Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-04

membership in the dual organization i'm
nediately upon securing membership In
the United Mine Workers Of America"
That's explicit enough, don't you
thinkF' he commented, and our ma
tional constitution goes still further
in defining the radical spirit which we
combat
'The best illustration I could have
of the mistaken idea of the country
that we are bloodthirsty. fighting,
tcrrorizing force came in this Office Il
few days ago. A New York motion
picture man came in and asked IL he
could get my permission to go through
the mining district and take pictures.
told him. he did not need any such
Mr.. Murray, | want you to give me
confidential tip. Tell me where the
first riot is to be pulled off, so that
can be on the job. "
Majority American Citizens
''But is not the bulk of your mem
bership composed of foreigners or
aliensy' ] inquired.
Eyes, | presume the majority are OF
foreign birth. but more than 80 per
cent, are American citizens" he re
piled.
There have been limitations since
the strike was declared that, while the
Question of increased wages was big
issue, to the mining operators
the question Of six hours day and
five days a week was greater obstacle,
because it limited production to dan
gerous margin Of safety and threatened
great loss to large mining concerns. I
put this issue squarcly up to Mr.. Muir
ray and this was his reply:
GAS the mining industry is at pres
Il
| than five days Il week on an average
often not that. We are supposed to
work eight hours, from Z a. m. to
p. M, with an hour for lunch. That
full hour for lunch is joke. There's
not miner in the mine that takes
it. We work really nine hours. Why,
you ask? Mining is hard work. Men
perspire freely. The mine is cool and
to sit on block of coal eating lunch
for an hour would chill! man so that
he would endangcr his life. So he grabs
his lunch, eats it as quickly as he
can and gets back to work.
''If we had six hours n day and
five days in the week we could pro-
duce as much as under existing con
ditions. Besides mining in the dark
ness, with danger constantly threaten
ing, pit accidents and explosions, we
want to get through as quickly as pos
sible.
"In the end, it all gets back to the
demand for a reorganization of the en-
tire system of mining and shipping coal.
, notwithstanding the railroad system of
| supplying cars to the mines as they see
fit. The railroads have the operators
? in their grasp, and we miners suffer
! as consequence.
Miners Not Well Paid
1e
that for the time he works the coal
miner is very we'll paid; better, in
fact than men in other industries"
said. "What is the reply to that?'
'The country is wrong. The average
earnings of the miners in the western
t Pennsylvania district for 1913. the year
n of largest production in the history OF
e the industry, was S1042. Is that a
living wage for n man with family
% For there is no race suicide among coal
o miners"
Are those your own figures or are
they the payroll records"'
"Our own figures. We don't have
$ to get the operators payroll; we have
v an accurate method of Our own of dis
: covering the output of any mine under
t of l per cent of each miners gross
d earning is deducted by company agree
: ment for our defense fund. We have
4 four TRAVELLING auditors. expert account
: ants. who follow up these accounts
If any local falls behind we trace it uy
and in that way we know the earning,
= of our members and can give accurat,
figures"
f "What will be the outcome Of this
:. strike as you view it from the inside
. Mr.. Murray" was my concluding qucs
ton in our talk.
. For the first time in thirty year,
= the operators have refused to meet US.
- he answered. '"The President has in
terfcred and the President is wrong
We indorse all that Mr.. Lewis, oul
4 national president, has said on tha
subject.
VIII BE No Violence
II 'There will be no violence. Our mel
n will simply rest, spending the tim,
u quietly at home, or smoking their corn
@ cob pipes at the neighboring stores
. We will bide our time. Our report.
:, show that 100 per cent of our men ar,
IL out. They will stay out until they Ge
:, the order to go back.
Il 1.-The operators are solidly united il