The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-09-21
BY HARVEY o'coNNoR,
Federated Press.


BY HARVEY o'coNNoR,
Federated Press.
JACKSONVILLE, Ohio - (FP)
$4,000 workers in central and south.
ern Ohio claim coal mining as their
occupation, but only 5000 are actually
working In the mines. OF these a mere
fraction work or days week. At
least 1000 regard themselves forum
ate to get / to 4 days work a week.
These Fl elds embrace the Hooking
Valley and Cambridge sub-distr1cts OF
District 6, United Mine Workers.
where thousands of miners have not
dug or loaded coal for years. In
probably 30 field was suffering more
intense last winter, as cold and misery
swept down on icy winds from the
north, than in the valleys of the
Hooking Eub-district. Union relief
failed to save miners families from
want This winter, with relief funds
so low thllt even the pitifully small
So week payments may be discon-
tinued, no part of America viii pres
ent more abject picture of destitu-
ton than the valley where the United
Mine Workers Of America was born
and Graded.
Operators Drive.
Big operators, union by compulsion
but non-union at the first opportunity,
have picked Hooking Valley as the
second sub-district where unionism
will fall. Last winter they conspired
with hunger to drive the union out OF
Pomeroy Bend and this winter they
plan to conquer this field. Already
Pittsburgh coal, successful at Pome,
roy, is opening one of its Hooking
mines. rs scabs were sneaked into
the pit, but the picketing Of the union
men and women down the county road
along which the scabs had to march
proved too much and operation ceased
for the time. A second effort was
made a week later, but with No more
success.
Unlike their brothers around Bel
laire on the Ohio river, where the
steel mills take up thousands Of job
less miners, the Hooking Valley men
have only the brick and clay plants
which dot this section on which to
rely for outside employment. Many
have thus been absorbed, while road
work has taken others. Thousands
have left Akron, Cleveland, Toledo
and Detroit
Exodus impossible.
But a general exodus is impossible.
Most Of the men own their homes, ut
terly valueless because there is no
one TO buy them in these isolated in
dustry towns. II they leave for the
industrial cities, they must support
themselves and send money home TO
their families. Aside from the cruelty
Of family separation, they find that II
is impossible to make enough to exist
this way. Nor can they move their
families to the big city, for the men
are penniless. And above all, employ
ment possibilities in the north are
limited. Those who get jobs in the
tire and auto industries find the close
ly-bossed, monotonous work so Calling
that they give il up in despair or re-
volt. and return to the mining fields
TO exc out livelihood in some man
ner.
Wont Take Cut
Nevertheless these union miners
don't intend to take a cut Not a
bit Of good" asserts Harry Bishop
Jones, who led the Hooking Valley
miners in knights OF Labor strikes
long before the L. NJ w. OF A. had
been thought Of ''Why. back in "a
they induced MS to take a cut. We
'co-operated' Then forced us to Co
operate some more until we were
working for 20 cents a day. Here in
Shawnee. where the miners union was
first started, we have too many old
timers who remember that one cut
only means another. Never trust an
operator"
Cambridge. with 5000 union miners.
reports but $500 working. while
Hooking Valley. with 1000 members.
reports the same number. Pomeroy
has 200 working ont OF several thous-
and Ohio collieries the biggest opera
tor, rotates work by running mine
a month out OF 6. Cambridge collieries.
with half a dozen mines normally EN-.
ploying 1900, are completely shut
down Manhattan. with more. Is run.
ming small pits. Sunday Creek Is
the only bright spot. with several big
mines going Work is picking up now.
due to the British situation and the
opening OF fall domestic demand. but
the end OF the overseas coal lookout
win radically change the valleys
situation for the worse.