The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-12-27
BACK OF THE FIGHT
In ILLINOIS COAL

The three-cornered fight now
raging in Illinois between NV
Lewis and Fishwick factions in tbe
United Mine Workers of Anoer 100
and the new left wing National
Miners Union, raises important
questions as to what is HAPPENING
TO the coal industry in that state
Why have $4,000 Illinois miners
oeen thrown out of the industry
since 1928? Why has the Illinois
output dropped nearly $4,000. 600
tons below the output in 1929 and
nearly 100000 tons below tbe
1913 production?
railing production, unemplov-
ment and breakdown of wage
standards in Illinois and in other
states of the old central CONNECT
tive field are directly related IN
the development of non-,,nion
southern coal fields, with their
rlcher seams and better coal. When
Intl. Pres. John L. Lewis and 9th
er leading officials of the United
Mine Workers accepted defeat in
the tight for union in West Vir-
glnla and Kentucky, they prepared
the disaster which has pvertaken
the miners in northern states.
Blame cannot be shifted to any /
railing demand for coal. Total out. |
put in the Unitde States IS less |
than during the war, but it is far
above the pre-war level. Illinois
Ohio and PENNSYLVANIA
produced less coal in 1928 than IN
1913, but their loss was more than |
balanced by the enormous increase !
In Kentucky and West Virgins
which brought the total production
In the United States in 1928 some
2S,OOO,OOO tons above the 1913 fig.
ure.
Freight rates and variations in
the quality of coal are often said
TO be chiefly responsible for the
shift from northern mines to
mines. But the operat-
ors' pressure for low wages and
the failure years ago of the u. M.
w. A. to resist the southern OBJ
orators hostility to union condi-
tons are basic factors in the stu
alton.
Leading Illinois operators, like
important companies in other nor
shen states, have had a consider
able share in developing the south
ern fields. They have acquired
mines in Kentucky and in West
Virginia. They are linked with fl
lancial interests in Boston. Phila.
ielphla and New York which are
heavily involved in other southern
'oal companies.
These operators are driving now
% protect their Illinois inves.
nents. They have been consolidat-
ng their interests, closing down
certain mines, mechanizing and
speeding up other mines, using the
J. M. w. A. in Illinois, and ia.
ng the National Miners Union
With aggressive hostility. They
IRE out to beat their less power
ul competitors in Illinois and to
,ull the northern labor standards
Town to the southern level.
Mechanical loading, which is the
atest thing in INFLAMMATION for
underground mining, has increased
n Illinois more than so per cent
n the past two years. In tonnage
illinois now leads all other states
n the mechanical loading of deep
mined coal, though the percentage
# state output loaded by machine
S higher in Wyoming, Indiana,
Utah and Montana.
Strip mines are increasing. Their
output doubled in Illinois from
924 to 1928. Last month produc-
ion began at a new giant strip
bit at DuQuoin which expects to
lig million tons year.
One-fifth of the Illinois product
asst year was either strip-mined :
lily loaded. This means serious
of workers. The mum.
:oal or deep-mined coal mechanic
Der of miners employed in the
;tate has decreased far more than
he numbers of tons produced. I
Nearly 100000 men have been
rozen out of the soft-coal indus
ry since 1923, and $500 of these
we're in the one state of Illinois.