The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-09-05
MOVE
DEFEATED IN
NOVA SCOTIA
Miners Refuse Break
With U. NJ. w. of A.
BY JOE NEARING
Especial to the Daily Worker.)

GLAcE BAY, Nova Scotia,
Sept. 4.-The miners of Nova
Scotia have lined up soIidIy
against Ben Legere's lone Big
Union" in its attempt to split
the ranks of the miners.
The locals on Cape Breton
Island, containing about 5000
miners, have definitely stated
their position against a split
and for staying inside the
United Mine Workers of Amer
lea, to settle accounts with the
Lewis administration which
treacherously betrayed them in
1923.
To the militants among the rank
and file of the miners belongs the
credit for opposing the 20. B. u"
maneuvers. The provisional district
executive board, appointed by Lewis
last year when he deposed the district
officers, did not raise single finger
to oppose the 20. B. u" On the con-
trary, the sat quietly waiting for the
miners to split, knowing that split
in the district would prolong their
jobs as appointees Of the Lewis ma
chine.
Miners Reject 10. 3. w."
In Pictou county the miners have
decided against a split after a strug
gle. Many miners. who we're in the
west during the 20. B. u split in
1919, still think that they should split
But in face of the opposition to this
policy displayed by the militants
among the rank and file, they were
forced to abondon their position.
But the profound disgust of the min
ers in Pictou with the Lewis gang
Of appointees in the district has led
them to endorse the ridiculous propo
sition that they should get an iniunc.
ton against the provisional district
officers, and thus force Lewis to hold
district elections Immediately. They
are also Withholding their per capita
tax and assessments from the inter.
national. In this way they are un.
consciously playing into the hands OF
Lewis.
1t is a wen known fact that the
courts Of this province are quite ready
to help the corporation at any time
as has been demonstrated in the past
1t is therefore quite safe to say that
the Pictou miners could not get an in
junction against the tools of the cor.
poration who are occupying the dis,
trict offices at Glaze Bay for the time
being. Even tho it were possible to
get an injunction against them the
militants are absolutely opposed to
taking any action which would draw
the capitalist courts into labor union
affairs. Only the reactionaries in the
labor movement do things like this
and then they are able to do it be
cause the capitalist courts are will
ing to be used against the workers by
the labor takers.
Fight Wage Reduction.
The definite stand that the militants
Of Cape Breton are taking against the
injunction idea will finally force the
Pictou miners to abandon this ridicu
lous scheme.
The British Empire Steel Corpora
ton is preparing to force the miners
to accept a reduction of wages next
January when the present contract
expires. Recently, 1t is said, the pro
visional officers were informed by the
corporation officials that there was tt
be reduction Of wages of the miners
and the corporation did not want any
trouble in putting this over. The re
suit of this information is that Hous
ton, provisional president, has hur
ried to indianapolis to see. il this fits
in with the policy of Gear Lewis.
The big job for the miners is to pre-
pare for the battle with Besco mex
January. The first essential is soil
darity and that is being achieved by
the actions Of the militants in fighting
all suggestions of split in the union