The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-02-21

same company, available for divi-
dends, amounted to the enormous
sum Of $21,o00,o00. And the official
reports which the United Mine work.
sers produced before the commission
showed that this was but-a fair sam
pie Of what practically all Of the
coal companies did.
They Made Profits. "a
= That was the way the coal com-
panies helped to win the war.
The operators undertook to. con-
vince the commission that miners
could earn more money If they were
willing to work steadily. They said
absenteeism in Illinois alone. in 1913
amounted TO Is to 20 per cent.
They failed to tell the commission,
however, that 11s was the year OF
the terrific epidemic of influenza
throughout America and the world.
Hundreds of thousands of people
died from this plague. Miners died
of it, and members of their families
died of it. Thousands upon thou
sands were sick for weeks and un-
able to work in the mines. And yet
the operators have designated the
absent miners as "slackers'' because
they failed to report for work when
they or members of their families
were suffering from the flu. In va
rious sections of the mining regions
whole families were wiped out by
this scourge, towns and communities
were almost dispopulated, all indus
try was at g. standstill. And, yet,
the operators charge that the miners
were ''slackers."
The Other Side.
In presenting their evidence to the
!. commission the operators did not
differentiate between the thousands
who fell i'll and died of the flu and
those who refused to work, but
placed them all under the stigma Of
s'slackers.''
Nor did the operators tell the COM
mission that in many instances min
ars failed to work because conditions
in the mine or at their particular
working place made it impossible,
because of water or gas or some
other dangerous or detrimental con-
d1tion. Men who failed to work un-
der these conditions also were desig-
mated as ''slackers."
The operators also told the COM
mission that miners would work two
Or three days a week and then quit
and go to some other place. and that
this also caused them to lose the op-
portunity of steady employment at
high wages. They said the labor
turnover in Illinois alone was 1875
per cent in 1918, and 65.5. per cent
in the first 10 months of1919. But
" it remained for John J. Lewis, pres
ident of the United Mine workers. to
81 tell the commission that this was a
cnvincing symptom Of diseased in
dustry.
S Why Miners Leave.
5s 1T means that working conditions
81 are unsatisfactory. that the employees
are so dissatisfied that they are will
ling to leave on the slightest provo.
cation" Lewis said. This is a true
u picture Of the present conditions In
the bttuminous coal mining regions
Earnings are so low, employment Is
Z 20 irregular, and general working
conditions are so unsatisfactory that
the better and more ambitious men
gsare glad to leave for other employ
rs ments that offer better opportunity
Ss5f Tor q decent livelihood. E #at
An industry in which working
conditions are satisfactory does MOI
81 have the high labor turnover. Mer
DO not give up jobs which assure
sss themselves and their families Of. 8
Moderately comfortab1 living 1 Il
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