The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-28
IExhorters Seek to Convert
Workers Wavering as to
Strike Outcome.
unjust LIMIT HATREDs'
Chief Orator Mixes Denuncia-
ton of Employers With Tact
full Reference to Others.

THIS Is the nth article OF
series By THE NEW YORK HERALD
UnolySing the coal strike sitnG-
ton and the outlook. The siTth
article qciU appear tomorrow.
EpeosaI Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Boswell, Pa, April 27.-A trip
Through the northwestern part OF
Somerset county afforded evidence
that a good many mines of this part
OF the soft coal kingdom continue to
disgorge despite the efforts Of the
United Mine Workers to stop them.
Dipping over the hills past Jenner
we saw the tall chimney of a power
house blackening with it's smoke the
untimely April snow, a loaded mine
car moving to a tipple and string
of railroad cars bullying with freshly
mined coal starting for the Atlantic
seaboard. At Jenner are two mines OF
the Consolidated Coal Company, en-
ploying between 400 and 800 men. and
they're all working. The same COM
pany has rrines open at Acosta and
BeIltown, and over at Ralphton the
Quemahoning Coal Company has its
force OF 500 men intact in it's two
mines.
Six hundred men have gone out at
Jerome. Here in Boswell the principal
company. the Davis Coke e Coal. is tied
UP. THE NEW YORK HERALD CORE
spondent got to Boswell while the miners
were listening to union exhorters from
the northern counties. He joined the
listeners and found this apparently was
"stiffening meeting" The purpose was
to strengthen the new converts to union
ism in the faith and to restore the con-
fidence of those who might be wavering.
Test of Injunction.
Between 500 and 400 miners we're as
sembed in q nickelodeon. When Slovak
organizer on the stage asked all who
understood 'Slavish' to raise their hands
about half the men did so. and he ad-
dressed them in that tongue.
For the organizers it was test OF the
injunction issued on April 10 by Judge
Bcrkey, of the County Court at Somer-
set, restraining the United Mine Workers
from interfering with non-union miners
and from "congregating or lettering
about the premises" of the companies.
The union leaders feared the Boswell
authorities might set up a contention
! that a nickeiodcon in the village two
miles from the mines was about the
promises" but no one tried to stop the
meeting. In fact, the chief of police
told the doorkeepers they had right to
exclude any peace officer who might de-
mand admittance.
The chief spellbinder. Thomas II.
Stiles, head of the Penn Central Co
operative Association, which operates
miners stores. and editor of it's news
paper in Cresson. Is a good sample OF
the fiery but tactful union leader Every
| time he think up something particularly
deadly to say about the operators to
temper it by adding n word TO the effect
that not al Operators are wicked and
there is no use in hating everybody.
His hair prematurely whitened and
one eye destroyed by a mine explosion,
he marches up and down the central
district of Pennsylvania preaching his
mixed gospel and filling every hall he
enters.
Knows of Exceptions.
AT to-day's meeting he pictured the
strike situation as "a pile OF coal on one
side, out stomachs on the other" 1t was
nothing to the operators, Stiles said,
whether the miners children went hun
CRY or not so long as the coal pile was
satisfactory. Then he shifted to this:
But don't let us forget that there are
expectations. l know of some operators
who have reduced the miners rent since
the strike started and some who are not
collecting any rent at all. They're not
All money mad. The trouble Is that the
meanest set the pace.
They hold their power through their
power over your jobs You go and. ask
them for a job. They hold you up for a
lease with only five days notice in 1t,
and If you ask question they tell you
70 get the hell out Of there. You must
think as they think, or out you go.
That's the sort of thing that has caused
the uprising in the non-union fields. In
the unnn fields it's different. the indi-
vidual does not stand alone. The entire
organization stands behind him and II
he Is dismissed he can appeal. and II
there's any right on his side the organ
ization stands behind him."
This is the sort of argument that has
proved effective In the union drive on
the non-union men. Stiles further en-
couraged the miners of Boswell with as
suranccs that 'thc little pile OF coal"
that the country had on hand at the be-
ginning OF the strike would soon be gone
u was going fast. he said, as indicated
by the reported rise of 81 ton In the
market. Every miner was a cog In the
great machine that would force settle
mont favornSfc to the union. Every
striker who wcnt back to work before
he general settlement was an aid to
the operators.
Union coal now and foreverv shout
cd Stiles. mot a ton of non-union coal
until the strike is won"
Not Fully Converted.
The applause for this slogan and the
whole speech was a burst OF handclap.
ping. but there was no cheering. These
Boswell miners. who until few weeks
ago would have no traffic with the
union, have not vet caught the fun
fervor OF converts. The rank and file
sre not yet sure unionsm will bring
trem all the blessings promised The
Davis Coal and Coke Company believes
that when the pinch OF no wages Is
seriously felt Il will be easy TO get them
back to. work Hence the stiffcning
process which is the next step after
organization in the unions follow-up
system.
1t Is important. too that the business
man Of such an invetcrato non-union
town as Bowel be swung to the
nrions aide. The small shopkeepor