Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-01-25
WALKER DROPS
A LUMP OF COAL
ON JOHN GLENN

John w. Glenn, secretary Of the
Manufacturer Association, recently
dictated letters to state representa-
tives in Illinois, asking them to pass
law to force mines TO work full
time, thus forcing 10000 Illinois min
ers into other occupations.
A copy of this letter reached John
II. Walker, president Of the Illinois
State Federation of Labor, and was
accorded the following reply, which
ably sets forth Labor's attitude to
this particular phase of the question;
Springfield, Illinois,
January 8, 1924.
Mr.. Frank Harrington, President,
Illinois Miners Union,
Springfield, Illinois,
Dear Sir and Brother:
This is to acknowledge receipt OF
your letter of the Sth instant. | eN-
pect that the committee will be amply
able to handle the matter; the same
time, | want to give you, for what IL
may be worth, the benefit OF my own
reaction in the matter.
There is nothing in the present law
that would prevent the people that
Glenn represents, from buying coal
in the summer time and storing 1t IL
they so saw fit, and cared to go TO
that extra cost to supply themselves
with a continuous plentiful supply OF
fuel. There is nothing that would
prevent the coal operators from SO
doing if they see fit, and there Is
nothing in the way of Mr.. Glenn,
representing his organization, from
taking it up with the coal operators,
and their making that arrangement
jointly. -.
What he has in mind in the latter
paragraph of his letter tit Is impos-
sible to mine coal in emergencies j.
is. that it is impossible for them TO
get men, ignorant of the dangers OF
mining, into the mines, in the event
of strikes.
In connection with this matter,
while il was the desire of the late
President Mitchell and a great many
others, that the digging of coal should
be made a profession, because IN thelT
belief, an experienced competent coai
digger has got to acquire more skill
than the average iourneymen IN the
other trades, ACQUIRES.
Our Qualification law was enacted
to safeguard the life, limb and health
of the men who worked in the NINE.
II is a safety measure. There Is Drac-
ticalIv no technical examination 10
the matter of skill. About the only
thing that is required is that a candl-
date for acertifcate must know
enough about the dangers Of mining
to protect and safeguard his own ne
and limb, and enable him to aYoid
endangering the life and limbs OF oth-
ers. in order to get such a eertlhcate:
In view Of the enormous NUMBER OF
men that are killed every year IN tne
coal mines Of our country tZ5,9i9 IN
the last ten years. and the addiuonai
number that are seriously injured my
Judgment about it is that the exam,
iatinn should be made more ngld ana
severe and should cover a greater
number of subjects than II does at the
nreseut time. rather than to have any
r6irg done - impair il. | believe that
a coal miner should know and under
stand the dangers Of gas,-the diner
ent gasses. their component parts
and the dangers Of them under chang.
mo conditions. | think they should
he required 10 know the possible dan.
ger from dust explosions. / beheyf
tbey should be required to know and
10 demonstrate that they know, now
To set props, because no man who does