The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-27


the cut amounting to more than rs per
cent.
This cut came on top OF the decision
made by the company in January to
stop paying for -'bottoin work." which
means the lowering of the floor OF a
drift in order to make room for mining
or the running OF cars. Under the new
rule. according TO the miners, this work,
which had been paid for at the rate of
so cents cubic yard, was classed as
dead woodwork not directly resulting
In the production of coal and for which
the piece workers are paid nothing.
Pick miners are paid according to
the amount of coal they turn out, as
weighed by the car at the mine mouth
In union mines the accuracy OF the
companys weighing is checked by a
weigher elected by the union. In the
majority of non-union mines there is
no check weigher. and the miner has to
take the company's word. Ii is ira
ditionai complaint at non-i,nion mines
that the miner is cheated. but there is
no way OF ascertaining the truth. This
writer met several miners in Berwind
who We're sure they had been short
weighted right along. but they had
nothing to support the assertion except
their confidence in their own ability to
judge by the eye how much coal they
had loaded into car. The company has
always denied the charge, and 1t GER
tainly does not ring true when the COM
pany's reputation for fair business deal
ing is considered. The fact remains
that many of the miners, who perhaps
are oversuspicious. think they have been
wronged and that the check weigher.
whose presence would remove the cause
Of this irritation, has not been fur
nished.
Union Leaders Lay Wires.
In the few weeks preceding the United
Mine Workers strike the union leaders
laid their wires for the unionization Of
the Somerset field. They especially
wanted the Berwind- White mines, which
were described as "the Hindenburg line
of non-unionism," but they had small
hope Of success. Organizers who had
drifted down to Berwind from the union
conters of the north had been met when
they landed from the trolley car by mine
police and headed the other way. In a
few instances they had been held In
custody for few hours pending a hear
ing before the Burgess of the borough.
who warned them against seditious ut
terances and turned them loose"
No serious violence was offered, but
Windber was known as town for union
organizers to keep out Of. The charges
relating to gunner and hired thugs"
made by union leaders against some Of
the isolated non-union mining villages
do not apply to the easily reachable
and somewhat cityfed Windber CON-
munity
Hoping zr the best, but looking for
the worstf John Brophy, president Of
District of the mine workers. started
his drive against Somerset county Cd
March 81 Some OF his organizers and
district board members tackled the or
binary non-union zone from the north,
others from the south. This was pre-.
ljminary assault by propaganda. Where
ever a union scout could get a toe
hold he distributed cards from strike
Headquarters at Cresson, Cambria
county, setting forth the alleged adj
yantages OF union towns over non-union
towns and ending with this appeal and
advice.
To All Non-Union Mine Workers
Strike, @
Quit work
This Is your fight.
Leave the mine
Bring out your buddies
Six hundred and fifty thousand
miners are out to resist wage rcduc-
tions which threaten all miners.
The union welcomes you. Join the
organization and gain its protection.
You need the union. and the union
needs you
II you want an organizer. call up
strike headquarters.
If any one interferes with your con-
stitutional right to hold peaceful
meetings, notify strike headquarters.
Don't let the companies fool you
with false news and misleading Of
fers. Keep us informed Of all devel-
opments.
Stay on strike with us until we win
victorious settlement Miners
united win.
The army stole along the line OF the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from the
southern part of Somerset county up to
YOUNGSTOWN, sowing their seed. Then
they lay low to watch the effect. OF
course, union men had been planted in
the mines wherever possible to work Sc
cretIy on the minds of the unorganized
men. The effect of the propaganda OF
all sorts exceeded the widest dreams OF
the Union generals. In the mines OF
windber. for example 1t came so sud-
denly az to have the appearance of spon-
taneity. Miners OF Windber say that
they decided on the strike themselves
and that the union knew nothing about
1t until windber asked that men be sent
to organize II.
There's young fellow in windber by