The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-21
DEPOSER OF
HOWAT HITS
6-HOUR DAY
Makes Foolish Attack
On British Union
BY KARL REEVE.
Especial to The Daily Worker)

L. Lewis, president of the United
Mine Workers Union of Amer
lea, addressed the District II
convention of the Illinois miners
for the first time today at the
request of the district president,
Frank Harrington.
In contrast to the enthusiastic
reception given Alex Howat, ex-
PEELED president of the Kansas
miners, there was the cool, dis
satisfied attitude of the same
miners delegates today when
their international president was
trying to "sell' himself to them.
Howat had been invited to speak
by the unanimous vote of the
rank and file, while Lewis APP
peared by official grace.
On Defensive for Two Hours.
Lewis spoke to the convention for
two hours, trying to explain what he
Ioo UOl uOuC. IlC ulu AAOl LlCnAAOn lhC
Progressive Miners committee, but
he spent most of his speech discuss
ing their demands for the six-hour
day and the organization of the non
union fields.
1T is true that the miners have a
six-hour day in Great Britain" de-
clared Lewis, "but they have it at
the sacrifice of the double and triple
shifts, when makes the WORKING EOil-
ditions bad for them"
Lewis Knocks British Miners.
Lewis contrasted the miners or
CARNATIONS of Great Britain and
America for some time. He tried to
show that the American coal miners
are better organized and should be
satisfied with their eight-hour day. He
said that the British union was a loose
organization, that locals did not meet,
and that there was only a loose af-
filiation between the locals and the
International
British miners in the convention OBJ
jected strenuously to Lewis remarks
on English conditions. John Hind
marsh, one of the delegates, asked the
International mine president if he had
ever been in these counties: Bur-
fham, Northumberland, Yorkshire,
Lancashire.
Lewis replied that these were the
four principal mining counties of
Great Britain. He said that in these
counties the miners have strong local
organizations which hold meetings.
Another English delegate, a-60-year-
old miner, asked Lewis if he had ever
seen a company store in England. In
his pompous way Lewis answered,
mo" and the convention hall rang
with the delegates laughter.
Fears to Face Watts.
John Watts, a progressive delegate,
tried to get Lewis attention to ash
another question but was completely
ignored.
Lewis launched into a TRADE
against the press, charging that SEN
sational stories against mine union Of
ficials prejudice non-union miners
from joining the organization. He
said that the non-union men reading
the lurid press accounts would be
afraid to join the miners union.
The president gave a weak verbal
plea for peace in the organization.
Lewis made a statement utterly
contrary to that of Harrington in his
report when he said that the price of
coal had nothing to do with the peo-
pie buying what coal they needed.
Farrington's report says that unem-
ployment has decreased among the
miners due to cheapening the price of
coal. Lewis said that people bought
coal as they needed, regardless OF
price.
Murray Revles Propressives.
Vice-President Philip Murray fol-
lowed Lewis in speaking to the con-
vention. He denounced the Progress.
sive Miners committee and their or
ganization meeting in Pittsburgh.
Murray stressed the fact that Howat
represented dual organization.
Howat rose and answered Murray
that he represented the Progressives.
and that they were not in a dual or
ganization.
Delegates Angry.
Delegates were grumbling and dis
satisfied after Lewis and Murray's
speeches and showed their discomfort
in group conversations. The English
miners were particularly disturbed by
the false statements and shoddy self.
selling of John l.. Lewis.