Evening star., 1924-01-27
MINERS REPUD|ATE
STRIKING ON lob"
Pledge High Regard for
Sanctity of Contracts
at indianapolis.
BY the Associated Pre- ss.

By the Associate ted Press
INDIANAPOLIS, January 26--Re-
pudiation of.the 'ruinous practice of
striking on the job" and pledge Of
their high regard for the 'sanctity of
contracts" was voiced by the United
Mine Workers convention today in
casting an overwhelming vote of con-
fidence in their leader and commend
ing him the second time for deposing
the officials of the Nova Scotia dis
trict.
Defending his action before the
convention, International President
John L. Lewis said he regretted he
had to stand before the delegates
to answer questions put by the de-
posed Nova Scotia vice president.
Alex McIntire. who. he said, is no
Workers, "but keeper of a grog
shop"
Tonight insurgent delegates who
styled themselves "the left wing" drew
consolation from the fact that although
they had been decisively defeated. their
leaders had been given a full hearing
by the convention and had gotten an
expression of their views into the
record. They gathered in their third
caucus. heard William 2. Foster. re-
puted communist leader. and planned
further opposition to the administra-
tion when the appeals OF Alexander
Howatt, deposed Kansas president, and
Thomas Myerscough: expelled Pitts
There was no doubt but that the
committee would commend the interna-
tional executive board for its action in
the Howsatt and Myerscough cases, and
be restored to membership.
Former International President
John z. Whiteman made the charge that
the Nova Scotia miners had adopted the
un-American practice of striking on
the Job, in answering McIntire's at
tempt to vindicate James McLach!an.
deposed secretary Mr.. Whiteman said
he had told the Nova Scotia miners, as
a representative Of President Lewis,
that 1t would be far more honorable
for them to avail themselves of the
right to strike openly and avail
themselves of the offer by the United
Mine Workers of moral and financial
support.
planned, Is European practice.
Workmen under this system hold jobs
and idle their time away or work one
day. then strike one, work one and
strike two or three, and so forth.
Money in Propaganda.
Proof was offered by President
Lewis that McLachlan and the de-
[ pOScQ OIHCldiS kOOh llOASdhuS " WI
lars sent them by the United Mine
Workers of America for relief work.
and used it to circulate propagand
sent from the red International at
| Moscow. The Nova Scotians. who de-
Tended their deposed officials. did an
swer this and other more serious
! charges, but gave their time to de-
| claring that "the law of humanity
| Justified the strike of 1923.
President Lewis said one OF the
| reasons he had stepped in was that
! the coal company with property on
Cape Breton Island, in Nova Scotia,
| had wired him that miners had de-
| serted the pumps and boilers and that
sea water was flooding the mines
The honor" he said, "of every mem
America was pledged to the fulfill
ment Of our contract"
Before reopening the Nova Scotia
case the convention adopted a mo-
ton by George w. Stouffer of St
Davids ILL.,, expunging from the rec
ord the expression Of insurgents yes
terday justifying, the killing of mine
! guards in the Herrin riots.