The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-18
Knox Consolidated ExeCu-
Tive Replies to Charge
of Union.
WORKERS. HEAD SILENT
District II President Re-
fuses to Comment on
Political Contacts
by BEN STERN
Times stan Correspondent

Knox IONS DllQdteQ AII4 0l44ik ta44s
with offices in indianapolis. is allied
with the communist party and IS
offering com muniSt speakers proteC-
ton. as charged by the United Mine
Workers Of america. was made to-
day by Harvey c. Conrad. general
superintendent Of production Of lis
mines.
Conrad branded as false the
charges made by Bickneu mem
bers of the United Mine Workers in
telegram to Governor Harry @.
Leslie
He declared that the company
does not recognize either the U. NJ.
W Of A. or the National Miners
Union. which the striking miners
call a communist organization
When our men came back to
work in January they we're formed
into an organization known as the
Knox County Miners Association
and our contract was signed With
this organization. The association Is
affiliated with neither the United
Mine Workers nor the National
Miners Union" Conrad said.
He declared that many of the
miners felt bitter toward John
L. Lewis, president of the United
Mine Workers for PERMITTING ONO
miners to go to work on a 1917 wage
scale and forbidding the Indiana
miners from doing the same.
offered S. a Day Wage
when we reopened American NO.
: We offered the men the Ohio wage
scale as the Ohio fields are in dl-
rect competition with our fields
This scale provided for a minimum
wage of IS a day. The United Mine
Workers would not permit the men
to go back. o
at present We are employing TOO
men and have turned away 5000
who have sought employment
L personally know that at least
os per cent of the men employed
in the mine are English speaking
and worked for us before the strike
They are paying on their own
homes. we're good members OF the
limited Mine Workers of America
and have not the slightest faint OF
communism.
we have not more than fifty
miners working for us who might
be susceptible in the least to COM
U1nism. and I am sure that our
miners are able to Withstand any
talk from these men.
ct is the sillie5t thing in the
world to imagine that employers
of labor would ally themselves With
communism.
I'VE have for years endeavored to
weed out every miner who is men,
her of the I. ". W. and the charge
of the unioniSts that We are allied
with the communists is silly.
The communist charge OF the
United Mine Workers is based in
mart on the growing strength OF the
National Miners Unicn in the Bick-
nell field. Many employees OF the
Knox Consolidated mines are said
TO belong to this union. which the
mine workers claim 70 be COM
munist organization.
Red Resolution Recalled
This charge is based on an al
legged statement by Patrick ToOhey.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF the National
Miners Union at Pittsburgh on Feb.
d. that the executive board OF the
association had adopted a resolution
affiliating itself with the Red Inter
national Labor Unions with head
quarters at Moscow.
There are approximately 600 min
ers out of work in the Bicknen field,
which includes VincenneS, John Gill
1espie. subdistrict secretary at Bick-
nell. said.
David Robb. president OF district
No. Il. U. NJ. w of A. was retlcent
as regards the charges Of commun-
ism leveled by his organization
against the Knox miners.
Il have no desire to comment on
political contacts Robb declared
L recognize no dual organization
know only one union and that Is
the United Mine workers"
Workers Operate Mine
While this debate on Who's a
communist" is going on an interest
inc experiment in miner ownership
i taking place at the Panhandle
mine. IL miles north OF BickneH.
Here $50 miners have assumed a
mine that was 10 be abandoned and
are making a success OF working for
themselves.
THESE miners last fall organized
the Bicknell Coal Company capital
lied with 1000 share no par value.
wesley Harris, one of the most
popular men in the Bicknen field,
IS superintendent and president
Of the company.
In order to float the company,
Harris purchased $4,000 OF the
shares, which are valued by the
miners at Se5 each; business men
of Bicknell purchased $1,000. and
the miners subscribed for the re-
mainder.
For twenty days the miners
worked long shifts for $50 a day,
in order to get production under
way.
Now. with the coal market at q
standstin. they work four days a
week at a minimum Of IS a day and
are paying on the stock.
The miner plan IS
proving successful and is indicative
al, r,lor