The New York herald., 1922-02-20
ILLINOIS DISTRICT
GIVES AID TO HOWAT
Pledges Financial Support to
Him and Other Expelled
Kansas Miners.

INDIANAPOLIS. Feb. 1e.-Continued fl
nancial support, at least until April ],
was pledged to-day 20 Alexander Howat
and other expelled Kansas miners OF the
United Mine Workers OF America by
the Illinois district delegates to the
unions special convention that in ts
final sessions yesterday refused to con-
slider Howats appeal for union rein
statement.
The pledge. given unanimously by the
Illinois delegates, came as a climax of
a long meeting that was marked by
several speakers severely condemning
President John l.. Lewis and other inter-
national union officers. who expelled
Howat and his followers on the ground
of refusing to obey a conventions order
directing that strikers be ordered back
to work.
President Frank Harrington Of the H.
linois district. told the delegates that
Howat was expelled for opposing the
Kansas Industrial Court, and he as
serted mo created outrage was ever
practiced than that of the international
officers against the Kansas miners" He
also declared in favor OF continuing the
fight in behalf of the Kansas rebels"
but fatty announced that any fight must
be confined within the union.'
Plan to Restore Autonomy.
Further. Mr.. Harrington asserted that
international officials planned to restore
autonomy for the Kansas district next
month under a new constitution that
would prevent Howat from regaining
membership in the union for five years.
He explained it was necessary to limit
the pledge Of financial aid to Kansas to
April ! because of the threatened min
ers' strike if no new wage agreements
are made before then.
Aside from considering the Kansas
case, the Illinois delegates elected eight
members of the international unions
wage scale committee for the central
competitive field. The committee which
will also include members from the In
diana Ohio and western Pennsylvania
districts, will attempt to negotiate an
agreement to avert the strike. The illi-
nois members were chosen as follows ::
President Harrington, vice-president I;
Harry Fishwick, secretary; Walter Nes-
bit, Michael Pictrzak of Oglesby, Hugh
Willis of Herdin. Charles Grace of Har-
risburgS r. NJ. McCallister of Duquion
and Allen S. Haywood of Taylorville.
Mr.. Harrington, in his speech of the
Kansas case declared that delegates to
the international unions convention
were returning home with TREMENDOUS
dissension within the unions ranks
because of the failure to consider the
Howat appeal. He charged that high
handed tactics" of President Lewis In
blocking consideration Of the appeal had
caused the dissesion.
Fnrrington's Version.
"The Kansas miners went on strike"
said harrington, giving his version OF
the case, because they would not bow
in meek submission to the Kansas In
dustrial Court. Kansas miners were not
on strike in defiance to any mandates of
an information convention, but decided
a year before the 1921 convention that
they would go on strike IL any officials
went to Jail for defying that Industrial
Court law. Lewis and everybody else
knew there would be strike the IN
slant any one went to Jail for defying
that law
The Kansas strike last fall that led
to the expulsion of the Howat follow
ers. Harrington said, was not connected
with the decision of the unions conven-
tion last September that directed HoWat
to order strikers at two mines back to
work. but he asserted the strike resulted
from the Kansas miners policy. adopted
in 1920. as a means of fighting the In
dustrial Court law.
Mr.. Howat also addressed the Illinois
delegates. declaring he had carried out
the conventions order for the strikers
to return to work. reiterated that he
and others we're expelled from the union
without trial and declared that Presi-
dent Lewis and other union Off
cials stabbed us in the back when We
were fighting the Industrial Court Mr..
Howat. who gained his release from Jail
under bond to attend the convention. left
tonight for Braidwood, H., to visit rel
ativcs for ten days before returning to
serve out his sentence. which was I'M
posed under the Industrial Court law.