The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-03-21
Why Soft Coal Miners Are Out
OF Work
By Fred Ellis

capacity of the mines had risen far more
than the output.
When the coal market crashed, the coal in
dustry was far more perilously unstable than
it had been at any time before the war. 1t
was geared to produce 970,O00,000 tons, al
though the operators could sell only 565, 000,-
600 tons in 1923-which was a very good"
year, in spite of the collapse at the very end.
At the Workers Expense.
decentralization was the only capitalist "solu-
tion." By 1928, the number of mines in opera
ton had been reduced from 1881 to 6,45O.
The drive for mechanization had brought the
coal loaded by machine up from considerably
less than five million tons to more than 81
100000 TONS Strip mining, with its high
average output per worker, was developed in
earnest and produced another 100000 tons
in 1928. Powerful companies reorganized their
workings and by concentrating operations did
achieve more regular operation. For the coun-
try as a whole, the average number of days
that bituminous mines were operated rose from
179 in 1928 to 203 in 1928, although the total
output of coal was lower in 1928 than in 1928
A determined drive to break all resistance by
the workers in the U.M.W.A. began with repu-
diation of the Jacksonville agreement in 1924
in the defeat of the 1927 strike. In the one
strong" district that remains-Illinois-th
agreement signed in 1928 conceded the wage
cut demanded by the operators. And the "pro-
gressive" leaders now reorganzed at Spring
field include the openly corrupt harrington
notorious agent of the Peabody Coal Company
Wages have been pushed down in every coal
field. In Ohio, the scene of bitter struggles
more than fifty years ago when miners were
first fighting for the right to organize, the
average earnings are down below the averages
in West Virginia and Kentucky. OF the 100000
men thrown out of the industry, 100000 are
from the mines of Pennsylvania, Illinois, In
diana and Ohio.
This naturalization continues and will con-
tinue-throwing more thousands of men out
of the mines, cutting down still farther the
earnings of those who hold their jobs, speeding
up and increasing accidents underground
less the miners organize and fight for their
rights under the banner of the National Miners
Union.
The dying UMW.A. has betrayed them. The
"progressives" who try to pump new life into
that organization are turning back to the
ideals" of John Mitchell, the great bargainer
who played with the capitalists, helped organ
ze the National Civic Federation, and died
worth quarter of million dollars They are
singing the same old song of competitive wage
scales, competitive freight rates, regular opera
ton, "buy Illinois al,"-all the slogans that
might appeal to the operators.
Only the National Miners Union summons
the miners to fighting union:
work or wages for all unemployed miners!
"a minimum wage scale of $35 week. Or
ganize and strike against every wage cut.
Resist every attempt at speeding up.
Build the N.M.U. Prepare for national
strike September l."
=
Editors Notes.-The author of the above
article is now working on book Labor and
Coal" to be published in the fall as part of
the Labor Research Association series by the
international Publishers. The solution proposed
by the National Miners Union is not that of
cutting down the number Of "wasteful" mines
in the industry and throwing miners out Of
the field It is to make work for more miners,
not only by resisting the speed-up, but by en-
forcing the six-hour day and five-day week,
equal distribution of work and no discrimina-
ton. If the number of men now in the fields
are able to produce too much coal for the j,
market, then it is time to force the operators