The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-06-11
To the Editor of The DAILY

WORKER.
Dear Mr.. Editor:
wish to say few words in refer
ence to the National Miners Relief,
formerly the Pennsylvania & Ohio
Miners Relief, how it was formed
and what benefit it has been to the
miners and their families.
It was on er about the 18th day of
August 1927, that the question of
forming a Sub-District Relief Com
mittee was taken up in Local Union
Oh of Yorkville, Ohio and of which
l am president.
myself called a mass meeting for
the purpose of forming Relief Com
mittee. To this meeting invited our
Sub-District Officers.
Vice-president Pacifico, and some
members of the sub-district board
came to the meeting. There it was
decided to wait until after the A. F.
of L. Convention was held for the
purpose of giving relief to the strik-
ing miners and families.
Call Second Meeting.
After the convention was held and
we did not get relief, we called an
other mass meeting in Yorkville as
our sub-district officers had never
taken my action in forming a relief
committee. At that meeting York
vile Local Union No. 971 and Local
Union No. 397 decided to work to-
gether for the formation of relief
committee of both locals. At that
time the Pennsylvania miners had
already formed their relief committee
and learned that we in Ohio were also
forming a committee. They sent
representatives to Ohio to ask us to
unite with them and form one COM
mittee. This we decided to do, and
the coming together of these two COM
mittees was the means of forming the
Pennsylvania and Ohio Miners Relief
Committee This committee was the
means Of bringing the miners closer
together.
Learn of Each Other.
We in Ohio began to learn the true
conditions of our brothers and sisters
in Pennsylvania and they also at the
same time began to get to know what
their striking brothers and sisters in
Ohio were suffering. This was the
means of bringing higher and bet
ter understanding among our people.
And even in the non-union field there
arose a better feeling. In that field
there are many men who were at one
time some of the best fighting men
that our organization has ever known,
but who were driven out by the clique
that were in the office, because the
gang could not break the noble eight
ing spirit of these men.
On the 1st day of April 1928, in
Pittsburg, these same men who had
been driven from our union came to
the Save-the-Union Convention to
fight for the principles which they
believe in. And when this convention
was held in Pittsburgh, a high and
noble feeling existed there as the men
were all in harmony with one another,
and all believed in the action that
was taken there. And since that con-
ference was held, the Save-the- Union
Committee has been doing all it pos
sibly can to aid the Pennsylvania and
Ohio Miners Relief Committee.
Broaden Work.
Since our convention we have had
to broaden the scope of it's operations,
as we have taken in every state in
the union and Canada where miners
are on strike. We have changed the
name of our committee to the Ma
tional Miners Relief Committee. Our
committee has had stiff opposition
from all reactionary organizations.
But we are glad to know that there
are more progressive workers in the
country than reactionaries, and we are
glad to see our progressive brothers
and sisters of other crafts and unions
and many good friends come to our
aid. They feel that the Save-the-
Unionists are the most active, and are
the first that they can depend upon
for assistance should they in turn
need assistance themselves, and there