The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-12
KANSAS MINERS
NEAR STARVING
FIGHT LIE WIS
overty-ridden Men Eat
Chicken Feed
lBy a Worker Correspondent

April the first the majority OF the
Kansas miners have been on strike
This is nothing new. To these miners
it's yearly affair Just like Spring
follows Winter. When April the
first comes they are either locked out,
on strike, or laid off, so to most 1t
does not seem to make much differ
ence how the inevitable comes. This
4pril period is different from the
other years.
Once a powerful well organized
district. Kansas now is weak, poor
and unorganized one. Only about four
thousand five hundred are carrying
cards. About three hundred of these
are working by separate agreement
that the district officials signed up
Over a thousand non-union miners
are working strip pits.
But there is an undercurrent OF
anger and hell to pay somewhere. No
we X. no pay, no union relief with a
few thousand in the district treasury
and the officials seeing how fast they
can ride across the continent. This
Sunday finds them on the way east
to Lewis's summons. These officials
will have lots to tell, for the miners
have been giving them hell ever since
the Save-the-Union delegates came
back from Pittsburgh.
The Same System.
While the executive committee of
the reactionary forces are back east
the miners are grumbling and some
are planning Others, young bucks,
who have become Disguised with the
game have left for the big cities look
ing for work, only to find unemploy
ment and the same kind of bosses.
Some hundreds have left and more
are following. The rest of the strik-
ing miners are digging in for another
spell
Yes this April is different. The
s.rike came off in peace and the non
union miners work on in peace. But
lust as soon as the Save-the- Union
olnmittee delegates got back, hell
)op5ed loose. Mass meetings, where
locates met district officials and
aallenged them to show why they
ould continue in their present
opacity, have met with support all
5rough the camps. Now the miners
Re asking: Why the separate agree
nent? Why are the non-union
miners gaining in numbers? Why
talk of expelling these delegates who
present a program that we have al
GAYS thought of? If there is going
tos be any ousting it should be the
other way. Rank and file delegates
met District officials and beat them
faee to face Now the officials viii
pull some Of their underhand methods
unless the miners of District Ia act
quick.
Eat Chicken Feed.
Little work all winter, no work
row, need of relief already. Sunday
finds most of the miners in not the
best condition. They're worried over
the way their officers have been
handling the organization and letting
the companies make a joke out Of
their grievances. Many fear expulsion
yet more are determined to fight to
save the union.
Already food is a scarcity with
those who were not fortunate enough
to have small gardens and chickens.
This Sunday found some hungry.
Some eating chicken feed Others
tinkering with their delapidated cars,
no necessity for their work en- cars
that are cheating the scrap heap.
Blue Law town, Pittsburgh, like all
the rest-but what difference does it
make, these miners are in no position
to GO Blue laws town, not even a
library open. Poker games, booze
well the miners are so poor they
can't afford women, so most don't stop
long at the town called Pittsburg.
The oil fields are at least better for
these products Of capitalism.
The operators think the last six
years, since the Kansas Industrial
Court Law fight. has resulted in their
final victory, the smashing of the
union or transforming it into COM
pany union and expect in the coming
year to pick the fruit of their long
plans. OF course, the Lewis officials
aoust be given more than medals. But
he operators have another wish COM
ir~ for the miners in Kansas are
ndv to fight. Ready to Gust the
-,-,is machine: ready to build real
~;on ready to put in effect the
the Union Committee pro~~@'u.
FIRED.