The New York herald., 1922-04-30

THE
few days ago and died in the West
moreland Hospital at Greensbur. but
there is no evidence that the strike had
anything TO do with it,, t.
In Westmoreland county several mig h
tension electric cables supplying min IS
with power and light have been cut.
Union organizers say they deprecate
this as much as anybody else and that
what little disorder has been attributed
to strikers thus far is. II they are guilty.
the fault of individuals disregarding ex-
plicit union directions. II must be said
that every strikers meeting the writer
has attended was marked by emphatic
warnings against violence
Just talk to the non-union men I'm a
nice, fair-minded way" sail Organizer
Keeney Busarelio in meeting Of new
local at Harrison City last night. You
will get just as many TO come that way
as by molesting them"
"A strike won by violence isn't won
at all" Busarello added The country $
outgrown that kind of stuff"
Why has the union been able TO
smash into Westmoreland county after
all these years of failure? Mainly be-
cause the Westmoreland county op sra-
tors cut wages between rs and 80 per
cent. in the past year. In wartime,
through Government influence, the
union and non-union fields paid the
same. or nearly the same scale. In the
union fields they staged at the peak
until April i, 1922. but in the non-union
fields OF this region they tumbled. Th4
Keystone Coal and Coke Company, for
example, made a fifteen per cent. aud
then a ten per cent. reduction, Il Z
second one last November lust before
April the company posted a notice at
its mines that no further reduction
would be made this year.
why Non-Union Men Quit.
The writer has asked many striking
miners of Westmoreland why they went
out, in view of the fact that, despite the
cut, activity in non-union mines since
the union strike began has been so great
as to bring earnings up to- high figure.
Their answers may be summarized as
follows.
They feel that the extraordinary de-
mand for coal from non-union fields is
only temporary, due to last only as
long as the strike does. They say that
get enough days work to give them a
''living wage unless the union helps
them. They say they have averaged
only two or three days a week last
year.
The highest paid day men-the motor
men-were cut from $3.50 to $3.50, and
they say the best they could earn under
normal conditions is about SIG a week
The pick miners. who are paid by ton
mage, went from $1.30 down to 73 cents
the miners, who are paid by the car
frnf,, 60 ortk 20
cent. They say they are lucky If they
make s6 day three days in week.
The miners here. as in other non-union
fields, complain that they spend much OF
their time working for nothing, as the
companies do not pay for dead work,
which Is necessary to but does not d.
rectly result in the production of coal.
The pay factor is the big one in the
minds of these men. They say that
when their store bills are deducted, they
haven't a cent and that often the earn
sings do not equal the store bills. They
also commonly complain that they have
not been free to express their opinions
and are constantly spied upon.
Miners from Export told of a meeting
which was broken up by State constabu-
larry riding upon the field. although .he
miners had leased the field from a
farmer for the purpose of assembly. In
quiry proved this to be true, but an ad-
ditional fact is that the farmer pulled
gun on the troopers and the dispersal
followed.
Virtually every tonnage miner en-
countered said that he was not paid
for all the coal he mined-that the coci-
pany's weighing boss invariably pu'
down a figure lower than the actual
weight of a carload. Many Westmorc-
land miners, however. are paid by tac
car. There seems to be less uniformity
in mining customs than IN anything
else in the world. The complaint OF
shortweight Is heard in non-union mines
everywhere. Under the union system
the local" elects and pays a check
weighman of it's own, who compares his
tally with that OF the company's mar
and IL there is a difference in the
miners disfavor the union makes a row
variably trust their own checkweigil-
man.
For every five cars that go out oi
the mine the company gets one free,
one of the miners said. summing up his
shortweight troubles. This writer knows
nothing as to the truth Of this. but |,
Is necessary to report such talk In order
to give a real picture of mining condi.
tions and the causes of this phenomenon
"a strike in non-union territory
These are the things the striking mines
believe.
The miners say their powder, which
they have to pay for, takes 35 to AZ
cents a day out of their wages. The
operators call 25 cents a real average
Operators Appeal to Men.
The writer told several operators wha
the newly unioniZed men had told hin
and asked for their comment. Part Of
the reply was notice which has beer
distributed by one of the largest ant
fairest companies, the Keystone Goa
and Coke 1t Is addressed to the com
pany's employees and is a good sample
Of the propaganda with which the op
orators are trying to hold their hne.
firm. II reads:
WHAT EVERY MINER SHOULD THINK Of
Quite number OF men. who hav,