The daily worker., 1927-01-29
Developments at Miners
Convention Important to
All American Labor
Pv 7 t0Iuc ENcnAuI
BY J. LOUIS ENGDAHL.

COME of our readers take the
Oattitude that too much space is
being given to the convention of the
Miners Union now being held in
Indianapolis.
There is no way Of measuring
Just how widespread this feeling
is. The fact that it exists, how
ever, is proof enough that more,
not less, space should be given to
this historic gathering, the devel-
opments Of which are vital to the
whole American labor movement.
and bear directly upon the interna-
tional working class struggle. The
refusal of the Lewis administration
to come to the assistance Of the
British coal strike, for instance, had
a great deal to do with the defeat
of that important labor effort.
Only as the labor movement in
the metropolis acquaints itself
with the problems of the workers
in the great basic industries, of
which the mining industry is one
Of the most important, will it be
possible to solidify and thus
strengthen American organized la
Dor, in which the New York trade
unions should play an important
part.
The United Mine Workers of
America is the largest trade union
in this country, in spite of its dim
inishing membership. There was q
time when it had close to 100000
members. This has dropped to
nearly, quarter million. 1t is or
ganized OH an industrial basis, in-
cluding all workers in and around
the mines, from breaker boys to
machine runners, and no matter
whether they mine anthracite or
bituminous coal. The organization
extends into Canada and for time
maintained close connections in
Mexico. An effort w made at one
time to bring in the metal miners
also. In the pre-war days this union
had left wing, without the least
bit of organization, possessing a
pre-war socialist ideology. Nearly
20 years ago the Miners Union de-
clared for "the specialization Of the
means Of production and distribu-
tion," which was hailed at that time
as an acceptance of the Socialist
program. Frank ]. Hayes, who
long had been a member of the So
cialist party, in 1910 became inter
national vice-president. Socialists
were strong in many districts, hold
ing high official positions.
1t is no accident, therefore, that
this union, organized on an indus
trial basis, the largest organization
of labor, with a membership that
has been touched somewhat by So
cialist principles, should be the
backbone Of the American labor
struggle. The left wing that strug-
giles .valiantly, thru its chosen
spokesmen today at Indianapolis, is
the steel rod stiffening this spine.
No worker, no matter what his
task, can fail to thrill at the fight
being made by John Brophy, Will
liam Stevenson, William Brennan,
Powers Hapgood. Alex Howat, Pat
Toohey and all the rest. They are
battling as much for the needle
trades worker, the building trades
unionist, the railroader and the
steel worker, as they are for the
coal miners. If the opposition in the
Miners Union can be crushed, if an
expulsion policy can be successfully
carried out in this organization,
then the n-Woll-Lewis-S -Sigman
clique of black reaction can ride
rough shod over the left wing in
every union.
For the socialists are today in
close compact, thru Sigman and
Kaufman, with the Lewis reaction,
helping lewis fight his battles
\