Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-01-08

Ito knock the scales made by the mine
workers or their constitutions either
but there is one thing lnat Tic mlneI. .
have long had in effect during strike.
that has always puzzled me.
Which is the idea of allowing thu
coal companies day men to keep theil
mines up and in good shape. 1t may
sound foolish and heartless but | TO.
one think otherwise. And this is my
argument.
When the United Mine Workers &C
on strike for any just demand at the
expiration of their scale the operator;
dc; everything under the sun that ca:
possibly be done to make thel
knuche under and return to wor.
at either their old scale or a reduce
ton (more- often the latter.
They blacklist them so that in som
cases they are unable to obtain EN-
ployment, they refuse them credit al
their Grab All OF company stores
which by the way are violation of
the State laws. They evict then
from their red painted novels which
they considerably rent for ten dollars
and higher, and last of all hire scabs
to take their places besides beating
them up and insulting their wives anC
children.
In return the Miners allow the coal
operators to maintain a corps of men
sufficient to keep the mine pumped
dry, keep the tracks and ties cleal
and allow them coal to fire their boil
ers in order to dow ork around the in
side which needs motive power. In
some cases the companies not salts
nd with this generous Arrangement
compel the men working in the mine
as repairmen to load coal presumably
ITO t1re boilers but which in reality
they dump and sell later on AS
stated above the operators do ever,
thing possible to down the working
class both fair and foul more otter
FOUL SO in return believe that they
should be refused any men what ever
IN Keeping up their mines. If such
was the case strikes would be a scare
lty and as result there would be less
sunerlng among the working class of
people. This may sound radical but
10 those who will think so may remedy
1t II get employment in a mine, endure
what the coal miner does in order. to
take out enough to make a living and
then see if it doesn't sound better.
One Joker in Unions Of Today
Today in the United States there
are organizations in almost every line
OF production in the country. In both
the mills, shops, mines, factories and
on the railroads the workers have
banded themselves together for the
purpose of lettering their conditions
in life.
But instead of these industrial Or
CARNATIONS having an agreement be-
tween them towards helping each
other in times of an Industrial strug-
gle it is just the opposite. With the
of a little money donated
and few indignation meetings held
that is as far as the matter oes as
rule.
The Unions of today remind me of /
an old story which no doubt most of |
you have read pertaining to man with
seven sons who were always quarrel /
ing. One day the old fellow brough |
them a bundle of sticks seven in mum
Der bound together tightly and asked |
them all to break them. Although |
they all tried to do so in every con |
cievable manner they were unsuccess-
ful and were forced to give up their
efforts.
Then the old man took the bundle |
apart and showed them how easy
it was to break them that way as it |
was hard to do so otherwise. Thus /
he showed them a lesson ON how
banded together we stand and divided |
We fall. And that is the condition of |
the labor organizations of today.
Il in case of fight for living wage
the miners were empelled to colse
down the coal mining industry of
his country and the UNION rail-
readers refused to haul coal mined by
scabs in their places how long would
such q strike last. Very soon it
would be settled. I'm sure. Today
instead the miners strike and when |,
'cabs I'LL their places and take their
work Union railroad men haul the
soal that they produce and thus help |,
o defeat the members Of another craft |,
y when Al Oeeanisation comes ont i