The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-04-08
Fear 'sReds"--
Bar Outside
Relief
BY ROBERT TALLEY
NEA Service Writer


Copyright 1882, NEA Service Incl
Pineville, Ky.-That there is
trying and difficult economic prob
lem facing coal operators in this
Kentucky area to-day is as clear as
the fact that the families of job
less miners are near the hunger
line and employed miners are
working only part of the time at
far less wages than they formerly
got.
The collapse of the coal business
is as clear as the manner in which
the coal operators, business men
and law-enforcement officials of
Bell and Harlan counties are trying
to solve their problem. Their
method is one of complete suppress
sion Of human rights an DEVIL lib
critics.
Such interests in these commun-
tiles have banded together to crush
unionism among the miners. They
have used every means at their
command-the power of the law,
deportation of unwelcome visitors
they even have taken a monop-
oily on food relief, refusing unions
and their sympathizers permission
to send any food in here for the
jobless miners.
In Harlan county, things are be-
ing run by Sheriff John Henry
Blair and County Judge D. c. Jones
who have recently drifted. apart
politically but not on this subject.
In Bell county, County Prose-
cutor Walter B. Smith. only 20
yearsr old, is the one-man dictator.
Offcials Fear "Reds'
Both Sheriff Blair and Prosecu-
tor Smith tell you that they are
defending the mine region from
communists bent upon overthrow
in established government with
1t this way:
Kentucky is a state of pioneers
and we Kentuckians are pioneer
ing here to-day against a commun-
istic menace that, If permitted to
take root here, may flourish and
spread until it engulfs and wrecks
our nation. The National Mine
Workers is a communistic union.
I'VE are engaged in choking a
well organized movement that aims
at the destruction Of our govern
ment, our homes, our courts, our
industries and everything else that
is American.
"In the wake of these Bolshe-
viks, feeding upon the publicity at
tendant to the furore they have
created, have come lot of half
baked emigres from New York who
call themselves journalists and
novelists. They say they came
here to help the miners; the truth
is that they came here to get pub
licity for themselves, or for the red
publications they represent or for
books they plan to write. Theodore
Dresser, for example, made lot of
noise but never until this day has
he aided anybody in Kentucky"
That explains the situation as
mine operators and public officials
hore would like to have it ex-
plained-that they are fighting a
Red menace.
Operators Problem
The grave economic problems
that face the coal operators in
these days of depression were out
lined to me by operators whom I
interviewed. and the high points
in their statements were:
NINETY per cent of the coal
operators have gone broke, or are
as good as broke. Il saw stocks
of commissaries Of bankrupt coal
companies being auctioned off at
sheriff's sale in front of the court |
house at Pineville.)
2.-They are trying to sell coal
that costs $1.25 a ton to produce |
a flooded market where it is going |
begging at 81 ton, as against |
$40 for this same coal few years |
ago.
3.-The independent operators
are not only fighting the depressed
market but they also are engaging |
in cut-throat competition to get |
what little business there is in |
sight. They can't make price agree
ments to stabilize their business be-
cause of the Sherman antitrust |!
law.
4.-The rapidly increasing use of |
HYDRO electric power, gasoline. |
fuel oil. natural gas has played
havoc with the coal market in re- |
cent years.
5.-High freight rates on coal !
have encouraged this and killed |
the export market for coal, the |
railroads are now getting more than |
the mine owners with such rates |
from here as $1.75 ton to Louis
Vile, $1.95 a ton to Cincinnati. |
$1.41 to Knoxville and $2.26 to |
Atlanta.
Make Profit on Stores
'Im 68 years old" said r. W. |
Liddle, one of the Oldest operators |
in the Pineville area. "and I've |
lived 10 years too long. Had ! died
10 years ago would have left the
coal industry at its peak.
1ov
coal than the market will take at |
anv price. Our mines are OVERRIDE |
veloped. Under present conditions |
we have from three to five times |
as many coal mines and as many |
coal miners as we need"
The operators are hanging on. |
hoping for better times. Thew say |
they can't close down completely |
because there are certain items of |
overhead expense. like pumping. |
that must continue at all times. If |
pumping is stopped. they say.
mines will fill with water.
The operators admit they are de-
pending a lot on the profits of their |
commissaries. or company stores in |
these time when they are losing |
money on coal production. En- |
ployers insist that miners trade |
Independent stores, claiming they |
are entitled to this trade.
They admit their prices are high |
err than those charged by mer-
chants. but explain that this Is un-
avoidable because they cannot buy |
in such great quantities as the |
chain stores.
Relief Monopolized
The same forces that are running |
everything else in the coal area
also are running the relief pro-
gram. and refuse to permit any |
outside aid from unions or union
sympathizers on the ground they |
are "Reds'. The only outsiders |
permitted to operate here are the |
Quakers. who are conducting soup |
kitchens. One union soup kitchen
was dynamited: at another. two
men were killed outright by a dep
uty sheriff and one wounded.
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