The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-01
RApGOOD'S LOCAL
DEMANDS SEATING
OF ITS DELEGATE
Proves Progressive Is
Real Union Miner
CONTINUED from Page y

Continued from Page y
technicality on which to disbar HIM
from membership. In the last live
local unions where he had been al
member the books were complete and
satisfactory as far as his record was
concerned, but after hunting for
weeks these international appointees
found that the Recording Secretary
Of Locol Union 1886, Nanty-Gld, Pa,
in March, 1921, had forgotten 60 re-
cord on his minute book that a trans
fer card had been deposited by Pow
ers Hapgood, when he moved from
District 81, Montana, to Pennsyl-
varia. This was their opportunity.
The facts that the books of the
financial secretary and treasurer
showed that brother Hapgood wasl
paying dues 20 the Nanty-Glo local
union at that time and that he re.
ceived a transfer card from that local
on June %, 1921, made no difference
to these international appointees who
had been sent to disqualify brother
Hapgood.
Local Clears Him.
"A week later Powers Hapgood
was placed on trial before a sub-com-
mittee of the Gailitzin Local Union,
and full stenographic record was
taken Of the proceedings The COM
mittee concurred in International Or
ganizer Ely's charges on the basis Of
the fact that there .was no record of
his transfer card in the recording
secretary's book Of Nanty-Glo, butt
the local union after hearing the evil
dence presented by international Or
ganizer Ely and brother HapgoOGs
defense unanimously rejected the
Committees report and sustained
report and sustained Brother Hap
goods membership without even the
committee itself voting against
him.
CressOn Local Elects.
"ln the meantime Brother Hapgood
left his job at Gallitzin and started
work digging coal in tho Cresson
Shaft on heading stumps and trans
ferred to our local union. We elected
him as our delegate to the Inter-
national Convention.
"The District Executive Board did
not meet until January 18th, and
then it was a foregone conclusion
that it would sustain international
Organizer Ely's appeal, for nine out
Of the twelve members of the Board
are under the control of the Inter-
national administration and do every
thing it wishes. They voted nine to
three to sustain Ely's appeal, there
by declaring Brother Hapgood a
"non-member" of the L. NJ. w. of A.
This action was taken just a week
before the convention, so that it was
too late to get a decision from the
international Executive Board. (The
Credentials Committee bases its de-
cision on this action.)
Ridiculous Charges.
"All fair minded mine workers can
readily understand how flimsy and
ridiculous are the charges used by
the international officials through
their servant International Organi-
ger Ely to disqualify Brother Hap
good. Why would man like Brother
Hapgood refuse to pay initiation fee
to the Nanty-Glo local union when
he has always given even more than
he was required to the union and
when as an organized in 1922 he re-
fused TO accept his wages during the
national strike for month before
they were finally cutoff all district
officials by the Executive Board and
did not again accept wages as an
organizer until the month after the
Cleveland settlement? The answer
is that he entered Nanty-Glo on
good transfer card and the fact it is
not recorded on the minutes book isl
due to carelessness on the part Of the
recording secretary ut that time who
has since left the mines. Many sec
rataries of many local unions often
fail to record motions TO accept trans
fer cards and nothing is ever done
about it.
"Why would Local Union 1886,
Nanty-Glo, have received dues and
given him transfer card unless he
was a bona1fide member of that local
union?
"Why was he allowed to be in good
standing for nearly six years after
that and be an organizer for year
and half and no charges were made
until he spoke his mind freely con-
corning the conduct of our Inter-
national officials in allowing so much
of our union TO be lost and defended
the larger program" of John
Brophy?
"Wp therefore anneai IN thia rom