New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
]" he West Virginia mine war is not
conflict between capital and labor in
- the opinion of the non-union operators

two groups of capitalists with one side fight
ing with the aid of an army of union miners
which it finances through peculiar system
called the sscheck-off." That opinion has bsen
supported by the injunction granted by Fed
erai Judge Anderson in indianapolis, restrain
ing further practice of the check-off on the
ground that it is the instrument of conahina-
ton in restraint of trade within the meaning
of the Sherman antitrust law. Temporarily.
at least, the curse has been taken off the in
junction by the Federal Court of Appeals sit
ting at Chicago. Ultimately, the Supreme
Court of the United States may be asked to
decide for or against the check-off
Now then, what is the check-off?
1t is al agreement between the United Mine
Workers organization and the operators of
the Central Competitive Field, comprising the
soft coal mines of western Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, whereby the operators
Withhold from the pay envelopes of their en-
ployees ali dues and assessments levied by the
Nine Workers officials.
That it is a highly desirable arrangement
from the union standpoint is the opinion of
Joseph Cannon, formerly member of the
executive board Of the mining department of
the American Federation of Labor.
This will show you how good it s,' said Mr.
Cannon q few days ago. Listen! The United
Mine Workers got started about 1890 The
metal miners, of which I was formerly an
official IN 1898 would have none of the
check-of They said: Well not be having
the bosses collecting our dues What
is the result? The metal miners are now but
weak organization, while the United Mine
Workers are one of the most powerful
THE check-off is absolutely essential to the
existence of the coal miners union. and here
is the reason: One half of coal mine labor
is unskilled. It has been the custom for coal
operators to recruit miners from the rawest
immigrants. They have even sent agents
abroad to stimulate emigration. Almost 100
per cent of these workers are peasants direct
from the land
consequently six months after strike had
been won by the union, the strikers would dis
cover that their numbers were being thinned
for one cause or another, usually fictitious,
and their places being filed by these ir111li-
grants. Union men were being forced out of
their jobs, out Of the mines, even out of the
community in which they had been living.
Then the union officials succeeded in estab-
fishing the check-off. When a man goes to
work IN coal mine now he discovers with his
first pay day that he has become member of
the union. even though he may never have seen
an agent of the union. His union dues have
been deducted from his pay envelope. With
bis very first pay day the man discovers that
he has obtained equity in the union. This
institution has been wonderful thing for the
union.
Before the check-off was established these
unsllilled workers frequently sought to avoid
their obligations to the union. On pay day
the union agent would be at the mine pay
Office. Many Of the miners would slip out
another door, or by some other means avoid
paying their dues. Then into saloon and
before night they would be broke After they
had done this few times they were not only
in bad standing with the union but owed it so
much that they would &c any length to avoid
paying this debt. 1t was only human then for
them to begin to fight the union. They'd say,
OH what becomes of all this money, any
way?' and from there it was but step before
they were prepared to work as strike breakers.
The check-off also had the effect of dis
suading the employers from disnaissing en-
ployees merely because they were union men.
All that the employer accomplished by such
means was that he obtained green laborer
for one who acquired some skill and the green
lahorer was just much member of the
union as the man he had fired. The check-off
is not necessary for unions of skilled work
ers, such as carpenters or printers, but with
the unskiled labor of the coal mines it is
essential
That explains why the United Mine Work
wanted the check-off. What possible rea-
son could exist that would make it desirable
IN the eyes of the coal operators who thus
act as a collsction agency for the union?
In testimony submitted by the operators of
the Williamson West Virginia) field to d
subcommittee Of the Committee on Educa-
tion and Labor Of the United States Senate
appointed to investigate conditions in West
Virginia coal fields an attempt has oeen made
to supply the answer to that question.
Through their publicity organization main
tanned in Washington the Williamson opera
tors say they have made the following state
ment to President Harding:
1.-The United Mine Workers was organized
IN 1890 as a trade union movement. 1t re-
NAMED trade union movement until 1898,
when the United Mine Workers entered into
conspiracy with the coal operators of the
Central Competitive Field to hinder. obstruct
and destroy the competition of West Vir-