The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-05-30
T..U. Ell. DRAWS
LARGE GROUP TO
LOCAL MEETING
u. S. Mining and British
Minority Discussed


Chicago's regular monthly Trade
Union Educational League meeting
held at Northwest Hall on Wednesday
was the largest and most enthusiastic
gathering Of its kind held in many
months. Besides the usual reports of
industrial groups, there was talk on
the situation among the miners by
Alex Reid, and one on the British
minority movement by William q.
Foster.
Alex Reid, the Miner.
Alex Reid, national secretary Of the
Progressive Miners Committee, is
eminently At to lead the progressive
miners Of this country. He was born
in Braceville, Grundy county, ILL.,, and
his forebears were also miners. Reid
has worked as q miner for twenty
nine years and for the last ten years
has held various offices in district or
CARNATIONS, most in Illinois. He has
travelled over most of the United
States and part of Canada and is per-
sonally acquainted with the conditions
in all the various districts Of the
United Mine Workers of America, as
we'll as In the unorganized field.
Describes Mining Conditions.
Reid gave a sketch of the condi-
tons among the miners at the present
time, stating that it is doubtful
whether these have ever been worse
in regards to unemployment, hours of
labor, working conditions and earn
ings. He showed the decline of the
industry since the war, the tremen-
dous overdeYelopment of the industry,
the drift of coal production from the
UNION to the non-union fields. Also he
described the decline Of the union, the
establishment Of company unions and
the consequent deterioration of the
conditions for which the miners had
fought in such a splendid, militant
manner.
Reid states that until the mine
workers in the United States and
Canada are completely organized
there is no hope of improving this
state Of affairs. The so-called organ
ization campaign of the U. NJ. w. of
A. in West Virginia and the other I'M
organized sections is Joke. Militant
leaders are needed to direct the
miners in their fight and the U. M.
w. Of A. officials are more anxious to
help the bosses than to furnish fight
ing leadership to the workers.
Progressive Miners Program.
The program Of the progressive
miners to meet the situation in the
coal industry must be realized in or
der that the workers may be relieved
Of the intolerable conditions under
which they now live and work.
This program calls for a six-hour
day week to equally divide available
work to all miners. Unemployment
insurance to care for the unemployed,
the same to be taken from the profits
of the industry and paid thru the
union. Minimum wage to guarantee
the miners a living when they do
work. Naturalization and workers
control Of the mining industry, and
labor party composed of the unions
and based on platform of immediate
and concrete demands.
Foster Sees Big Developments in
Great Britain.
| The second special feature was the
report on the British minority move
ment by William 2. Foster, who at
tended the minority movement confer
ence recently held in London. He
pointed out that this is tremendous
movement of the rank and file which
is forcing the more progressive lead
ers into left position.
The formation of the Anglo-Russian
unity committee, the recently pub.
lished report of the British trads
union delegation on Soviet Russia, and
the contemplated visit of Purcell to
the United States, will have a deep
effect on developments within the
American Federation of Labor.
T. U. {. L. viii Grow
The Trade Union Educational Lea
que must take advantage of the
coming revival of militancy in the
trade unions in the United States to
build thhe T. U. e. l.. into a mass
left wing movement.
The response of the 800 militants
present at the meeting promises great
doings for the future. Every left wing
er should make it his business to be
present at these general group meet
ings which are held the last Wednes-
day OF each month at the Northwest
Hall, corner of North and Western
avanuaa