The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-06-09

.N. kceney. president OF DiStrtc, =.
United Nine Workers. explains II
II IS published BY the lnlrn.gCnCcr
matter "f fa!r play and JGSi.Ce - e
mine workers ~ the stale. and II PR
sumb.y states inc contention Of III"
miacrs N the M!nSo t!"id accurately
coming. as il docs. from her rrincipl!
officer.
Editor lnic!IgenCcr
Sir: M!ngo county has become he
$:!cSia OF AmeIrca--a prwdcr-mInc
awaiting 10 DC touched Off. The coal
operators say il is the fault UC the
miners. The miners know that 1t Is =,
situation deliberately developed BY The
coal operators.
Some careless observers Of conditions.
seeing the powerful organizations NJ tho
miners and operators locked in "A ti;antc
struggle. have been induced 10 believe
that one mus: 60. Is il TO he the United
Mine Workers Let us see how the
suggestion would work oVi The union
ic..>cS the field. Tn" companies are eft
unhAmpcvcd TO rush their employees by
the familiar methods o. thuG-ru,c in
;:m!dation. unemp'o, ncn;. hunger and
fear Of the future. Tn" private armies
oC guards and detectives are established
order" Failing then 10 >uhdue N" ma
,iye population. the operators WI! ne
tree TO hr.HS in the poems Of MeN:ro and
III" sweeping q: southern EUROPE to
:akC the Jobs Of these men men whose
IorefatherS blazed the trails across the
mountains and settled the region. The
native helpless 10 fight the Invading
capitalist, ~ .rtf To S;arVr while ~"
allen takes his Job II forced (" SUP
NIT. hia children ar" taught ~ honor
the m:nc-boSS more ;hah has freedom
and 70 forge: tn" heritage 81 their
American liberties IN contemplation of
the power ut IN" Almighty coat com
panI"S.
Must Be Free
In q C"w years the citizens Of west
Virginia would regret that some power
had not stepped in and preserved that
robust independence and tcarIcSSneSS
which once marked the state. Freedom
ct N..lNcs-.wha: Sha!! the future ".t!-
l"nsh!p "r MinGQn county h" The
union has translated the state motto
into :ho impcratjV" and says: The
Mountainers MUST be free
The union came into MtnGo a. the
direct solicitation and appeal "f the men
now locked on. |; did not appear As
the miners, helpless 10 shake Off the
tcn,ar,"s Of corporate slord and oppres-
sion. sent their REPRESENTATIVES 10 Char
lesion 10 ask for It's aid Md aid il has
given ihen-and aid snail give them
IN every form and ..n!on until their
rights as free Dor" american citizens
are recognized hy >rc coal interest,".
The United Mae Workers orgtniza-
, on - not going 10 leave Mingn. II IS
,here e. stay as long as the miners de-
sire. AHd men and women who suffered
the cruel rlgors oi winter in tents are
hardly likely to surrender their struggle
now.
An Alien Poe
Most citizens OF this state .ook upon
the struggle in Mingo as one between
native West EirginianS However. th.S
is not true. The Mounta!neerS Of Min
go are fighting 70" alien Ia the state
The coatru! OF this field by United States
Steel Corporation was revealed Yer!
clearly by the economist w. Jet
l,aurk ~ series OF articles in he
Baltimore Sun in January OF this year.
This corporation is IN It position to
and actually doeS-drecI the Labor
policy OF this region. With ;hC al
powerful banking firm 90 j. T. Morgan
d Co, as AN ally, luc Skcti NJ PS'a'-S'
is engaged In an "opon- shop" drive.
which has as its real object the c\-
p,us.on of any man holding 4 union card
from tho pay roll. These interests a
was Enthusiastically proven in hearings
before tho United States Railroad T>oari
in Chicago in April, and before lnr
Lockwood Committee n New York AS
n.rember are the leading factors IN u
nationwide drive 20 abolish IN" GOV
"rnmcnt sanctioned principle -; co!!ec-
i've bargaining.
The United States St"c! Corporation
has two perfect exhibitions o: tn" ""rcn-
shop" The frs, IS in the blarh towns
Of Pennsylvania whore stc"! i mao" ami
the men are destroyed. The second i
the un-UrganiZeI Goa! fields "t lh!'
state
When ,he Ster! interests gained con-
troll of the Mingo field. about twenty
years ago. their first policy Wa 10 use
native lahor--nore than ninety per
cent Of which is OF our so-callcd Amer-
can stock. GRADUALLY" tho corporations
gained almost complete power over III"
lives Of the mon and women Of the coal
towns Thu employees bUuGh, their ne
ccSs:tIeS a Il company store. lived IN
company SHACK and educated 'he.r Ch!'-
drcn q; Il Comrnny-coniroil"H S'n"n''
i.vcn politically as vel! as economically.
tho minors found themselves Il; IN" dlc-
tatorsnip OF the coal companies. A. a
final touch of oppression. IN" mecrnarA
armies Of Raidwin-Felts Guards and
spoilers were looSencd upon ;hc region
TO stamp out any germ Of uni"nISm.
Tho Wage Question
When Tho Mine Workers Organization
"a
year ago. il found the miners earning
about a third less than was paid for n"
zane labor in the kanawha district.
Tho standard system Of weighing coal
was refused by the operators and the
method in vogue Was measurement BY
cars which was largely SucSS-work
and Sucss-~ork Of the operators. There
was no allowance for dead or narrow
work, nor was there that compliance
with safety regulations in vogue else
where that reduced the hazard OF the
men in the mines. Increases in tonnage
prices granted by III" Fuel AdminiSiTa-
ton were absorbed by IN" operators.
while waRc advances ordered by the
United States Eitumionus Coal Com
mission were withheld,
The families Of tho miners wore
lodged In dinEy company houses, known
collcquially "a insect incuhai"rS.
civil liberties w"rr ground our under
tn" iron heel Of thuG-ru!c. II" un-
bend ny spir;; Of tn" Mcunta.nncrs' was
ali that was left "f formerly free
country.
As Scon as the miner - -" lrStriC'
joined the union he was discharged.
He was thrown with his family and mis-
household goods oU' Of tn" company
house, and vas lucHy IN t.nd refuge in
a tent, provided by the union. II" was
inundated by al cv-r growing army OF
hugs. Whenever no was driven - de
rcrd himself, Martha law would clamp