The daily worker., 1931-07-24
UNITED FRONT MEETS TO
SPREAD MINE STRIKE

special leaflets ETC.. Negro members
have absolute equality with white
miners in the National Miners Union
and the strike organization and there
is not even hint of any form of
segregation.
The convention wired greetings to
the National Textile Workers Union
and the textile strikers of Rhode
Island and Paterson, sent resolutions
of protest to the Governor of Ohio
and the county authorities over the
murder of Simon, resolutions of pro-
test to the Governor of Alabama
over the slaughter of Negro workers
at Camp Hill, and endorsed the Uni
ted Front Conference on Unemploy-
ment which will be held in Pitts
burgh, Sunday. Five delegates were
elected to represent the strike COM
mittee at the unemployment con-
ference.
Unemployment is a serious matter
in the coal fields. At this meeting of
the strike committee, delegate
from Fayette county told of miners
who have been out of work for four
and five years because of the mines
being closed down.
Delegates from Arnold City told of
their emergency search for housing
of 25 evicted families in one day.
They found shelter for the families,
but one man went back after being
evicted and was arrested and SEN
fenced for trespassing. He refuses
to have his fine paid.
Allegheny Valley delegats declared
the scabS were leaving the mines in
greater numbers, and the pickets
more militant: "They shall not pass"
is the slogan in that section.
A Bentleyville delegate told of the
massing of $50 delegates on the bor-
ough line by the Ellworth mine man.
ager, and of the burgess of Bentley
vile allowing them to come into
that borough. The thing needed
there to give fresh impetus to the
strike is the news from Central
Pennsylvania, said this striker.
Advice on the formation and &C
tivity of local defense committees
was given by Stern, LID. district
secretary. Every attempt, by mass
pressure, is to be made to get ar
rested men out without bail fines
are not to be paid except in unusual
cases. There are over 900 arrests
since the strike started.
Borich opened the session with a
general review of the strike situation
and outlining of the main tasks.
Kemenovich spoke on the organiza-
ton tasks, and described the organ-
ization Of the sectional conferences
of the National Miners Union, to be
held Saturday, and the district con-
vention Of the N.M.U., which comes
August g.. at 10 a. m. in Pittsburgh,
and which is made necessary by the
SiOWoAi Vi Vic ANsiisSs
since the last district convention
held in My, this year.
Alfred Wagenknecht spoke on the
necessities of further strengthening
of local relief committees, as the ma
tional campaign. although improv-
ing, can not begin to provide the
food needed at present to save the
miners families from starvation.
1.-THE National Miners Union has
accomplished one Of the greatest
feats in American labor history"
said William z. Foster, speaking in
the name Of the Trade Union Unity
League. "The miners of western
Pennsylvania were not only unor-
ganized, they were disorganized They
had been betrayed, defeated and de-
nnoralized. Then the National Min
ers Union, with It's small available
force in the beginning, has succeeded
in spreading what started as local
strike into a broad mass movement