The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-07
BY P. FRANKFELD.


THE National Miners Union held a successful
tri-district conference June l, in Hazelton,
Pa. the scene of the recent convention of the
fascist-official controlled United Mine Work
ers of America. There were So delegates pres
ent. representing many towns in the hard Goa
region, and representing over 20 locals an
united front committees of action. There wert
at least dozen more elected IN Shenandoah
Port Carbon, Mt. Carmel, etc. that did not at.
tend due to lack of finances, and means @.
transportation.
This was the first Tri-District Conference
ever held in the anthracite by the N.M.U. II
laid the base for the establishment OF the f.
M. U. amongst the hard coal miners. 1t was
a consolidation of all the forces OF the ram
and file miners union and proceeded to de
veIon the beginnings of a real, local, rank and
file leadership.
Prepare For September.
The conference was a tremendous step for
ward insofar as the beginning was made in
roobilizing the miners for struggle in Septem-
her under the banner and program of the
N.M.U. The report of the national representa-
tive. fash. and the report of the anthracite
organizer. Singer, dealing with the conditions
in the mining industry as whole and with
The conditions of the anthracite miners; and
emphasizing the great Importance OF roofing
and building up the N.M.U. in every colllery
throughout the anthracite was very well re-
ceived by the delegates.
The delegates spoke on the conditions IN
their own collieries reported on the wage cuts,
sneed-up. acute unemployment and general
worsening of conditions that were prevalent
everywhere. The delegates exposed the role
Of the U.M.W.A. as an agency of the operators.
The delegates all agreed with the necessity OF
struggling against the new group of takers
that was developing in the anthraclte-thc
McCrone group.
Lovestone Monkey Wrenches.
From the very start that the Lovestone rene
gade group in the anthracite, led by Vrethich
and Borich, arrived, they proceeded to throw
rlonkey-wrenches into the proceedings. Their
role was to obstruct, sabotage, and to cause
confusion. They demanded additional time +"
present their Opposition program" They took
the floor as often as they could to spek, and as
long as they could speak. They presented reso-
buttons on: ~ Calling on the conference to
endorse the labor party;' ~ calling on the
conference to unite with their Provisional I'M
employment council" and arrange joint meet
ing in Pittston; (3) other resolutions that were
acceptable as basis and were adopted by
the conference. These resolutions were not
turned into the resolutions committee but were
introduced after the resolutions committee re-
ported and the conference had endorsed: (a1
a resolution on the terror campaign against
workers organizations and the arrests of Eos
ter, Minor, Carr, Powers, Dalton, Brady, etc
and which called for building up of the Inter
national Labor Defense; (b) resolution endors
ing the Communist Party and its candidat"1
as the only workers political organization; 6
resolutions on sending across a delegate to tn
RLLU., etc.
The discussion that developed completely @,
posed the completely opportunistic line ar
policy of these disrupters and spltters. VIII!
the resolutions of the resolutions committo
were adopted by the overwhelming bulk
the deegates-not even Vretarich daring
oppose some of them-yet after a thorouah
discussion the Lovestoneites' labor party reso
luton we found that the vote was overwheln
ingly against it-even some of the rank and
file workers who are misled by Vretarich voted
against this resolution of theirs. The vote
was A to about II.