The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-25

area rate even less than the 1917
scale is being paid.
The Paisley interests, with extern
sive holdings in this territory have but
recently decided to vigorously emulate
their brother robbers by indulging in
bit of extensive understanding and
persecution of the workers employed
by them, by openly repudiating the
contract and operating their mines
scab, importing scab labor, evicting
wholesale all miners who refuse to
scab, who live in the shacks called
houses" by the coal company.
A General Policy
All this is but in line with the gem
eral policy of the bituminous operat-
ors to smash the miners union, which
is the only barrier of protection Of
the workers, lower their wage scale
and worsen their working. conditions,
not content with the already great
dividends made possible by the blood
and suffering of these exploited min
ers.
This concern owns four large mines
in Elm Grove, Yves Virginia. AS an
experiment they selected the Boyd
mine to start on. Using the very
fiimsy excuse that the workers re-
fused to accept their pay monthly,
while the contract specifies semi
monthly, the company declared lock-
out. This minor infraction of the
contract was but utilized to gently
prepare the miners for the ultimate
cut in wages.
Merely An Excuse.
The lockout was declared, on the
basis of the excuse of the workers
refusal to accept monthly pays. The
mine re-opened on a scab basis, state
cossacks were transferred to point
near the mine where their services
could be utilized efficiently by the
bosses in case the workers did not
act according to Hoyle.
The workers who refused to return
to work under scab conditions were
served with eviction notices. Mean
while the bosses poured a steady
stream of propaganda to the workers
as to the wonders and beauties of life
and work under their new" contract.
The workers refused to work and
they also refused to move, declaring
that it is just as well to starve fight
ing as to starve shaving for ruthless
exploiters.
Quite evident is the fact that the
bosses have more reasons for going
scab than the refusal to accept pay
monthly" At the time of the reopen
ing of the mines, Joseph Awkwright,
a mine official, made a statement to
the effect that
The Usual Poverty Of the Rich.
I'VE have found it impossible to
pay the union scale and operate our
mines, due to the low price of coal
and competition of non-union mines.
All former employees will get prefer
ence If they apply for work before
wednesday. Those who do not apply
will be required to vacate company
houses" He added that the wage cut
was about $3.50 per day per employe.
In the absence Of assistance from
the district and international union,
rank and file members of the local
union are fighting their own case.
Fifty-seven miners will carry their
case to the circuit court in Wheeling
in an effort to restrain the company
from evicting them from the houses.
The Sub-District Union inttmates the
union may" attempt to secure an in
junction restraining the company
from breaking the contract. The ut
ter fallacy of this is quite obvious
when one considers the class charac-
ter of the West Virginia courts. Sew
eraI local unions just now are at
tempting this method in Monongalia
county but they are having little sue
cess.
officladom Destroying Union.
With two-thirds of the industry UNI
organized, and day by day the union