The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-28
By WINIFRED R. MOOERs.

DENVER, (FP) 1.-THE first victory
in the coal strike hearing which open
ed before the state industrial com
mission went to the miners, when the
commission granted their request and
ruled that operators must submit cer-
titled copies of their payrolls for the
wear ending August 1927; certified
copies of their last income tax re
turns; and that assessors in the coun-
ties in which coal mines are located
must present data on the assessed
valuation Of the mines in their re-
spective counties.
Frank Palmer, Federated Press cor
respondent, who was arrested without
warrant at a mass meeting of strik
ers, farmers and business men in
Longmont Thursday night by the mil
itia, is still being held in the Greeley
Jail without charges. A writ Of hab-
cas- corpus was filed in his behalf this
afternoon by Guy d. Duncan, attor-
.-aer for the Civil Liberties Union
which is investigating the abroga-
tion of constitutional rights in the
strike, particularly with reference to
militia activities.
Although Fred Farrar, general
counsel for the Colorado Fuel & Iron
CO., had announced at roll call that
he was present as an observer only,
he took an active part III Directing to
the commissions ruling, asserting
that the operators could not be forced
to submit income tax statements. The
operators were granted 80 days in
which to present the required data,
but the taking of evidence will con-
tinues and the hearing will not be
suspended for 80 days, as asked by the
operators.
Although only northern operators
were officially present at the hear
ing this morning, developments al
ready indicate that the real battle
will be between the miners and the
C. F. & l. Most Of the bitterness of
the strikers is directed against the
C. F. & l., and it is believed that the
other operators will follow their lead
in whatever agreement they may
make.
The miners are asking for the Jack
s,onville wage scale. with basic wage
Of SIS a day in the northern fields,
the enforcement of ten state mining
laws which are being violated, and
the remedying of the VIGOROUSLY bad
working conditions in the mines.
Fred S. Caldwell, former assistant
attorney general, is acting as chief
counsel for the strike committee, with
Ed Delaney, of the defense commit
tee. as assistant counsel. These two,
with Tom Connors, secretary Of the
executive committee Of the striking
miners, are leading the miners side
of the case.
Meanwhile legal efforts are being
made to obtain the release Of men
held in Jail who are needed as min
ers' witnesses in the hearing. The
strikers charge that the recent raids
and arrests by the national guard
have been for the purpose of inter-
fcring with the strikers case, since
valuable witnesses have been jailed
and documents intended for evidence
at the hearing seized
J. B. Childs who was released from
the Walsenburg Jail Friday after
noon and rearrested at the l. w. w
hall after he had demanded that the
officers secure warrant was brought
to Denver Saturday and lodged in the
Getty jail until this morning, when he
=. as arraigned on charge Of vag-
.ey and sentenced to 90 days. The
10y will be appealed and it is be-
Is that he will be released, on the
pose ids that he had been confined in
Vol during his entire stay in Denver
aand had provided no grounds for the
vagrancy charge.