The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-22

operator for the expense incurred on
account of such a suit
This agreement is subject to and
will become effective only on the
condition that the selling price Of
coal shall be advanced by the United
States government sufficient to cover
the increased cost in the different
districts affected, and will take eff.
feet on the first day of the pay period
following the order advancing such
increased prices"
Coal 6arons Got Everything
It will be seen that in this agree
ment the operators stood to lose moth
ing. Even the paltry wage increase
was made dependent on the govern
ment advancing the price of coal
But the pact tied the miners up in
knot. Strikes were penalized and
the bosses authorized to collect fines
from the workers. In order to insure
that the coal operators would diligent-
ly collect the fines, penalty clause
was written penalizing the operators
for possible failure to penalize the
miners.
The operators were protected in
every way from the coal diggers. The
January, 1918, convention of the
United Mine Workers meeting in In
dianapolis, accepted the Washington
Agreement. DIR. Garfield in the mean
time secured an advance of As cents
per ton in the price of COAL
The living costs of the year 1917
were made the basis for the 1918
wage increase and tho the living costs
mounted rapidly no further increases
were made until 1920.
Appeals To Patriotism
The miners were told that it was
unpatriotic to ask for higher wages
while soldiers were killing Germans
at the rate of thirty dollars a month.
Many capitalists were working in
Washington for one dollar year! 1t
was afterwards shown that they were
really working Washington" Charley
Schwab, the millionaire steel manu-
facturer who worked for one dollar a
year, was spending $25O,O0O a month.
The fat war contracts paid well.
The coal operators were making
fabulous profits. In the meantime the
coast of living continued to soar. The
miners were tied up with an agree
ment that gave all the breaks to the
boss.
The year 1919 witnessed a slump in
the coal industry. The war was over.
The coal barons had made their mil
lions and were out for a good time.
The coal diggers we're left sucking
their thumbs. The labor leaders look
ed quite prosperous. Only those who
went down in the mines and dug the
black diamonds had the dirty end OF
the deal.
Morgan Had Won
The miners were getting hungry
and demanded a new wage agreement.
1t was alright to talk patriotism dur
ing the war, but the killing was over,
Morgan had won and now 1t was time
for those who did the dirty work to
be given the consideration they were
promised. But like the soldier who
went to the front for Wall Street, the
miners who toiIed in the bowels Of the
earth to keep the wheels of industry
moving, we're left in the lurch
President Harrington, of District ~
refused every request for new wage
agreement He even went so far as
to take drastic measures to prevent
the paying Of premiums or bonuses
above the wage rate stipulated in the
agreement. This seems to be un
believable but It is the truth. Earring
ton actually took steps to punish
miners who managed to secure a high.
er rate of compensation for their work
than what was agreed on In the
Washington pact.
Patience Exhausted
| The miners kept their temper I'M,