The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-07-11

The coal industry is sick" but 50
are all the capitalist industries, as
is proved by the worldwide indus
trial crisis. The remedy for the
workers does not lie in programs OF
capitalist classification and nation
alization, but in strong, industrial
union and militant struggle for
every possible advancement and
protection of the workers stand
ards now and for the eventual abo-
lition Of the capitalist system. We
deny that the coal industry is IN
able to pay higher wages to the
miners. The coal companies are
and have long been reaping large
profits out of our labor and starva-
ton. The coal and allied industries
have produced whole crop of mil
Ionaires and bill-onaires, typifie0
by Andrew Mellon.
We protest against the avowed
aim of the Washington conference
to force the United Mine Workers
OF America upon the miners. This
organization is a tool of the coal
operators and in no sense defends
the interests of the workers. IT is
hopeleSsly in the control OF labor
crooks, racketeers, and ultra -reac-
tionaries. The Lewis regime has
been marked by a long series OF
treacheries and betrayals of the min
ers, at the behest of the operators.
This reason is primarily responsible
for breaking the power of the min
ers and enabling the operators to
institute the present famine and
slavery conditions. Lewis latest
Undertaking exploit, was the sign
ing Of a scab agreement with the
Pittsburgh Terminal Coal COMPANY
(all Of whose workers struck under
our leadership providing for con-
ditions worse than those prevailing
before the strike (as even the Pitts
burgh Post-Gazette admits and by
the mobilization of scabs, with the
aid of state police, special deputies,
mine guards to smash our strike.
The miners refuse to abide by any
agreement entered into with the U.
M.W.A. This fascist organization
has no right to and cannot speak In
the name of the workers. Every
where the miners are in revolt, not
only against the intolerable condi-
tons dictated by the coal operators
and enforced by the government, but
also against the UMW.A. the main
tool of the operators to demoralze
and defeat the miners. This is ex-
emplif1ed by the big strikes in the
anthracite districts, Southern ILL
hois, West Virginia, Kentucky, Wes-
tern Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio,
etc, all Of which are in spite of and
against the UM.WA.
Only the National Miners Union
and the various rank and file strike
committees and movements, elected
and organized by the miners them
selves, represent the interests Of and
can speak authoritativeIy for and
deal with the operators in the name
OF the great body Of miners. At
ternpts to force the operator-con-
trolled UNIV. upon these workers
Will be met by militant mass resist
ance throughout the coal industy.
AS against the starvation program.
OF the Washington Conference, We
demand general increases in wages
throughout the coal industry, recoe-
milton of real checkweighrnen cleo
ted by the miners, the establishment
OF the hour day and union condi-
tons, abolition Of company towns,
the liquidation of the regime Of ter
rorism and the removal of the arrssd
forces from the coal districts, abo~
litlon OF the Injunction and estab-
lishment of the right to meet, to or
ganize, to strike and to picket, the re-
lease OF all workers arrested for strike
and union activities, no dtscrinains-
ton against Negroes, no deportation
Of foreign born workers.
We en1phattoaly demand Aedesal
unemployment insurance. the fuN
cose to be borne by the governuent
and the employers. The Hoover
Mellon government spends tslee
billion dollars yearly for past, ure-
sent and future wars, but It leaves
ten million unemployed workers 10
starve In the midst of the deepening
industrial crisis. We demand all
these war funds for immediate re-
lief for the unemployed. We pro-
test against the war preparations
against the Soviet Union.
We call upon the masses Of miners
to organize and struggle against the
starvation and slavery program Of
the operators, the Hoover -A1eXon
government and the UMW.A- We
invite all miners, employed and un-
employed. to send delegates to tAe
United Front National Conference
to be held In pittsburgh, July is and
is which shall work out common
program of action and Joint de-
nands for the coal industry nation
ally.
We call upon the working class
generally to support the spreading
strikes against starvation in the coal
fields, by energetic collection Of re-
lief and by militant protest against
the program of the HooYer-Mellor