The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-09-13
Panic at UNIV HEADQUARTERS

him some OF the local papers carried
the story that there were machine
guns gross misstatement" 4.
Why he said, "the deputies really
only padded most of them"
SIX: That Joe Colbert. secretary
of the Orient local (who was assas-
sinated for his opposition to the
Lewis-Walker oligarchy, was killed in
a personal alteration" He didn't
know what kind of man Colbert
really was. No, he never knew
him.
Not a Communist.
SEVEN: That Pat Ansbury is not
Communist. Just somebody look
ing for job. He'd only been using
Communist tactics, you know, mass
picketing, mass intimidation" but
he was sure AnSbury is no Com
muneiSt.
EIGHT: That situation now is
turmoil and chaos" due to the 'in-
terloper union" But that the U. M.
w. A. has met this kind of situa-
ton before in its az years of exist
ence, and has always come out on
top.
Importance of Franklin County
And then he let the cat out of the
bag concerning Franklin County:
why it is THE key county of the
Illinois situation. In 1881, for in
stance, Franklin County, with its
giant New Orient, G. w. and F.
Chicago, Wilmington and Franklin)
and Old Ben Coal Co. mines, pro-
duced 9,030,985 tons; Mercupin
County was a poor second with
3,984,000 tons; third came Spring
field County with 100000 tons;
next, Christian County, which in
cludes Taylorville, with 2,768,0O0
tons; fifth, Williamson County,
which includes Herrin, Marion, ETC.,
with 1,986,000 tons, and SO on.
In other words, Franklin County,
where practically Chinese Wall of
terror has been built up to keep the
opposition from tying up the pits,
produces more than twice as much
as any other county in the state.
Last year 100000 tons we're
mined in the 80 coal counties of
Illinois. Franklin County, alone,
with more than 100000 tons, pro-
duced more than 20 per cent of the
total. With overtime, miners say
the production there can be doubled.
Naturally, the coal barons will fight
to the bitter death against permit
ting the rank and file movement to
in Ground tharn MnfY1f.o 11vY thu
M. w. A. will send in all its guerillas
to keep the rank and file from or
ganizing. And it is therefore all the
more important that the Progressive
Miners Union realize this fact, and
bend all efforts to spreading the
strike into this key county. M
"The Poor Coal Operators"
The editor talked lot Of the
necessity of the Illinois coal opera
tors competing with the other fields,
Ohio, q Kentucky, West Virginia,
where the wage rate is much lower"
He expressed great concern over the
poor operators plight: That's why
we have to accept a wage-cut," as
he said, Gin order to permit the Illi-
noiS operators Che almost said OUR
operators) to meet the competition
of other fields.
well, what are the prospects?" I
asked in departure.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Chaos
and turmoil for a while" he said,
chaos and turmoil. But the U. M
w. AS been in the field for more
than AZ years and we won't have
much trouble after while with this
new outfit. They haven't got a
chance. Not with their tactics"
I tried to get in to see Weepin'
Johnny Walker. But he was still
busy. I heard loud and angry voices
in the locked room adjoining his Of
flee. I glanced at the editor of the
illinois Miner"
"Oh, some meeting or other" he
said offhand
1t was undoubtedly the pack of
snarling gunner moguls of the U
M. w. A. charting their next steps
For, as some of the Scotch rank and
file miners say, "the devils pot is
a. brewing" Messrs. Walker and
Lewis see the handwriting on the
wall. And, like all the rest of their
capitalist brethren, they won't give
up power without cornered- rats
figh