The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-10
REFUSE TO SIGN
PAPER OPPOSING
SAvE-UNION men
Lewis Threatens to Cut
Off Relief
By T. ]. O'FLAHERTY.

officers of District are circulating
petition among the strikers de-
Inanding that they sign an agree
ment which calls for a reputation OF
their support of the Save-the-Union
Committee, on pain Of being cut off
from relief.
Militant Spirit Rising.
The reply Of the miners 10 this yell
low dog starvation policy has taken
various forms but in all cases it has
been an effective rebuke to the latest
strikebreaking stunt Of the discredit-
ed officialdom.
In Avella the miners wives chased
organizer Carville Wolcotta and his
yellow-dog pledge out of town. In
Pucketty Creek the miners stormed
the organizers who were trying to
terrorize the members into signing
the pledge and sent them back to
their headquarters at New Kensing-
ton with only a few signatures, AFTER
wards repudiated on their sheets.
The miners of Renton and their
wives are threatening to march on
the headquarters of the sub-district
at New Kensington, and demand
their allotment of relief. Frank Hef-
ferly, Lewis representative in the
Allegheny Valley, ordered Renton to
vacate the barracks unless they re-
pudiate the Save-the- Union Commit
tee.
"If you come to Renton," said an
official of the Renton local to Hef-
ferly, 1--WE will point you out to the
children as the one who is starving
Them"
Few Miners Sign.
Only in one local was the Lewis
starvation brigade able to secure the
signatures Of most of the local men,
bers. And those signed it in a mis-
taken belief that they were putting
one over on the machine. While sign
ing the pledge they told the organ
izers that they considered it a scrap
Of paper and not binding, being
signed under duress But the officials
want signatures badly, for publicity
purposes, no matter how secured.
The miners are now determined that
the only signatures they shall get
are those of their own henchmen.
And these are getting fewer and few
er.
In New Kensington, where the re-
volt against the machine has assumed
the proportions of a thoro clean-out,
the organizers weakened and after
threatening to cut off relief decided
to withdraw the threat when only
65 out of 700 members signed the
pledge.
Lewis Cuts Off Relief.
In Eastern Ohio, the officials cut
off several locals from relief. Local
1910 Of Bellaire held meeting to
discuss relief and the Save-the Union
Conference. They endorsed the send
ing of delegates to the conference
and forced the officials of the sub
district to continue the relief. 1t was
a complete victory for the progress
sives.
1t is reported that the officials of
District 5 offered the Harwick local
$500 provided Tommy Lochrane was
expelled. Lochrane is a young mill
5ant fighter.
In Avella as elsewhere the policy
Of the machine was to distribute the
relief for the entire local to the two
dozen Lewis henchmen that have sur
vived in that town. On Saturday
morning, Organizer Wolcott attempt
ed 20 distribute the check for s275
chat formerly went to the whole local
among the twenty Lewis men. The
miners women demonstrated AGAINST
him and charged him with attempt
ing to starve the strikers into sup
porting a reactionary program that
would mean the death of the strike
and the destruction of the union.
Wolcott got frightened and called
on President Fred Siders of the local
union to "call off the women" But
Siders refused to intervene so VOL
colt had to pull out of town with the
women at his heels.
Coerced Into Signing.
"We signed because our children
are hungry and we had to have the
money for food. But we told the or
ganizers that we did not agree with
8 word Of it and we won't pay any
attention to it. 81 per cent of us are
strong for the Save-the- Union. The
pledges were signed under protest
and against the will of the members"
This statement was made by Charles
Sanders of Curtissville No. to a
representative of the Save-the- Union
Committee.
In District an attempt was made
to expel from the Cresson local those
who attended the Save-the- Union
Conference. The motion was voted
down by an overwhelming majority
Members of the general relief COM
mittee at Portage who were ousted
by the machine in their absence were
put on again by the rank and file
on their return.
Welcome Delegates Home.
At Portage and jamestown, the