The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-21
By ARNE sWABEcK.


miners and my only desire is to
help the miners, but nj order to do
that must help the operators find
a wider market for their coal"
This is the solution offered by Presi-
dent Harrington to the present heavy
unemployment in the Illinois coal
fields, as contained in his report to
the Thirtieth consecutive and Fifth
Biennial convention of District No. IL,
United Min eWorkers Of America, and
he explains his solution in the fol
lowing manner:
There is only one way whereby we
can get more work for Illinois and
that is to cheaper the cost Of pro-
duction to the degree that will enable
the Illinois operators to sell their
coal in competition with coal mined in
non-union and sparsely organized dis
tricts where the cost of production
is much less than in Illinois"
A Sham Solution.
Indeed, poor solution. Cheaper
ing the cost of production of any
article has never been known to ex-
tend the markets. 1t has on the other
hand, served to increase profits of
those who own the tools Of produc-
ton, and perhaps this is what Mr..
harrington desires.
Alexander Howat, in his address
to that convention, stated very clear
ly and definitely that no gains could
be made by the working class in
general and by the coal miners in
particular except what they were
ready to fight for and could bring
sufficient pressure to bear to obtain.
In no instance does the interest of
the operators correspond with that
of the coal miners. Cooperation with
them will help swell their Golfers, but
bring no additional work to the
miners
Non-union Conditions.
Farrington's report draws COM
parison between the output of the
organized mines in Illinois and that
of the unorganized mines in West
Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama,
stating that during he last fiscal
years with an average of 146 days
work the former show total output
of 73,410,S37 tons, while West Vir-
ginia during approximately the same
period and about the same number
Of men employed mined 100000, 900
tons. In the West Virginia field
wages are much lower than in Illinois.
In Alabama miners work 10 hours per
day and the operators pay whatever
they feel disposed to pay, and "the
situation is almost identical with what
it was in Illinois prior to 1897"
Would Stop Strikes.
Farrington's report proposes to the
Illinois miners, Respect for contract,
elimination of strikes in violation of
contract, work when the operator has
work to do, careful workmanship, load
clean coal, reduce the amount of slack
by careful shooting, give an honest
days work, cooperate with the man
agement in doing the things that are
right" In other words, do away with
strikes, speed up production, make it
possible for the Illinois operators to
compete with those of the morgan
lied miners; accept their conditions
OF work; go back to the conditions
which obtained in Illinois prior to
1897.
Fatal to Miners Union.
This will mean nothing but the uIti-
mate destruction of the miners union.
Grant the operators the speed-up sys-
TEN, limit your right to strike, and
the next thing which will follow in
evltably is a wage reduction. Ac-
ceptance by the miners of the pro-
posals made in Farrington's report.
will mean an immediate weakening of
the miners union and an invitation
to the operators to demand greater
concessions. The coal miners unions
OF Germany, with the beginning of
the occupation of the Ruhr. granted
several concessions to the operators.
under the general plea of supporting
the nation. Today 100000 Of these
~ANSAo ~ biC 4luuI are OUT on
strike against the threat of the op-
orators TO take away the prevailing
seven-hour day for work below the
surface and the eight-hour workday
on the surface.
Super Power Pill.
To detract the attention Of the rank
and file mine workers from the burn.
ing issues within their organization
and the need of practical steps to re-
lieve the present situation Of unem-
ployment and restitution. Earring
tons report advances some aIluring
schemes for the establishment Of one
or more giant power plants on the
Ohio and Mississippi river for the
manufacture of electricity. Even this
Is put up as means to extend the
market and create more work, when
as matter of fact 1t would rather
reduce the need OF coal.
In any event the coal operators of
the nation are tOdav so oon, nIataIv