The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-29

decrease IN the normal tonnage OF
these four states alone is 100000
tons.
A glance at the production figures
for West Virginia and Kentucky,
comparing August, 1926, and August
1927, shows that the difference be-
tween 100000 tons, the total cut in
tonnage in the four states of Illinois,
Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania, and
the total decrease nationally, due to
the strike, 4,547,OO0 tons, is more
than made up by the increase of pro-
duction in West Virginia and Ken
tucky-3,248,000 tons.
The unorganized districts are
breaking the strike-just as the coal
barons calculated, just as the Com
munists and the left wing in the min
ers' union said they would if the
Lewis machine continued the criminal
policy of fighting the militant ele-
ments in the union and making moth
ing but pretense of organizing
West Virginia and Kentucky
The total production of West Viz
ginia and Kentucky for the month of
August was 21,580,000 tons-mOre
than so per cent of the total national
production of 41,705,O00 tons.
If to non-union production in West
Virginia and Kentucky-21, $4,000
tons--we add Pennsylvania non
union production of 10,340,000 tons,
we get 31,920,000 tons Of the. total
national production of $4,000
tons-representing a generous Is per
cent national production.
A child can see that if this relation
ship of forces continues the strike
will not only be lost but the United
Mine Workers of America will suffer
an overwhelming defeat
The union will either be wiped out
completely in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
and Pennsylvania, its strongest CEN
tiers, or it will be crippled for very
long period.
In Illinois and Ohio, exactly because
these are the strongest union dis
tricts, the drive of the coal barons
is becoming more intense.
Federal injunctions of a most
sweeping character authorizing Uni
ted States marshals to swear in as
many deputies as necessary to aid the
operators have been issued.
The Illinois operators, according to
latest reports, are to open their
mines at a wage scale $3.50 below
the Jacksonville contract rate.
Desperate struggles are taking
place, in which the miners, their
wives and their children, are forced
to meet the most modern, deadly and
barbarous methods of warfare used
by the police forces and the gunner
of the coal barons.
There are already at least a hun
dred miners indicted and facing long
jail terms.
The strike is in its sixth month yet
there is no relief and defense
machinery set up by the union Off
Gals which can appeal on a nation
wide scale in behalf of the union and
it's members.
The role of local, state and national
government in this great struggle, in
volving the life of the miners union,
is clear-it is behind the coal barons
and against the miners. .
Not a single one of the friends of
labor" elected to public office has so
far said one word in favor of the
miners and against the campaign to
smash their union.
This being the situation the Pitts
burgh conference, called quite OBJ
viously because of the critical situa-
ton confronting the whole labor
movement as a result of the attack
on its most important union, has the
duty Of adopting program which
will rally all forces that can be mobil-
ized against an offensive which is in
essence the first move in a drive
against the American working class
on all fronts.
If there is any honesty and will tc
fight to save the unions left in off
cial labor circles, it will show itself
in the Pittsburgh conference. Fol-
the American labor movement the
calling of such a conference has deep
significance.
Not since March, 1917, when labor
officialdom met to issue its declara-
ton of allegiance to the war program
of American Imperialism, has such
conference been called.
More than ten years after labor
officialdom climbed onto the chariot
of the house of Morgan and joined in
the "war to make the world safe fol
democracy" it is forced again to call
an extraordinary conference = this
time to devise ways and means of
saving from destruction before the
attack of American capitalism, the
union which is the backbone of the
labor movement.
Surely no more biting comment on
the price of official treason paid by
the working class need be made here.
Just as in 1917, the threat of war
hovers over the American working
class. The attack on the miners, in