The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-11-26
National Miners Union
Convention April First

rest periods every hour, no check
off from the miners wages for pay
ments of "dues" to the U. M. A..
etc. (The N. M. U. does not col
lect dues through any check-off,
The Illinois members of the board
reported that there is a rapidly
growing sentiment among the min
ers there for strike action centering
around the local demands but con-
neeted with the general N. M. U.
demands.
Members were present also from
Colorado, West Virginia, Ohio, In
diana, Western Pennsylvania and
the anthracite districts.
1900 Refuse Lewis Dues.
1t was reported to the board that
a general revolt is growing among
the miners in the anthracite. There
are IL locals of the U. M. W. A.
with $500 members around Tama-
qua who are not paying dues to
the Lewis machine, and have not
been paying any since August. The
N. M. U. national board outlined
its preparations to lead the strug-
gle anticipated on the expiration
next year of the U. M. w. A. agree
ment for the anthracite. The oper-
ators are certainly planning wage
cut, and the U. M. w. A. as GER
tainly planning to sell out the min
ers. The N. NJ. U. convention will
prepare for a national movement to
support the anthracite strikes next
year.
The national executive board of
the N. M. U. unanimously accepted
and endorsed the decisions of the
Illinois state convention called by
the N. M. u, which met Oct. &c in
Belleville.
Watt is Out
This means that besides the gen.
eral demands mentioned above, and
the declaration for tri-district con-
vention in the near future to rally
the unorganized miners back of the
N. M. U. for struggle on ma
tional scale, the national board
agrees with the Illinois miners in
regard to Watt.
John Watt, national president OF
the N. M. u, was charged at the
Belleville convention with violat-
ing the orders and policy of the Ma
tional Miners Union, refusing to dc
the work assigned to him as part of
the duties of his office, building a
personal machine at Staunton local.
appointing organizers and sending
them to other districts, carrying out
reasonable dealings with the fake
progressives, Howatt, Brophy, Hap
good and others, scheming to use
the check-off in Indiana, instituting
a "red hunt" and trying to have mill
tants in the N. M. U. expelled, and
trying to split the Belleville con-
vention and the union.
Took Lewis Money.
The board found that Watt, at a
recent meeting in Staunton, ILL.,, was
forced to admit that he had taken
money from John Lewis, interna-
tional president of the U. M. w. A.,
while he, Watt, was president of the
N. M. U. The board removed Watt
from office, and adopted a sharp
statement criticizing him and his
policies as against the interests of
the miners. Watt was characterized
by the board as a splitter and an
ally of the Fishwick machine, and of
the fake progressives.
The board also sharply criticized
Tom Myerscoff, an official in the
Pennsylvania district of the union
for deserving his post, to which the
union sent him, in the anthracite
Myerscoff is follower of the Love-
stone group, whose policies are
inimical to the proper functioning OF
the union. Myerscoff's case was re-
ferred to the executive board Of his
district for final action.
The national board of the N. M. u
took action, after hearing full re-
ports from all the districts, to build
the union on a substantial basis
with close cooperation of all the dis,
tricts and locals, and decided upor
a national drive to double the circu.
lation of the N. M. U. official organ
the Coal Digger.