The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-13
MINERS STRIKE
AGAINST FRANK
HARRINGTON RULE
Back Joe Loda, Honest
Checkweighman

pOuy Goal Company wine No. D,
Springfield, Ill.,, are still on strike fol
lowing the refusal OF the operator to
permit Joe Loda, the local union
check-weighman who has been unani-
mously elected by the local union, to
weigh coal on the company's tipple.
Frank Harrington, the tool of the
operators, has again shown his hand
of betrayal and class-collaboration
policy. by telling the miners that if
they did not go back to work and ac-
cept the new conditions which the
Peabody lords are trying to impose
upon the miners he would revoke
their union charter.
Cheated Miners On Weights.
The miners went out on strike after
Joe Loda, a well known fighter for
progressive issues and check-weigh-
man of his local union caught the com
pany weighman putting his hands on
the scales and thereby short weighing
the coal of miners by several hundred
pounds on every car. Joe Loda told
him to stop that kind of practice Then
after catching him at the same game
again, Loda used direct action by de-
livering several blows to the jaw Of
the company weighman
The company weighman notified the
superintendent, and the superinten-
dent tells Joe Loda to get off the tip
pie and never come back. Loda called
the mine committee and they called
the miners out on strike.
Farrineton's Promise.
After that, the mine committee
called on harrington and presented
their case, telling him how Loda
caught the company weighman short
weighing the miners coal and the re-
suit. harrington told the miners
committee to get the men back to
work and he would see that Joe Loda
would stay on the tipple as long as
the miners are satisfied with him.
That was on a Saturday. On Mon
day the miners went back to work and
Loda went on the tipple to weigh the
miners coal, and the superintendent
brought the sheriff out to the mine,
and takes Loda off the tipple and
throws him into Jail.
The mine committee again calls the
men out of the mine and walk out on
a strike again. The miners decided
then that they would fight for Justice
and stay on strike and to fight thi.
battle to the finish.
Unusual Speed.
In the meantime this case is taken
up by the courts of the Sub-District
and Board Member, both handing
down a disagreement case. Then
the Joint Executive Board is quickly
called on Sunday afternoon and a de.
cision sancationing the removal of Joe
Loda, as check weighman is rendered.
To go thru these three courts of the
miners organization it usually takes
from seven months to a year. but in
this case it took few hours TO do the
work. That was because the Peabody
Coal Co. demanded immediate action
and when Peabody Coal Co. wants ac.
ton the Farringtons machine sets if.
self to work.
Officials In League With Company
Steal.
Joker Young, board member of this
district and Harrington henchman.
who presented the evidence on which
Joe Loda was convicted, is the same
bird that told several miners i'm a
white mule joint that he was out TO
get Joe Loda out of the miners or
ganization because Joe Loda was the
cause OF his local union casting a
very heavy vote against the Earring
ton machine in the last election.
On Monday, after the miners walked
out on strike and the decision of Joint
board was rendered the mine commit.
tee goes back to Harrington to see if
he would keep his word. which he
made last Saturday when he told the
committee that he would stand back
OF the men and see to it that Joe
Lola would stay on the upple as long
as the men wanted him.
"Mr. Looking 5oth.Ways".
But Harrington again rights.about.
face and said, "You men didn't tell me
the truth last Saturday, because yes.
terday Dan Clark, the coal company
commissioner, told me different
story and the big boss OF the Peabody
Coal Co., at Chicago called me up
over the long distance telephone and
told me about this man Loda, also If
you insist upon having this man for
your check-weighman he would close
the mine down indefinitely. So the
best thing you men can do is to elect
a new check.weighman and go back
to work.
300 Miners Stand by Loda.
One of the mine committee then