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


Pittsburgh following the American
Federation of Labor convention, to
outline plans to aid the United Mine
Workers of America.
By the time this conference meets
the coal strike will have been on more
than six months but this is the first
indication the official labor leader
ship has shown that the nationwide
attack on the most important union
in the A. F. of L. confronts the whole
labor movement with an eXtraordin-
airy emergency.
Unless extraordinary efforts are
put forth by the labor movement the
United Mine Workers Union will suf-
fer a defeat which it will take it
years to overcome and there is even
in the situation the grave probability
that the union will be destroyed.
The anthracite section of the union
where the bosses have not started an
open offensive as yet could not pos
sibly survive intact after the btu
minous miners had suffered a crush
ing defeat.
The latest figures on production,
compiled by the Federated Press
from the most authentic sources,
show, with telling force, the gravity
of the crisis.
Total production of bituminous
coal for August was 41,7O5,000 tons.
For the same month last year with
no strike on) it was 46,352OOO tons.
The strike therefore has decreased
production for the month of August
only 4,547000 tons, or approximately
10 per cent.
But still worse from the standpoint
of the labor movement, bituminous
tonnage is increasing. August ton
mage exceeded that of July by ap-
proXimately Is per cent. In the sixth
month of the strike, with winter near,
this is an ominous sign.
Not only in the non-union fields is
production on the increase but in the
union fields .as well. Indiana, always
considered part of the central COM
petitive field" union territory, pro
duced 100000 tons in August. Pro-
duction in the same month last year
was 100000 tons. The Indiana
mines therefore are within 100000
tons of normal production. August
production was practically twice that
of July when it was $4,000 tons.
If the Indiana figures are correct
it indicates that the strike has lost
its effectiveness in that state.
Illinois and Ohio are holding their
own. The strike in these two states
has reduced production approximate
ly 80 and rs per cent respectively.
Tonnage for Illinois for August
last year was 100000 in round fig
ures. Last month it was but 100000.
Yet this figure represents an increase
over July when only $4,000 tons
were mined.
Ohio tonnage for August of last
year was 2,O56,O0O. This year Au-
gust production was only 613,000
But here too there was a gain for the
operators over July tonnage of $685.
600.
In Pennsylvania, where August
tonnage last year was 100000, Au-
gust of this year shows a tonnage of
10,340,0 00-a reduction of 100000
tons. But August production shows
gain of 100000 tons over July
production.
The difference in the total tonnage
figures for the months of August of
this year and last is a matter of A.
$4,000 tons.
The decrease of production in Ohio
and Illinois as a result Of the strike
is 5,723,000 tons. There is a decrease
of 100000 tons in Pennsylvania due
to the strike and in Indiana, de-
crease of $4,000 tons.
The total reduction of tonnage in
these four states, where the union
was strongly established, is 7,763,000
tons.
But the gap between total national
tonnage in August, 1926, 1885, 900
tons, and total production for August
of this year, 41,7o5,OOO tons, is only
4,547,000 tons.
1t is clear therefore that the coal
barons, by one means and another,
have succeeded in discounting by g.
100000 tons the strike Of the union
in the best organized fields.
Where does this coal come from?
ons to render a strike Of the United
Mine Workers, which in 1919 was
able practically to paraylse coal pro-
duction, so completely ineffective?
The answer to these two questions
not only shows in clear relief the pro-
cesses by which the attack on the
miners union has been developed but
it also shows the complete bankrupt
cy of the Lewis machine now in con-
troll of the United Mine Workers.
Eastern Kentucky produced in Au-
gust of last year, 100000 tons. In