The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-06
Great Merger OF Coal
Barons Calls for Bigger
Battles By the Workers

BY J. LOUIS ENoDAHL


TO-DAY, the dollar press halls with enthusiasm the merger
of coal companies controlling $50 mines $4,000
acres OF land n West Virginia having annual production
Twenty years ago, perhaps years ago." says
the Chicago Journal, 1.-THE American people would have
greeted that with the cutcy of monopoly
The journal faVors the monopoly, altho it claims to
flight for the people, 1t needs claim that 1.-THE pee
pu also in favor of it, that all they ask is what differ
will make in the price and the dependablty of fue?
The readers of the kept press bigthey informed
that monopolzation will make difference in their favor
that it will put the business rational basis, meaning
that it will eliminate strikes prevent shortage and bring
about system in admitted chaotic industry The coal
barons will doubt glad to have optimism of these
sheets smother the opposition if can, of the dear pee
pull sure, that is common pee-puI"
voted for when they decided to keep Coolidge in the White
House.
The assurance with which the announcement is made
that there will be middle class opposition to the growing
monopoly in coal, is confession that this class is getting
weaker rather than stronger LaFoette in entering the
presidential elections gabed that the middle class protest
getting stronger He is away in Florida now where he
Is doubt trying forget the local problem we'll
other questions in which he tried to interest the small bour
geoisie always the side of the capitalist SYSTEM however
With the admitted decline of the middle class from the
days when Teddy Roosevelt led his onslaught against "he
trusts" there is corresponding rise Of working class
strength and consciousness The great $00O00000 coal
mine merger is a challenge to all labor
1t is not accident that the of the merger
first from the Wall Street financial district in New York
City The firm that is pushing thru the merger has been
greatest effort.
1t is also easily understood why the merger brings to-
gether 80 small companies in the non-unon coal fields of
West Virginia in the vicinity of Famont Morgantown and
Carksburgh where of the bitter struggles be-
tween the mine workers and the mine have taken
place.
The gold of Wall Street supporting coal mine mergers
in West Virginia means strength to the ncn-uncn
mining interests. The West Virginia mine merger is
in the hands of open shop interests turnout the
whole mining industry
The consolidated company will eliminate competition,
such exists and it will help curta costs That
higher profits for the stockholders Reduced wages the
longer wokday and conditions of labor will also help
add to the profit mountain of which antstike fund
can easily be drawn This merger means more work for
cheap labor in non-union fields deness for the miners in
the organized fields where union wages and union cond
tons are in force.
ahead only for the coal miners of West Virginia. but for
all coal miners And what affects the coal miners also in
wolves the workers in all industries II the workers do not
foresee this the full realization of 1t will dawn upon them
with the development of each days and needs
There only way however, face the and bigger
battles That thru militant and intelligent organization,
politically and industrialy
John l. Lewis president of the Coal Miners Union is
the best ally Of the mine when he makes he
does, upon the Communist It is the Communists
who lead the drive for effective fighting winning United
Mine Workers Union. Such organization would
Lewis bureaucracy oughed into the discard Only the Com
munss point the way only to a mighty Miners Union,
but also to the seizure of all power by the whole working
class.
VIM Green former secretary-treasure of the Miners
Union the head of the American Federation of Labor
in Gompers' place. is in Manu. Florida, meeting with his
executive council He nothing extraordinary will be
considered at the meeting That that efforts
being made to resist the attacks being planned by the
exploters against the workers.
But the workers. under the lash of growing unempIoy
met wage cuts the longer Worday will realize that
ordinary measures necessary to resist this onslaught
They will that the Communists In their
analysis of the problem As result they will
Communists in spite of Lewis and Green and all their kind
for the leadership OF which they stand desperately need
in this hour when the master class consolidating its every
ounce of strength.