The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-04

and that with more forces on the
ground, the picketing shall go on
without regard to limitation.
The Central Rank and File Strike
Committee seriously discussed the
planned organization Of Negro min
ers. The Negro department estab-
lshed at the meeting last week re-
ported with a plan. 1.-THE white
miners much show the Negro miners
in practice that they mean that de-
mand among our strike demands
which says: No discrimination
against Negroes or foreign-born work.
ers,' said Harry Haywood, reporting
for the Negro Department. "The dis
elimination is subtle. The companies
usually pay the same wage for the
same work. But they give the Ne
groes the worst working places. They
give them the worst houses in the
patch, or even Jim crow them al
together in special and inferior rows
of houses. Some mines, where con-
ditions are little better than others,
will not hire Negroes at all More
Negroes than whites, in proportion,
live in company houses, and are kept
in closer control by the companies,
are subjected to greater swindling
and terror"
The program is for each local and
section strike committee to build a
sub committee for work among Ne
groes. The SUBJ committees must have
both Negro and white miners on it,,
for the organization of Negro miners
is equally the concern Of all strikers.
The strike committee, both section
and local, must put the discussion
and formulation of the local de-
mands against special grievances Of
Negro miners on the order of bust
ness at their next meetings.
Then the subcommittee, and the
central Negro department, which Is
a sub commStee Of the Central Rank
and File Strike Committee, must or
ganize a regular propaganda cam
paign among Negro miners, using the
Scottsboro case, the Camp Hill mas
sacre and arrests, the lessons Of the
strike here as main issues. The ques-
ton of self determination of Negroes
in the South must be brought to the
front. Particularly, the Liberator, the
official organ Of the League Of Strug-
gle for Negro Rights, must be util-
lied to rouse the Negro masses in
the strike area.
And all remnants OF race prejudice
on both sides must be diligently
sought out, and stamped out. The
Negro miners must be taught by ex-
ample that the white miners are
no longer under the influence of the
Jim Grow policy Of the old UNIV.
The use Of one race against the other
by the coal operators must be ex-
planned If Negro family is evict-
ed, and white miner has room in
LAO llSIllCs Vic 4NCS1O 4eiAll4iy 1l1llop DC
taken in and given shelter.
The Negro department found that
whereas race prejudice used to exist
in considerable force in this strike
area. it is melting away rapidly in
the heat of the common fight against
hunger. All that is needed is little
organized effort 10 eliminate it al
together
Ike Hawkins, Negro miner and dis
trict Relief Secretary, reported that
the work of establishing kitchens in
the struck camps is going on very
well, and that the good effects of
the kitchens are Immediately seen
in the better picket lines and higher
morale.
A delegate from Central Pennsyl-
vania reported on the successful con-
ference held Sunday in Johnstown,
as a result of which seven new locals
of the National Miners Union have
already been set up in the first three
days of this week in that district.
The locals are in the biggest mines.
The bosses are already so scared that
in one mining town in the Allegheny
Valley they went around to all the
company houses reducing the rent
from $40 month, to 81 a month,
and explaining that the higher rate
had been charged before by mis-
take" But it took the first signs of
organization to convince them Of the
mistake.
The strike committee is on record
for the building of eviction commit
tees in each strike committee. These
are committees to watch out and
make canvass of the neighborhood
for houses either empty or which
can take more in them, to house the
families that are evicted. Evictions
are now coming thick and fast.
The Central Rank and File Strike
Committee approved the recommen-
dalton of the Executive Committee
to give the executive permission to
appoint at a moments notice a
strong delegation of miners to go TO
Washington on the day Hoover's
strike breaking conference is held
with the UNIV. and the operators
The striking miners delegation will
not participate in the conference
with the government. but will pre-
sent its demands to the operators,
and will offer settlement on the basis
of the demands.