The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-12
MINERS Get
BETRAYALS And
MORE BETRAYALS
But Are Invite d to
Stop Getting EN-

CHRISTOPHER, Ill.--Do we live in
a free country2 Are we all born free
and equal? Perhaps there are still
some American working men and wo-
men who believe this foolishness,
but there are few coal diggers who
still have faitha in such tommy-rot
these days. No better sample of the
helplessness of the workers under
capitalism and how fate is dealt out
to them by the rulers of industry, can
be given than the situation now con.
fronting the workers in the coal min
ing industry.
A Typical Case.
A typical example Of how the mine
owners are using the threat of un.
employment as club to browbeat
the miners into submission, was what
happened recently at the mine of Co.
clio, Ill. Coello is just two miles
from Christopher and the mine there
is known as the New North Mine
which belongs to the Old Ben Mining
Co.
For some reason not fully explained,
the mine discontinued the use of the
regular shaft for lowering and hoist
ing men to and from the mine. The
shaft was said to have been con
demned. This made it necessary to
use the air shaft for this purpose, and
the result was that the men were
compelled to start going down at $50
a. m. This was necessary in order
to get the men down in time for work
as it takes much longer than the
regular way.
Needless to say, the miners pro
tested and finally struck. To this the
company simply replied that they did
not care whether the mine worked or
not, and unless the men went back to
work they would shut down for good.
Enter, the Reaetionary Officials.
Negotiations for settlement were
carried on with the company by Sub
District President Lou Fox, and Vice.
President D. B. Cobb. These stalwart
soldiers Of reaction, who are part and
parcel Of the Harrington machine, fin.
ally advised the men to go back to
work under protest, which the men
did. and the grievance now goes to the
district board xfith little hope for any.
thing better from that source.
1t is said that some of the men are
now going down in the mine as early
as 500 a. m. Moreover, the method
of putting men down this mine is un.
doubtedly unsafe, due to over-crowd.
ing, as "a men are lowered down the
air shaft at time.
just Different Kind Of Slavery.
Under chattel slavery the slave
owners were forced to feed the slaves
during times when there was no work
to do. But under capitalism the
modern wage slave must work or
starve. In the face of these threats
Of unemployment, the workers are in.
Inundated and the capitalist class,
always quick to see their advantage,
uses those means to force the work.
ers to accept all sorts of dangerous
and miserable conditions.
The air is full of all sorts of rumors
of mines shutting down in Southern
Illinois, and the miner does not know
what day he might find himself with
out a job.
Piling 1t On.
In the face of this situation, the
Harrington machine issues a circular
against the organization of the unem.
ployed. 1t is plain to all thinking
miners that harrington is not with the
rank and file in the fight to change
conditions. harrington raves about
not breaking the agreement, while the
operators can and are, getting away
with murder.
Another good example Of the tactics
of the operators is the condition at
the mine at Buckner. III. Some four
or five months ago the wash house at
that mine burned down. Attic there
is a state law against working a mine
without a wash house. the company
has refused to build another.
They say IL the men cannot wash
without wash house they will close
down the mine. The men have now
been working about four months with.
out wash house. The result is, the
coal diggers at Buckner do their clean,
ing up at home mostly. Everyone
knows that the shacks where the min.
ers live are not equipped with baths.
This is simplyianother hardship added
to the already great number of hard.
ships.
Under a workers government not
only will the workers own the mines,
but every mine will be made safe and
sanitary Miners! Join the Trade
Union Educational League, and the
Workers Party OF America and fight
for a workers government.
BEAUTIFUL COVER |