The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-15
BY PAT T0OHEY.
Continued


by PAT TOOHEY.
Continued
Recent years have seen great
struggles in the anthracite mines,
The Pennsy miners struck in 1924
against the inhuman conditions pre-
vailing in their mines. True to
form, John Lewis expelled the en-
tire $4,000 from the union, for daring
to strike in violation of the sacred
contract. The contract, you see,
works one way. The operators can
violate at will, but the miners are
severely disciplined if they do not.
The Glen Alden miners, Lehigh
Valley miners, Hudson Coal Co. min
ers, all have resisted the attack of
the companies in the past few years,
all have been beaten back by the
union-operator cliques of leaders.
LEADERS"
The miners ranks have been, and
are, infested with the scum of the
labor movement who hold high Of
fees. In time of struggle these
leaders" serve the companies by as
sisting to beat back the miners re-
sistance. There was Cappellini,
there was Dempsey, Brennan, Har-
ris, Boylan, and now McGarry, pos
/ ing as progressive only to desert
the miners at the height of their
struggle.
Slaughtering Workers
The anthracite industry is ver-
table slaughter house. In the per-
iod 1900 to 1920, there were 1902
miners killed, which is an average of
eco fatalities annually For every
day worked in 1925 in this coal mine
slaughter house, "a miners were
killed or injured. One out of every 7
miners were manned every year dig
ging anthracite, while the employ
ers live in luxury on hundreds of
millions of dollars profits wrung
out of the blood of these murdered
slaves of the pits. Of the esti-
mated 100000 workers in the in
dustry, 10000 are yearly manned or
otherwise injured. Every fourth
worker injured in Pennsylvania is
miner.
Protective standards are very few.
Coal operators are in business for
profits, not for the safety or well
fare of their employees. The min
ing laws are violated with impunity
what mining laws there are. Prac-
tically no social legislation pre-
walls for the anthracite miners, with
the possible exception of the Ger
tificate Law.
Naturalization.
The naturalization of the indus
try continues at rapid rate. Mines
are being highly mechanical, pro-
duction is increased while labor cost
and manpower is decreasing. In
teresting statistics are available on
this matter, but will be utilized in
another article. With the advance
of INFLAMMATION, the waiting list"
grows larger, more are thrown out
Of work, unemployment becomes
very severe. An example is the
fact that in the year 1927 severe
unemployment was W espre,a d
whereas comparison of the pro-
duction statistics of the year of 1927
Observation-Disclosures Coming Battle
and the preceding year in which I'M
employment was not so severe,
showed very little loss in production.
The Caste System
There is a noticeable lack of unity
among various groupings of anthra-
cite miners. There are several ca
tegories of miners, it might be ex-
planned. The companies have sue
cessfuly developed a system whereby
the forces of the miners are separ-
ated, where prejudice and jealousy
is rampant, by establishing and fos-
tering the "miner" and "laborer"
system, and the contractor system.
The difference in the "social sta
tus of these miners is largely ret
! sponsible for this lack of unity,
coupled with other factors, how
ever. The following table will give
but general view of this condition:
Hour Daily Weekly
Contract Miner 80. $9.07 S49.O3
Company Miner
day rate) ...S.757 S6.49 $33.57
Consideration Mi
ner (time rate) $.S61 S7.26 $32. 80
6 :. rb.rseef,.6.
This is the one category of mi
ners". The miners" are in three
different categories. The following
table represents Government sta
tistics regarding the wages of the
second strata, the "laborers":
Hour Daily Weekly
Contract La
borer...... $500. SCAT $32.6s
Company La
borer $3.50 $5.72 $29.28
Consideration
Laborer. -. $.765 1921 $32.99
The Coming Struggles.
The anthracite miners face an
other gigantic struggle. This strug-
gle is not far distant. Still smart
ing from the BETRAYAL of the six