The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-10-07
ILL. PROGRESSIVE Mine LEADERS MOVE
TO BETRAY STRIKE; NMU BARRED FROM
PRESENTING UNITED FRONT PROPOSALS
Borch Statement Calling for Unity Mass Marching and Peng
To Smash Wage Cut Rank and File leadership Given to Delegates
Pcke Jailed Oklahoma; png Miners Ranks Under the
Pretense of Unity
BULLETIN

committee and the Association OF
small operators has agreed on a
wage of $3.50, and the night session
of the p. M. A. convention has r2ti-
fled it. The leadership of the p.
NJ, A, succeeded in eliminating from
the preamble of the constitution
any statement of the class struggle
or any demand for the full social
value of the miners toll,
The leadership tried in vain to
table resolution demanding the
recognition of the SOVIET Union.
Many delegates, including Fraser
spoke for recognition. The vote
was not taken as this was sent.
Fraser pointed out the benefits to
American workers from trade with
the Soviet Union.
The Communist Party District s
sent letter of greetings to the
convention urging militant struggle
against wage cuts.
KINCAID, ILL.,, Oct. 6.-Firing
was heard at the National Guard
camp, where militia are trying to
break the strike in Peabody Goa
Co. mines here. The shots came
Just after meeting of parents o.
1853 children striking in the Kin
caid high school against the use of
scab coal in the school.
McALESTER, Okla, Oct. 6.-Fel-
ony charges of conspiracy" in addi-
ton to charges of violating the
injunction against picketing are
being placed on lD9 pIckets ar
rested at the Little Bolen Mine.
The prosecutor threatens to arrest
all 1000 strikers. The arrested
miners marched TO Jail in process
son, singing.
GILLESPIE, ILL.,, Oct. 6--After two
days of pounding by the conserva-
tive leadership of the new Progress
sive Miners of America, its conven-
ton in session here since Monday
has finally adopted and given to the
scale committee instructions ito get
the best scale possible between So
and 500 basic day wage rates" This
means that instead of mobilizing a
mass struggle against the S1.10 wage
cut ordered by the operators and the
officials of the United Mine Work
ers in August, the leaders of the p.
NJ. A. are trying to force the thou
sands of striking miners here to ac-
cept the SIS scale. With only a few
days work month, this would mean
real starvation for them.
Even the leadership of the P. M, A.
dared not all of them come before
the miners with such a sell-out.
There are differences among them
as to policy Furthermore, the de-
cision, which practically means to
surrender the fight against the 10
per cent Wage-out and accept the
scale International President Lewis
of the U.WMA. has tried to enforce,
and the operators have so far failed
to enforce, even with thousands of
deputized machine gunners, and
whole companies of state militia,
brought or a sharp discussion among
the delegates.
N. Nj. U. Program.
The National Miners Union dele
cation to the P. M. A. Convention
came, headed by Frank Borich, ma
tional secretary of the N. M. u, with
an offer of solidarity in the fight
against the wage-cut. They would
have proposed united front rank and
file strike committees in each mine,
sub-district strike committees and a
district committee, to lead the strug-
gle. They would have proposed
mass marching on the important
Franklin and Williamson County
sections of the Illinois coal fields, to
close those mines. They would have
proposed mass picketing and ma
tional campaign, led by rank and file
relief committees to feed the strikers
families. They would have proposed
unity and solidarity of all militant
miners around the Illinois struggle.
N, NJ. U. Barred.
This N. M. u. committee was not
officially barred from the sessions of
the P. M A. Convention, but by a
process of executive sessions" to
which only p M, A. delegates were
admitted. and by simply not men,
tioning the N. M. u when motions
were made to seat fraternal dele
gates, like the Keeney, West Virginia,
Miners Union (Musteite), which was
seated, the N. M. U. delegation was
barred from the sessions.
Leaflets to Delegates.
A statement by Frank Borich and
the delegation of the N. M. u, en-
bodying the proposals it would have
laid before the convention, was
mimeographed and distributed to the
delegates.
N. M. U. Exposes Spy.
The P. M. A. leaders had seated
Basil Rice, notorious Harlan County
stool pigeon. Tht N. M. U. delega-
ton recognized him coming out of
the hall, and exposed him to the P.
NJ. A. delegates.
This is the first convention of the
P. NJ A., and its constitutional con-
vention. The constitution commit
tee is expected to report tomorrow,
with a split between the majority
and minority, over whether the class
struggle should be openly advocated
in the preamble to the new unions