The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-01
BY I. J. o'FLAHERIY

BY I. J. O'FLAHERIY.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Jan. 3l.--Tho
the general opinion in the strike re-
gion is that a scab is not human
being, the truth is sometimes spoken
out of the mouths of strikebreakers.
And the truth about the conditions
under which these scabs in the strike
regions live is sure to sound stranger
than the most futuristic fiction, to the
ears of people not in a position to
use eyes and ears where this great
industrial drama is being staged, but
must. take their information second
hand.
Below Schedule.
Scabs in some strikes receive a
guaranteed wage, usually more than
the struck plant or corporation is
willing to pay its regular employees.
The Interboro Rapid Transit Com
pany Of New York spent millions on
scabs in preparation for a strike over
a year ago. The strikebreakers were
housed in barns, had plenty Of food
to eat, warm clothing to wear ana
walked away with money in their
rockets after their services were no
longer required.
But the scabs in the mining regions
are scabbing on the profession of
sscabbery. They are induced to hire
ssout to the coal operators on the
promise that there is no strike and
no labor trouble. But once they ar
rive at their destination and start
to work, they find it almost as diff
cult to leave the place as condemned
murderer would to leave the death
house.
Behind at Start.
From the moment they are hired by
The labor agent, they owe money to
their scab employer. The first de-
duction from the first pay envelope
is the cost of their transportation to
the mine, Then follow charges for
tools, rent and food at the company
store or from the recognized COM
pany agent. If the scab has any
flicker of intelligence, he soon be-
gins to doubt that the coal operators
agree with the late but unlamented
ex-president of Harvard University,
who said, that the scab lis the high
est type of American citizen" He may
be hero but hungry one.
The seab may be burdened with q
wife and children This makes things
scabbier for him. An unmarried
strikebreaker might be able to skip
thru the woods at night and escape
the guns OF the coal and iron police.
For the ''yellow dogs" have another
function besides beating and shooting
militant strikers; they are also ex-
pected to see to it that no scab es-
eapes from the underground slave
gallty-alive, if he owes the company
morey.
Scabs Are Hungry.
SO we find in the strike regions
the children and wives Of strikebreak-
ers begging for a crust of bread at
the doors of striking miners.
Ite scabs at the Cokeburg junction
mine who receive % cents Il ton for
machine work instead Of the SO cents
prescribed Ill the Jacksonville agree
uent, cannot even get bite to eat
unless they have money coming to
them from the company Why men
viii work under such conditions, with
the curses OF the union miners ring
ing in their ears and the contempt
of all decen people hanging over
them, Is almost hey comprehen-
ron. 1t is quite conceivable, i'll view
of the stupidity and slave Iundedness
l.< lar c..,4rs..- # 81
population that men and women
shculd betray their fellow workers
sor a worthwhile consideration, but
why they Should voluntarily deliver
themselves INTO he grip Of slave
master for much less than living
wage is another matter
Two women from Bentleyille, who
visited the office III The Pennsyl-
vania Ohio Miners. Relief Committed,
Ell Penn Avenue, Tittsburgh, Pa,
gave the writer Some insights into
he conditiors under which the strike
breakers and their families here.
Tells of Cases.
Il was walking along the road 10
e:aurch one Sunday said one Of the
women, when [ met 4 woman who I
Knew was scab's wife. Her toes
were sticking out thru her tattereed
shoes and she was walking on her
stockings. | wanted 20 get some IN
formation from her but she vas
afraid to talk much SO I invited her
q the house. learned that she
lived at Ellsworth in house No. K. 9,
where we lived before we were evicted
from The company house in 1925
She told me that the superintend-
ent advised her not TO have anything
to do with the red necks' as the
union miners are called by the scabs.
.1hau will hllst 1rniI, had he ..oIl