The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-03
Takers FIGHT
Miners, AID
LUzERNE BOSS
Young Workers Paper
Exposes Conditions
(By a Worker Correspondent

IA LUzERNE, Pa. (By MaiD Had
oadeck Mine, in Luzerne, owned by the
Haddock Mining Company, is pay
ing the lowest wages and has the
worst working conditions in District
1. Using the excuse that the mine
aais old and not profitable enough,
p Haddock is paying $5.16 to a la
borer and Sc to a miner for hard
days work. They must get two
cars of coal every day for that mis-
cradle money, otherwise they get
fired. Those who are working on
contract don't make out better
either Besides that, there is a lot
of gas in the mine, no safety nea-
sures, narrow gangway, no man.
holes, poor ventilation, small wash
houses, etc. The accident rate in
Haddock is among the highest in
the anthracite.
IL All these rotten conditions were
exposed in the Miners Light"
mine paper issued by the nucleus of
the Workers (Communist) Party.
The paper was distributed about ten
days ago and it had very good eff
feet on the miners. Since that time,
there are more kicks coming about
all these grievances than ever be-
fore. Especially the young, Ameri-
can miners, who have more courage
to stand up against the bosses, are
talking wide-over about the "Miners
Light" praising what a good paper
it is.
Of course Mr.. Haddock did not
like the paper. In order to spoil the
effect of the Light" he had a long
statement made about it and placed
both the mine-paper and his state
ment on the bulletin board near the
cate, so that every miner can read
it. In that leaflet, he is trying to
nrove that the mine is run on de-
ficit and that he cannot pay penny
higher, otherwise he will get bank
rupt.
The miners are smart enough not
to believe his words and they were
laughing about it and discussing
how their millionaire boss is sud-
denly talking about bankruptcy.
The facts were too clearly given by
the "Miners Light" and no bosses
statements can belle them. Mr..
Haddoak knew that, too, so he looked
for help. And he found it all right
in the reactionary local officials
who are always taking the side of
The operators against the rank and
file.
At the meeting of Local 1916,
held last week, which was attended
by less than 80 men (mostly COM.
lhny-suckers), they put the "Miners
Light" or the order of business and
began to look for faults in the
paper. Some of them even had the
nerve to deny that the conditions
are mot so bad after all as them
Communists write about" And, in
stead of taking up the grievances
one by one and taking the steps to
change the very bad conditions, they
started to defend the boss, that che
can't give any more wages, other
wise he would lose on the mine and
then we would all be without jobs
if he would be forced to close it
down."
Several rank and filers got up,
proving that the grievances as given
by the "Miners Light" exist and
that the job of the local officials is
not to defend the millionaire boss,
bet 70 fight for the miners who
have elected them into office. Even
some of the company agents were
forced TO admit that many points
are all right and something should
be. done to change them. But the
local officials, who got their orders
from the boss, did not listen to the
arguments and instead of deciding
to fight against the grievances they
forced through motion to pass
resolution against the "Miners
Light" and elected a committee to
draw up the resolution. This mo-
tion was voted upon only by the
suckers, most of the men abstaining
from voting, from fear of being dis
eliminated against.
The resolution appeared on the
bulletin board last week, without
even being presented to the local
for approval. 1t is the most shame
full piece of paper, making is clear
even to the blind that our local Of
ficials are nothing but agents of
the operators within our ranks. In
the name of 500 men they have the
nerve to say that "our generous and
kind employer, MIR. John G Had
cock, has done more to make his
workmen cOptented than any other
operator in Pennsylvania he
always responded to our request
end we believe that Mr.. Haddock,
dke ourselves, likes to see better
conditions in and around the mines,
hut. as Mr.. Haddock says, mans
pocketbook very often limits what
man would like to do
In one word, these so-called labor
leaders are giving full endorsement
to their exploiter, who is paying the
lowest wages in the entire tri-dis-
ty.ict. They are CRYING about Mr..