The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-10-06
What American Miners Will See When
They Meet Soviet Miners
By PAT TooHEY.

(Note:-Pat T0ohey, former secretary Of the
National Miners Union, has Just returned
from the Soviet Union. where he spent over
year. In the following article he tells Of the
conditions that the miners who will be MEM
bers of the American Workers Delegation to
the Soviet Union will find. This delegation =
being organized by the Friends of the
Soviet Union will include metal miner from
the Mesaba Range, bituminous and an an
thracite miner)
THE departure of representatives of the Amer
lean miners with the Friends of the Soviet
Union delegates for the 14th anniversary cele-
bration of the Russian Revolution will afford
8 them an opportunity to see and study the ire
mendous advantages the Soviet miners have
won in contrast to their American comrades
On September %, the American capitalist
papers devoted major attention to widespread
wage cuts throughout the United States in all
industries These cuts range from 10 to 20 per
cent. In the same papers dispatch was car
ried from Moscow to the effect that the wages
Of Soviet miners and metal workers had lust
been increased 20 and 80 per cent.
The Soviet miners conditions are the best of
any in the world and they are constantly grow
ing better. Here the miners control manage
and operate the industry The profits of the
working class whole. They work six hours
per day bank to bank They work four days
and rest every fifth. They are provided free of
charge all medical dental hospital and sanitar-
luln services Theis houses, coal, rent lighting
and similar items are provided free of cost or
at very small cost. The Soviet miners are
provided with working apparel, boots, sanitary
up-to-date bath houses etc. They are provided
with every form of insurance such as sick, acct
dent death, unemployment Tin the days when
there was UNEMPLOYMENT. The workers them
selves do not contribute to the insurance fund
In addition, they receive a vacation of two to
four weeks annually with full pay These are
normal features of the life of the Soviet miners
Our delegation can contrast these conditions
with the terrible conditions of the American
miners mass unemployment, wages cut to
starvation levels hours heightened unbelievable,
no working insurance without safeguards, strikes
broken by state and federal troops and hired
thugs, leaders framed up and imprisoned. These
are normal features Of the life Of the American
miners.
Unemployment.
While unemployment is the scourge Of the
American mining industry and hundreds of
thousands are displaced result of capitalist
naturalization, unemployment in the USSR
mining industry is completely unknown. On the
contrary, shortage Of labor exists. The delega-
ton can study and report to the American
miners this tremendous difference between capt.
talist and socialist naturalization. Ratonaliza-
ton in the Soviet Union has meant the i'm
provement of the conditions of the whole work
ing class, economically, socially and culturally
it has meant increasing the number Of workers,
raising of wages, shortening of the working day,
the all-round development Of socialist economy
Hours. 500
The Soviet miners work six hours per day for
underground work and eight hours for surface
workers The eight-hour day on the surface is
gradually being replaced by the seven-hour day,
with the majority already working only seven
hours. Parallel with the lowering of hours go
periodic wage increases.
Accidents.
While the American coal industry is slsugh-
ter house, killing 5000 miners year and in
juring 100000 others with the victims de-
pendents very little if at all protected such con-
ditions do not exist in the USSR. There every
possible precaution is taken to safeguard the
lives and health of the miners. Underground
medical depots fully equipped are in every mine
and are manned by experienced doctors to treat
accidents on the spot Compared with the pre-
war level, the fatalities up to 1929 had decreased
Is per cent. The widows of the victims each
receive eight months salary in lump sum and
three-quarters of her husbands average salary
throughout her lifetime. Also free rent coal,
light and government responsibility for the well
fare Of each child until the age OF 49,
Wages.
From 1928 to 1928 wages of Soviet miners In