The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-01
POLICE ATTEMPT
TERROR TACTICS
AT GATHERING
McGarry Victory Will
Be His Destruction
lBg a Worker Correspondent

PITTSTON, Pa. (By MaiD.-
Pittston, in District No. l of the
United Mine Workers of America,
has been known as the center of
militancy, where miners and mine
workers put up a fight against the
coal companies, contractors and their
servants, the reactionary union Off
Gals. Cappellini came from Pitts
ton. He came to power as district
president by giving lip service to the
mine workers who fought for elimi-
nation of the contractor system and
for establishment of union ,condi-
tons in the mines of the Pennsyl-
vania coal companies. Cappellini
betrayed the miners during his per-
iod as district president. He served
the contractor system and the Cap
panies. The miners of Pittston
once more came to the fight against
the contractor syste mand the Cap
pellini-Lewis machine. McGarry
became a president of the district,
elected by the insurgent convention,
which declared for the elimination of
the contractor system, elimination of
the coal companies influence and
corruption in the union, and for
equalization of work.
Miners and mine workers in col
lieries No. 8 and No. ID of the Penn
sylvania Coal Company, in Pittston,
have been on strike for the past few
days, demanding recognition of the
newly elected officials of the local
unions and for seniority rights of
mine workers as the company began
to practice giving work to the men
whom it brings from other places to
replace the local miners. The COM
pany practically declared lockout.
In colliery No. 6 local No. 1909
worked only SO days since January.
This colliery is also locked out. The
miners under the leadership of the
Save-the- Union movement put up
demand for general strike under
the Pennsylvania Coal Company to
force the company to eliminate the
contractor system and establish
union conditions. A resolution to
that effect was presented by James
Lamarca and seconded by Charles
Licata in Local No. 1908. McGarry
tabled the motion. Then the ques-
ton came up in the general body. 1t
was defeated by the vancouver of
the McGarry faction.
The miners did not give up the
fight and modified their forces
once more in an effort to declare a
general strike. At the meeting of
the general grievance committee of
the Pennsylvania Coal Company held
this Saturday, July 28, delegates I'M
der the leadership of Sam Licata
put up stiff fight for general
strike. Hundreds of miners assem-
bled in and around the hall, dis
cussing the matter and expressing
their willingness to fight, pressing
a general strike. Pittston police
with black-jacks continuously dis
persed the crowd and elected from
the hall those whom McGarry dis
liked. Sergeant Tom Reddington
threatened to break up the meeting,
but in spite Of the terrorization of
the police and the McGarry faction,
the miners militantly fought for
their rights. The police took Licata
from the front of the hall and drove
him to the rear in an attempt to
the expression from the
rank and file delegates. Neverthe-
less Licata, supported by the dele
gates, once more took the floor and
the attempts of McGarry to
the demands of the miners.
McGarry succeeded in defeating
the motion for a general strike of
the Pennsylvania Coal Company, but
this victory of McGarry is "vic-
tory" which will lead to his destruc-
ton as was the case of Cappellini,
as the miners of Pittston are awake
to the fact that McGarry is not the
one who can give them leadership
in a fight against the contractors
and the coal companies. The miners
of Pittston will mobilize their forces
and under the leadership of the rank
and file will succeed to get control
of their union and put up a victor
ious fight against the coal operators.
The henchman of the Lewis ma
chine in District No /, Rinaldo Cap
pellini, became so discredited and ex-
posed that Lewis was forced to fire
him and to appoint Boylan district
board member from the first inspec-
ton district as president of the dis
trict. This change of personalities
in the Lewis machine in District No.
/ has in view to fool the miners and
play for consolidation with the
Brennan-McGarry group. 1t is al
ready reported that Edward Nc
Grone, who served as secretary of
the insurgents convention in Scran-
ton, will be appointed to succeed
Boylan as district board member.
This indicates that the appointment
of Boylan is leading toward the
gradual absorption of the Brennan
McGarry faction. At the same time