The labor world., 1922-10-14
TREASON TRIALS were FINANCIAL
INVESTMENT FOR ", VA, OPERATORS
BY j. @. TIMNIONs

Coal interests Of southern West Vir-
ginia in pushing the prosecution of
members and officials of District II
Of the United Mine Workers in the
so-called treason trials at Charles
Town have for their motive the fl
nancial benefit that will come to
them by the destruction of the min
ers' organization in this state. These
benefits are greater profits.
The ends that are sought by these
non-union coal interests, and consu-
tuting the driving force behind the
prosecutions Of these union members
and officials, are Identical with the
causes that brought about the coal
strike this year and resulting in
summers idleness in the unionized
fields.
The plea Of these non-union coal
interests is that they saved the
country during that strike. They did
nothing Of the kind. With their va
riable wage scales and changing
working conditions, and their ten
dency to deal with their employees as
suits their Immediate advantage, they
brought on the strike, and they
reaped the profits that went in it's
wake.
Non.Union INSTABILITY.
~These non-union fields have
. brought about a condition of eco
nomic and commercial instability in
the coal industry that has upset the
working time and aggregate earning
capacity Of miners in unionized fields
to an extent that such miners must
fight for their existence through
strikes. They have no other remedy.
These non-union fields are as much
an element of oppression for the
union miner as is the irresponsible
ity Of his own employer unless tied
by a contract. In this condition lay
the foundation Of the recent coal
strike.
The United Mine Workers of West
Virginia resisted these conditions last
summer with all Of their might. They
struck at the unfair competition and
the oppression of the non-union
fields. And as a result Of that effort,
merciless and relentless coal inter-
3
elimination from the state, are stand
ing grimly behind their prosecution
at Charles Town on charges Of trea
son and conspiracy, and putting up
the money to carry on the fight
against them.
Agents Work StcalthiIy.
The money that supports and
maintains these prosecutions comes
directly from the great non-union
and paid into the hands of the leg
islative lobbyists on the ground as
an investment to drive the United
Mine Workers from West Virginia.
These lobbyists are working in a
dark atmosphere, and craftily and
.stealthily covering their movement,
but the operators behind them expect
to get the return. with profit, of
every cent they are spending through
them.
~ When coal sales contracts were
Wade last March and April the prices
:, of coal were from 50 to $2.35 a ton
Under federal control and priority
movement today the prices are fixed
by the government at $3.50 to $3.50
a ton. The operator who can dis
regard his contract at 50 or $2.35
a ton can sell the coal involved at
$3.50 to $3.50 ton.
These operators have sought to
deal with the United Mine Workers
as they have dealt with this class
of customers, and to manifest the
sibility toward them that they show
to the public in times Of coal stress.
- The wall of the non-union opera
tors when faced with unionization
is pitiful and pathetic. but let it be
borne in mind that their sense of
business responsibility is no greater
than that of the union producers.
They are non-union simply because
they think it is to their personal and
financial advantage to be so.
Question of Profits.
And it is to their increased finan-
cial advantage in West Virginia to
destroy the miners union altogether,
as they are trying to do here in
Charles Town.
The public this winter is paying
an increased price for coal, but let
1T be remembered that the strike
probably would not have happened
If the coal industry had been sta
bilized, and had not been undermined
by the manipulations and jockeying
Of non-union producers who know no
control except their own wills and
financial profit.
This is the outline of the economic
phase of what is going on in Charles
Town. 1t explains the financial ad-
vantages which the non-union coal
operators of southern West Virginia
have in prospect when they hand
over their tens Of thousands Of dol
lars-as they are doing hereto coal
legislative lobbyists and other dark
ANGELS of dark industry" to seek
the conviction and imprisonment OF
the mine workers and union officials
who are on trial here for alleged