The daily worker., 1927-05-25
Report of John Brophy
Continued from last issue)
Iniunctions-Private Guards.

Al VLNNi W pdb ONSi WIldL appeared
to be a concerted drive on the part
Of a large number of operators in
functions were secured in several
counties, Interfering with peaceful
picketing and denying to the strikers
the ordinary rights OF citizenship
Evictions OF striking miners from
company houses were carried on on
a large scale in many places. Private
guard systems We're employed by
these contract-abrogating companies.
and then proceed at once to strength
en- them
In fact they used every possible
means TO intimidate and coerce the
miners into accepting a reduction in
wages. In some cases old union men
finally broke away and accepted the
reduced rates; in others they were
able to import men from other places
in sufficient numbers to resume oper-
ations.
During these troublesome months
in addition to the task of assisting
and directing the work of the Board
Members and organizers generally
throughout the district and preparing
and issuing public statements both
in reply to operators letter, and in
protest against their action l attended
scores of mass meetings at strategic
points in an effort to stem the open
shop drive. Many days had to be
spent in conference with attorneys
and in court in an attempt to pre-
serve the rights of the miners as
citizens, and to Illustrate frame-ups
which were planned to railroad active
strikers to Jail. Whenever it seemed
that my presence on the picket line
would have any beneficial effect up
on the morale of our people made
it a point to be there.
District No. 2 a Buffer.
District No. is surrounded on
practically all sides by non-union coal
operations which makes of it a buffer
district for the Central Competitive
Field. We We're among the first of
the exposed districts to receive the
impact of the open shop drive. We
were on the firing line months before
the drive was felt in most of the Cen
tral Competitive Field,
We met all of this pressure and
strain imposed on the district out of
the check-off until November 1925,
when taking care Of evicted families,
paying relief to striking miners and
securing legal aid to fight injunctions
exhausted the district surplus and
district assessment was levied for
several months.
The fight waged by District No. 2
was not only fight to maintain the
contract here but also a fight to pre-
serve and maintain the Jacksonville
agreement throughout the entire I'M
ion jurisdiction. The district, however,
with a sadly reduced taxpaying men,
bership, financied and supported the
fight almost entirely unaided.
S549,O93.2S to National.
It is interesting to note that during
these three years of conflict in addi-
tion to the district obligations, the
local unions of this district paid to
the International in taxes and assess
ment $549,093.24. The financial as
sistance we received from the Inter
national during the same period was
a donation of $1,000 to the victims Of
two mine explosions and a loan to
the district union Of $4,000.
Because of nlis-statements made at
the International Convention, whether
through ignorance or through malice,
about the standing of District Two,
1 feel it is important to show in this
report that District Two has just as
great a proportion of loyal union min
ers as has any other district where
great pressure has been brought to
bear upon them. The statements
made and impressions given at the
International Convention, make it ap-
pear that District Two was the only
district where great losses of men,
bership occurred. But what is the
true state of affairs? We can obtain
it by comparing the secretary-treas-
urer's reports for the different years.
For example;
Average Tax Paving Membership.