The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-27
PEABODY COAL
co. TO IMPORT
NON-UNION COAL
To Pour 3,OOO,O 900 Tons
Into Ohio District
By LELAND oLDs, Federated Press.

BY LELAND oLDs, Federated Press.
The Peabody Coal company plans
to pour 100000 tons of non-union
coal year into territory north of the
Ohio river formerly served by the
union miners of Illinois and Indiana.
This announcement explains the re-
cent closing Of big Peabody mines
around Kincaid, ILL.,, and in the south
ern part of the state. It means that
the offensive Of organized capital
against the United Mine Workers,
which began after the 1922 strike, is
entering the final stage.
Peabody coal has always been con-
sidered a union concern. Now, ac-
cording to its announcement, it has
contracted for the exclusive distribu-
tion of seven big non-union mines in
Muhlenberg and Webster counties.
Kentucky, with capacity of 10,700
tons day. The coal will be dis
tributed in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota,
the Dakotas, Kansas and Nebraska.
Low Wage Scales.
The mines included in the deal were
originally union mines, but broke
from the union in 1924 and have since
been operating on the 1917 wage
scale. This means, according to a
representative of the Peabody COM
pany, that the miners are paid 47c a
ton instead of the S1.08 rate paid in
Illinois. The Chicago Journal'of Com
merce says:
''The entry of the company into the
nonunion field has a significance in
the labor situation in the highly or
ganized fields of Illinois, where the
majority Of the Peabody properties
are located. Half of the Illinois mines
have been closed because production
costs were too high under the Jack
sonville wage agreement.
Mines Close Down.
According to the Illinois depart
ment OF mines only 255 of the total
of 4O2 shipping mines that operated
at any time during the preceding four
years worked at all during the year
ended June 80, 1925. A recent survey
shows that of these 255 mines ap-
proximately $50 are now in opera
ton"
Black Diamond, the leading journal
of the industry, asserts that "the re-
cent deal made by the Peabody Coal
company for the product Of number
of western Kentucky mines is bearing
out the expressed belief of several
coal men that a good many mines in
Indiana and Illinois will make no eff
fort to run this summer on the Jack
sonville wage scale and that large
handlers will go to Kentucky for sup
plies"
How western Kentucky is undersell-
ing Illinois is shown in the following
figures, which include mine price plus
freight TO Chicago;
Price Of W.Ky. s. III. Cent. III.
Lump .....s3.7O-4.2O $4.55-495 s4.O5-4.sO
Egg.......... 3.SO-4.O5 4.70 $50
Nut............. S.45-S.S5 4.45 3.65-3.9O
Mine run. 31O-3.55 4.30-445 $50
Screenings 3.00.S.2O 3.60-S.95 3.O5-3.15
Union Organization Needed.
This situation emphasizes the fact
hat union miners are up against a
stone wall so long as the big fields In
Kentucky and West Virginia remain
According TO Black Dia-
nond, the union will have hard time
n western Kentucky. II points to the
act that "a considerable amount of
Negro labor is employed which does
lot care about unions, but merely for
'ayrolls coming steadily" and adds
hat "the 1924 strike in western Ken.
lucky was lost and the strikers forced
back to work as result OF lack Of
strike benefits"