The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-02
miner LEADERS
JOIN DRIVE TO
SELL MORE COAL
But They Neglect to
Boost Union
~ a Worker Correspondent.


PEORIA, ILL.,, Oct. 31.-The local as
ISOLATION or commerce, in collabora-
ton with leaders Of the Peoria sub.
district Of United Mine Workers, is in
the midst Of campaign to sell more
Peoria dug coal in order to put more
miners to work. The object of the
association Of commerce is to better
business for storekeepers. Three mil
lion dollars more per year would be
spent by the miners with local mer-
chants if the miners worked full time.
Don't Mention Union.
It should be the aim of the local
sub-district to put more union miners
to work, but the word union" Is never
mentioned by the campaign commit
tee, just Peoria dug COAL" If Warner
Pye, president of the Peoria sub-dis-
trict, really had the union miners at
heart he would see to it that union
dug coal' was boosted and not CO.
operate with the local Rabbits, with
the hope that in so doing the cam
paign would indirectly benefit the
union miners he represents.
AS one union miner puts it, TITS the
little mines like the scab Hilltop mine
that are eating the benefit of the
campaign. Most of the union dug coal
goes to the Rock Island road, which
uses about million tons a year. The
railroad uses it because it makes bet
ter steam coal, and not because it is
dug by union miners. If more union
dug coal is sold it's because Of the
cold snap we are having"
Coal Dealers In On II.
A glance at the names of the men
on the campaign subcommittee will
reveal why the association of com
merce is sponsoring this campaign.
There is Herold Moffett, sales man
ager for Dooley Bros. Coal Co.; Rob-
ert Ronk, superintendent for the
Hanna City Mining Co., and George
Deemy, superintendent for the Cres-
cent Coal Co. What's the use of ad-
vertising unless it brings in more
profits for yourself? The local OPP
orators expect to gain by the cam
paign. The advantage for the union
miners will be incidental.
AS matters stand now, retail dealers
report that they have not noticed any
marked effects of the campaign so far.
Peoria industrialists, long noted for
their hatred Of union labor, use scab
coal because it pays them to do so.
And even if scab coal from Kentucky
would cost more, and it doesn't, be-
cause of cheap labor and low freight
rates, they would sooner use it than
put union labor to work.
Still Talk of harrington.
Expressions of hatred for Frank
Harrington are heard on every hand.
The militant miners of this district
are incensed over his betrayal, more
particularly because of his statement
that the miners of Illinois should ac-
cept a reduction in pay in order that
union dug coal might compete with
scab coal. A local miner sums up the
case like this: Frank Harrington is
where he belongs, with the coal opera
tors. He should take Fishwick and
Sneed with him; they are his right
hand men and are as much in the mud
now as he was. All this talk about
reduction in pay is bunk. Suppose We
get only so cents ton instead OF
s1.15, coal would be only about so
cents a ton cheaper. That is not
enough of reduction to compete with
scab coal. The only policy to pursue
is a real trade unionist one, and that
is organize the scab miners. Bring
them up to our standard; do not lower
ourselves to theirs"