The daily worker., 1930-03-05
By DAN SLINGER.

THE strike of the Illinois miners under the
leadership of the National Miners Union
came as result of rapid machinization of the
mines and the naturalization scheme of the
coal operators which results not only in the
form of greater speed-up, but in the number
of miners killed and injured in the mines. 1t
is reported by the Bureau of Mines, Dept. of
Commerce, in a recent report that 2,5lS
miners were killed, while 1S1 800 accidents
took place in mines in the U. S. in one year.
In the state of Illinois in 1924, there were
about 100000 miners working, and today there
are but $4,000; we come to the realization that
not only does the naturalization cause the
miners to produce more coal today but that
it has increased the number of miners who are
killed, and fatally injured. In proportion of
miners employed in 1924, the introduction of
the coal conveyor and the loading machines
into the mines did not bring with it the safety
measures necessary to safeguard the lives of
the miners from falling slate or COAL The
miner working on coal conveyor cannot hear
any of the danger signals, with which all min
ers are familiar, such as the breaking of
prop, the cutting of the slate or draw rock
on the ribs, pillars. He is not allowed to
stop the coal conveyor to investigate.
Life of Miner Is No Consideration.
At Wasson No. 1 Saline County, Eldorado,
ILL.,, Joe Mckinley, driver, refused to drive or
pull coal under loose piece of rock. The
boss fired him stating that the place was per-
fectly safe; he sent two other men to take
Joe's job; both refused to work, stating the
rock was not safe. The case was referred to
the county mine inspector, and he decided
that the place was safe. The fact was
tablshed that all of the time that the boss was
saying the place was safe, they were putting
in more timber. 1t not Joes life that the
coal company was interested in, but the fact
that it stopped production and that Joe was
militant fighter The speed-up on the coal
conveyors not only entails more danger from,
falling slate and COAL but the fact that miners
are loading as high as 80 tons today in COM
parison to 1922, and as late as 1926, when 10
tons was considered big days work, this
speed.up burns out even the most rugged min
er. and places him on the scrap pile beside
the old miner, which the machine has driven
from the industry.
About Conditions
Miners in the dim past were paid actual
time for dead work. such as draining up draw
rock, slate, etc. Today the boss comes into
the room at the end of the period: he does
not ask how much dead work did you have,
Jack; no, he says the room is so many runs
wide, that he will pay one hour if the draw
rock or slate is five inches thick. If Jack COM
plains, the place is stopped and Jack is sent
to the miners cemetery. This is the worst
place in the mine. Jack does notsreceve any
pay for taking up bottoms which some times
means as much as five hours work With
few exceptions, the miners are made to carry
their own rail if they have any road, and es-
pecaly is this true where some of the miners
are still working at the old tonnage system.
The boss does not care, as long as the con-
veyors are kept going.
Smash Check-Off
The check-off is one of the connecting links
between the coal operators and the Lewis and
Fishwick machines. 1t is well to note that
the check-off is also used by the coal oper-