The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-10
BEN cITLow.

4 been turned into war against the
militant members of the United Mine
Workers of America who are support
ing the program Of the Progressive
Miners Committee. In Scranton the
largest city in the anthracite region,
four militant miners are behind pris-
on bars. They are Patrick ToOhey, a
young fighting miner, who defied
President Lewis at the tri-district con-
vention, which was held before the
strike was called and formulated the
demands for the recent strike; August
Valentine, a young miner, who has
been in the thick and thin of the
miners struggle in West Virginia;
Alex zarek, a big-hearted Russian,
who wants to see the strike conducted
in the interest of the miners, and
Alex Reid, secretary of the Progress
sive Miners Committee, militant
miner, who spent 20 years in the BIZ
luminous fields digging coal.
TTFHY have these militant miners
w been arrested? Only when one
knows the real situation can an ans
;wer. be given to the question. $4,000
miners have been called out on strike
in the anthracite region. No one
knows better than John l.. Lewis, the
appointed president of the United
Mine Workers, that there is no genu-
inc strike in the anthracite. The
present stoppage was desired by the
coal operators. ]. L. Lewis just help
ed along the scheme of the operators.
The coal operators are not making
any attempt to mine coal. There is
absolutely no need for it. John l..
Lewis knows this also. The strike has
been called for the express purpose OF
giving the coal operators an oppor-
tunity to utilize the cry about a coal
shortage to force the sale of inferior
grades of coal that has been accu-
mulated in the millions of tons in
the last two years. This coal which
in normal times is practically worth
less because NO market can be found
for it, is now due Ito the strike, be-
ing sold at exhorbitant prices. The
operators are coming millions of dol
lars while the miners are starving.
The operators are very thankful in
deed to John L. Lewis, because in adj
dition to affording them an opportun-
ity to sit back and pocket big profits,
]. L. Lewis has taken care that the
properties of the operators shall not
be damaged during the suspension.
He has made an agreement with the
operators to keep on the job the TO-
900 maintenance men whose business
it is to see that the mine properties
are repaired and kept in good shape.
The keeping of the maintenance men
on the job is a conspiracy on the
part of Lewis and the operators to
prevent any effective struggle on the
part of the miners against the opera
tors. 1t gives an opportunity for the
coal operators to continue the suspen-
sion for as many months as it is
necessary to dispose of their surplus
stocks. The operators are not con-
cerned about the starvation of the
miners that is taking place now be-
cause the store keepers have decided
not to grant credit to striking min
.ers and John L. Lewis who will not
starve and whose only object is to
sell out the miners, will hypocritically
assume a fighting attitude and per-
NIT the starving of the miners to
continue.
NOR what consideration has John
4 L. Lewis called this strike? Only
two demands actually were presented
to the operators. One for the check
or and the other for ten per cent
increase in wages. That Lewis will
not insist on an increase in wages is
2 apparent to every one acquainted with
the anthracite strike situation.
RI Lewis has entered into a conspiracy
with the coal operators at the expense
of the miners, the coal operators to
make millions in additional profits
and the Lewis machine in return to
get the check of. That is why there
are no picket lines around the mines.