The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-14
ALBA, IOWA, is
FORCED TO KNEEL
TO KING COAL"
Miners Seek an Escape
from Economic Ills
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neither city water, gas, sewers nor
sidewalks, except before a few houses
where prosperity had smiled for over
a month at some time in the distant
past. Many of the s'homes" seem to
have been put together on the install
ment plan, others show resourceful-
ness and ingenuity in making much
out of little.
From the outside the miners
shacks. in the large majority of cases
look like the town OF Lost Hope"
Inside, however, the women folks con-
trive to bring comfort and cleanliness
that seems unbelievable.
In Hiteman they have pre-high
school as well as grade school.
There are six churches, at one time
there were 10, and every fraternal
society in the land seems to have a
lodge there. There are so many
knights and ladies, kings daughters,
| worshipful masters, noble grands and
kleagles in that small village that no
knight-errant of st. George could ever
hope to keep track of them. Nothing
short Of six emblems, including the
masonic or columbus knights will
ever get you anywhere in Hiteman
and that often means job.
Miners Union a Shadow Now.
The terrible struggles that the mine
| Nuorloro bova coma kh~,, l., &ho ,,oe4 -,
build up and preserve their union,
which in the camps was the social
and educational center of activity,
filling their lives with dignity, resolu-
ton, fraternity and culture develop
ment. Now the union has become
sort of necessary burden upon them,
empty when they would fill their lives
with pleasant association; dry when
they would drink from the fountain of
music and mirth. Their union that
was so much to them has now become
shadow. The church cannot fill the
void in their lives and so they join
not one but many fraternal societies
that are supposed to be somewhat e1O
elusive. These give him dignity, So
liability, fraternity, music and mirth.
The women become kings daugh-
tiers" or join some other order with
thigh" sounding name, but they still
tend to the comforts of the king"
and the chief attraction at all gath
erings, as in the times when the un-
ion was the social center; when John
was simply John and not king kleagle.
When struggle comes the union
once more takes on substance and is
the center of activity in the camps.
Titles are laid on the shelf and John
is once more brother and comrade in
the fight for all.
Discouraged-Not Yet Rebellious.
The long drawn out struggle against
oppression, unemployment and pow
erty has dampened the splendid fight
ing spirit of the coal diggers. Danger
and hardship continues without res
pite. Part time keeps him in poverty
and unemployment, like death, stalks
him at all times. There are too
many mines and two hundred thous-
and surplus miners" it has been said,
therefore, the coal digger is without
hope and so the union becomes a
shadow, the six-hour day a dream and
the miners, together with every mem
Der of the working class in America is
weakened and discouraged.
One mine employed 800 miners our
ing the war, now but 20 are employed.
All thru this territory are deserted
homes and some camps with so or
100 houses have been abandoned
Coal is being shipped into this ter
ritory from other fields. The railroad
'brotherhoods" at FIT. Dodge have a
large coal depot, their members are
Z active statesmen for coal from their
non-union fields in West Virginia.
More coal sold, more dividends on
their investment in the Brotherhood
Bank. Mephostophelian brothers who
for dollars and cents condemn the
soul of the miners to the damned.
6oIsheviks' Message Of Hope.
A series Of meetings have been ar
ranged by the Workers Party in this
territory starting with Abba on Wed.
nesday, Feb. %, at the Woodman
Hall; Centerville on Thursday, Feb.
rs at the Labor Hall, over lBrody's
Store or north side of square, and
meetings at Mystic. Cincinnati and
Brazil yet to be arranged.
Speakers will be David Coutts, .ac-
tive member Of Omaha Stone Cutters
Union, and J. e. Snyder, district or.
ganizer Of the Workers Party. Admis-
sion will be free and the subject of
the speakers willa'be unemployment,
child labor, open Shop Drive" and
a Workers and Farmers Govern.
mani