The Washington times., 1923-08-18
COAL COMMISSION TO GIVE COOLIDGE ALL STRIKE DATA
WITH.
MINERS, HARD
DISCOVERS
Writer Finds Sentiment in
Anthracite Section Back Of
Men to Limb.
CONTINUED from First Page.l

F. s9ft "
Men TO Lipit.
Continued from First PageD
crushed the Boston police strike
under Calvin Coolidgs's governor.
ship.
A suspension Of work BY the
miners would here mean that for
the most part their neighbors would
put very little hostile pressure upon
them to induce them to resume
working. All that would happen
here during such q suspension
would be that the miners would
peacefully stay at home and the
police authorities would peacefully
patrol the colIieries; and since no.
body but e. licensed anthracite
miner IL physically or legally able
to mine. anthracite coal, 1t IS be.
yond the wit Of local students Of
the situation to see how Calvin
Coolidge or anybody else could get
any coal out Of the mines until the
licensed miners were ready to go
back.
It Is further realized that the or
ganized strength OF the miners has
been greatly increased by the rise
to power among them Of the ORA
matte leader, Rinaldo CappeIlini,
who now Is president Of District
No. Of the United Mine Workers,
with headquarters In this city.
CappeIlfni Alternatives.
CAppelIini has brought large mum.
bers OF foreign.born miners into an
enthusiastic and highly disciplined
loyalty to the United States, and
under him in this vicinity Is now
fully able to present to the opera
tors the following alternatives:
One-Grant the ''check-off."
Two-Endure the button strike"
Three hundred and fifty miners
are at this moment on q button
strike" at the Racket Brook col
liery at Carbonate in this district.
Somebody went into the colliery
to work without having q union
button. The other miners refused
to work until he gets q button.
He can get it only by paying his
union dues.
It IL argued to this. writer by
union leaders, such as Thomas But
Shamohin field, that the only thing
that will eliminate the button
strike is the 'check-off"
Miners frequently 20 on button
strikes" without the sanction and ,
even against the orders OF their
leaders. They see q buttonless man
and they sirnply quit the mine and
Then the company officials have
to telephone the union officials 70
try to do something about it. After
a while, through negotiations, some
thing does get done, and work Is
resumed. but time II lost.
Check Of World Help.
It is argued that under the
"check-off" there could be no
button strikes' because the COM
pany would, be collecting every
mans union dues out OF his wages
and every man therefore would
have a button all the time.
Such arguments. that this writer
observed, are current here largely
because perhaps the local commun-
lty is influenced by its diunact dis
Ike for certain great coal companies.
These companies have been in the
habit of digging the coal out from
under residences and schools and
in Scranton and of let
ting them drop down. with the
earth about them to
destruction without compensation.
One OF the first local offerings to
4 visitor is a little album showing
pictures Of collapsed edi-
ices and even Of dislodged coffins in
'cave-ins" caused by this practice
Of removing the pillars"
This writer notes that to a COM
munity familiar with button
strikes" the "check-off'' does not
seem particularly SHOCKING. In fact,
by many observers who are looking
at the matter from q neutral but
experienced local standpoint the
case il stated as follows.
Union Has Strength.
The union is strong enough now
TO compel the unionizing Of the
non-union man. It will do It ethics
button strikes" which i'm
pede the production of coal, or
does not impede It. They say that =.
while the check-off would be . great
blow to the pride Of the operators.
NON~O w q 81 cav AOAP ~
output.
The feeling thus locally aroused
and exhibited will be a strong
element in the atmosphere which
any anthracite strike will be con-
Quoted. This capital city Of the
region WIN not put forth
any heroic efforts to ouen the min
ers on behalf Of the operators. The
strike, IL it occurs. will have tie
peculiar advantage OF being concen-
trated in extremely compact region
IN which the miners are the alb
dominant part Of the popu.
lation and in which even the chiet
center - namely
a big local gru0ge
Of its own against the so-caIieo
coal hArons."
SArYfeN.O