to change t name of the organization, ha organized an Unemployment Coun in their town. Workers of Potisvi in the seat ot the County have or- ganized an Unenployment C: and established the headquarter 503 N. Center St. (second floor), Also workers of Frackville have or ganized an Unemployment Council there. A real new enthusiasm has arisen among native born workers in Schuylkill County to fight the misery and starvation in the “land of plenty.” Farming Along the coal mining fields there are hundreds of small farmers, who used to sell their farm products direct to the miners and in winter used to work in the mines them- selves. Now when most of the mines are shut down, miners have no jobs, no income to buy the farm goods. Small farmers can not pay their loans nor the taxes, can not afford to buy fertilizer. The land is being turned into wilderness. The cattle are dying off because of shortage of food. The machines are turning in- to rusty serap iron. There is no money to buy the chemical lic to spray the orchards; the insects are destroying the fruits, All left, a few cows: they compelled to sell the milk for three cents a quart to the mili dealers who are | are selling it at 3c. a quart to the consumers only a few miles from the farm fields. Small impoverished farmers de- pend on the meager relief ord They have no electricity, no radio, hardly any news papers. All they have left is to pray in their small churches, where the roofs begin to leak too. They live in exile. . . There is a ground for the Unemployment Councils to: fight for immediate needs and for the Communist Party for a final emancipation. Taxpayers The county politicians of Schuyl- kill County have reduced the taxes for the following coal companies trict officials are busy “settling” the | Redno- strikes by driving the miners back! 2.40, Run 7x OM ton to work on the promises that the | Cool co. $219,276 $192,112 $20,104 Concilliation Board will win their Lehigh valley cases and, generally, forget all about | cet oe 81,650 86.650 28,000 om u | tain Coal Co, 120,775 48,058 «71,830 Fight Unemployment | Phila.é: Read- For almost one year the Socialists |.ing Coal & influenced and controlled the Labor-| qf 00.1 lmae thee ont Sor $3,907,771 $2,813,619 $1,095,151 The P. & R. Coal & Iron Co. pays the smallest amount of the taxes, but in fact owns most of the coal in Schuylkill County. This fact alone proves that the county commis- sioners are only the servants of the coal companies and the REAL GOV- ERNMENT in Schuylkill County, Pa, is the PHILADELPHIA & READING COAL & IRON COM- PANY. (These figures are taken from the Philadelphia Record April 16, 1934), At the same time the taxes for the small home owners have been in- creased up to the 300 per cent. The bankers and parasites are at- tempting to take advantage of the unemployment and are maneuver- ing, through the schemes of the county politicians, to swallow the houses of the small home owners who have invested their own sweat and blood of their life time savings. The bankers think they will have a sheriff’s sale and eviet innocent families on the streets. Like Hell they will! The taxpayers of West Mahanoy Township, April 13th, 1934, came into the County Courthouse one thousand strong, broke the doors of the county commissioners and upset their office. The county com- missioners dare not face the tax- |payers and could not answer their questions. The fat county commis- sioners were dragged by a large committee of the taxpayers into Courtroom No. 1 and were compelled to face the small home owners whom they wanted to trick out of their own homes, The unemployed taxpayers are beginning to organize in the fighting organization of the Unemployment Councils in the Schuylkill County and will not give up their right to live, Westmoreland Mines Raise Rent Ey a Mine Worker Correspondent YUKON, Pa.—tIn the town where I live the miners who work at the Westmoreland Coal mines have got a raise in rent. The company be- fore charged the rent, $8 monthly. Now they have made a new one on the miners. $2.25 for single houses per week, $2 for double houses per week. The company gains one rent a year, due-to the fact there are 52 weeks a year. Now the company gains on the single houses $21; on double houses $8, to a total of $29 gain. ‘Tell your friends and shopmates about the Daily Worker, Let them al Secretary. read your copy. Ask them to sub- scribe, { il