The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-09-12
HARRINGTON IN
CONFESSION OF
HIS FAILURES
Admits Ignorance of
How to Fight the Bosses
BY KARL REEVE
(Staff Writer, Daily Worker)

(Staff Writer, Daily Worker)
PEORIA, ILL.,, Sept. 11.-If
Frank harrington, president of
the Illinois miners, repeats the
same speech he made before
the convention of the Illinois
Federation of Labor every time
he goes on the stump for re-
election, he will defeat himself
as candidate for president of
the Illinois miners.
harrington retailed a history
of failure during his regime as
president. He told how the coal
operators had made terrific on
slaughts.
Harrington confesses Failure.
1.-THE Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has now wiped out the one and
only remaining thing that enabled the
Illinois coal operators to sell eight
million tons of coal in the northwest"
said Harrington, referring to the
cheaper freight rates.
"They have struck the Illinois mine
workers the most deadly blow that
has ever been dealt Them" Harrington
continued, and then admitted, 81 don't
know what can be done about it,"
Harrington made serious contradic-
ltions thruout his speech. Following
out the general practice of the con.
vention so far, harrington began his
speech by praising himself, and then
patting himself on the back for his
modesty.
1.-The miners of Illinois have re-
tanned their war wages" Harrington
boosted, then, after we successfully
resisted a wage cut, other organiza-
tions began to take courage and the
post war wage cuts stopped. The en-
ployers were unable to carry them
out to the extent that they had
hoped"
Paints Dismal Picture.
But almost in the next breath Far
rington painted dismal and hopeless
picture of the present plight of the
miners, and admitted he was power
less to stem the open shop wage cut
ting drive. 1t was hard at times to
tell whether harrington was speaking
on behalf of the Illinois miners or the
Illinois coal operators.
"The non-union operators have been
given an advantage" Harrington said
on behalf of the Illinois coal barons,
THAT it mas been impossible for the
Illinois operators to cope with" Far
rington referred to the ruling of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
which, beginning today, requires the
Williamson, Saline and Franklin
County coal companies to pay So cents
ton more i nfreight rates as COM
pared to the non-union rates, than
they did before the /. G. c. ruling.
harrington UphoIds Small.
Yet Harrington indorses Len Small
who belongs to political party which
upholds the scab rulings of the Inter
state Commerce Commission.
harrington misrepresented the true
conditions of the Illinois miners. He
admitted, in one part of his speech,
that, thousands of miners with their
families are starving and crying for
food" But at another point he left
the impression that an average mum
Der of miners are at work this year
He declared that the miners are work
ing from 100 to ITO days per year,
which is the average. He declared
that there are twice as many miners
as are needed, that the industry is
overstocked with labor, but it never
entered his head to plead for short.
er work day with the same number
of miners working. Harrington great.
ly underestimate the present mum.
Der of unemployed miners.
Then came the usual TRADE against
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