The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-15


totally different set of officers. The
sub-district officials ruled that the
first election was legal, An appeal
was taken to the district board mem
Der and he too sustained the first cleo
ton. The khan followers then ap-
pealed to the district board. On De-
cember 2, the District Executive
Board of District IL, ruled that the
second set of officers elected by the
rump meeting were the legal officers
of the union
Board Backs kluxers.
On Dec. s, one day before the
general election the khan followers
were put into office by the District
Board The result of putting these
irresponsible members into the Offices
of the union during the general cleo
ton was that the elections were de-
stroyed. This was done by having the
Secretary, Alec Hargis, to refuse to
sign the return sheet to the sub-dis-
trict, thus making the votes of Local
992 void. There is no doubt but that
this was deliberately planned.
Corbishley and the other officers
that the District Board had decided
against appealed to the International
Union. A special investigation was
held by four international board men,
bers. The districts. ruling was re-
versed and new election ordered.
The International Commission super
vised the election. Corbishley and his
associates were elected by five to
one vote.
harrington Men Use Bogus Ballots.
Following their reinstatement, the
officers of Local 992 appealed to the
sub-district and district on the quest
ion of the sub-district election that
had been destroyed by these discredit-
ed members. 1t is significant that the
opponent of Lon Fox. who was elected
to the sub-district presidency in the
contested election was none other
than Henry Corbishley. president of
Local 992. Other locals in the sub
district are also appealing the sub-dis
trict elections charging fraud. At
Buckner, for example, it is charged
that the door of the, miners hall was
taken from it's hinges and bogus bal
lots substituted for bona fide ones to
the number of more than four hun
bred. 1t is also significant that sever
al decisions have been rendered fav-
orable to Local 992 by the District,
Sub-District and Arbitration Commits
sion that have not been enforced. The
miners of Local 1922, because of these
occurrences feel much resentment to-
ward their district and sub-district
officials.
1t is well to keep in mind these pre-
ceeding events. There is a distinct
connection between them and the in
cidents that followedlf
Coal Company Weighs illegally.
For two years, Local 992 has been
having much trouble with the Bell e.
Zoller Coal Co. over sthe weighing Of
coal. At least Observation-Disclosures
have been on the job and either quit
or had to quit because of the refusal
of the company to weigh coal correct
ly and legally. The output of Bell &
Zoller mine No. l is so large and the
system of weighingq so complicated
it is impossible for one man to do the
work of the chcekweighman correctly
as prescribed by law. Local Union
992 decided to put an assistant check
weighman on to assist the check
weighman. For six weeks or more
this assistant worked to the entire
satisfaction of the men. The company
then refused to allow him to continue
in his duties. The case. was taken up
with the sub-district for adjustment.
The morning that the sub-district
vice-president, d. B. Cobb came to
Zeigler to handle this case, the com
pany ran the cars over the scales so,
rapidly it was impossible for the
checkweighman to record the weights.
612 cars passed over the scales in a
space of two hours. An average two
hours run would be no more than AIS
cars. The checkweighman called Cor
bishley, the president of Local 1872 to
the scale room and told him that it
was impossible to weigh coal correct
ly. Corbishley told the checkweigh-
man, "You are under affidavit to weigh
coal correctly and if you cannot weigh
it correctly, it is up to you to know
what to do" =.
Men Quit, Mines.
A minute later the checkweighman
walked out of the scale room and no
titled Corbishley to inform the men
inside that he refused to weigh coal
and had gone home, The men were
notified by Corbishley in these words:
"The checkweighman has refused to
weigh coal and has, gone home" The
men began coming but Immediately.
At a mass meeting that evening
Corbishley advised the men to return
to work and let the sub-district off,
Gals handle the case under the con-
tract. This they did.
The company notified Lon Fox, sub
district president that evening, Aug
ust 4, that they demanded the re-