The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-26
LiberaIBOard
WhiteWashes
Mine Owners
By TOM KEENAN,

Late during September, a hearing
was held in the mining towns of
Bobtown and Mather, in which an
investigating board of supposed
liberals appointed by State Relief
Director Eric Biddle, listened to
miners substantiate charges, that
the former Green County Relief
Board, headed by Paul Keenan,, was
used as a tool by the coal operators
to break the militancy of striking
miners by denial of relief to strik-
ers' families.
At that time it was clearly proven
by the testimony of the miners that
the relief board was used, and was
controlled hand and foot by the coal
bosses of the district. Now, after
the disclosure of findings of the in
vestigating commission, comprised
of Louis Burnham, Civil Liberties
Union; John Edelman, of the State
Planning Commission; and Douglas
Faulkner, relief expert no less
direct link is established between
the coal operators and the liberal
commission which held the hear
ingS.
Whitewashed
The whitewash report finds mo
evidence that the Greene County
Board was dominated by the coal
companies or that the board used or
attempted to use the machinery Of
the relief administration to dis
eliminate against the striking min
ers, or to aid the coal companies in
the economic conflict between them
and their employees"
But at the hearings coal miners
testified that Mr.. Dodge, of the
Buckeye Coal Company, sat in on
important meetings of the relief
board, although neither member
nor entitled to attend in any capac-
ity. Especially was Mr.. Dodge care
full to be present when the purpose
of the meeting was to consider the
discharge of a member who had
shown himself sympathetic to the
United Mine Workers.
Neither could the commission find
any evidence that Paul keenan,
used his position as relief admin
istrator to discriminate against
striking miners, or that his acts
were in any way influenced by coal
company officials"
keenan, Former Operator
But miners had testified at the
hearing that keenan,, who is for
mer coal operator himself, refused
to allow medical aid to be furnished
a striking miner who had been
wounded by the charge of COM
pany thug, and that the relief head
brought to authorities a petition
signed by 270 persons dwelling out
side Of that area, asking that relief
be denied strikers and their families.
The report denied that relief flour
was fed to hogs, but testimony at
the hearing definitely established
that this was done, even while min
ers and their families waited over
two weeks after filing relief appH-
cations before any orders were re-
ceived.
The testimony also proved the
stand Of James sherwood, fascist
commander of the State American
Legion and chairman of the former
relief board, on the question Of re-
lief to miners. sherwood declared
that "at all times we felt we were
giving adequate relief to the min
ers" and admitted that this "ade-
ouate relief" amounted to exactly
AZ cents per day-$360 per week
for family of twelve.
To climax the viciousness of the
report, its final paragraph stated
that in the opinion of the commits
sion relief is much more nearly
adequate than it was a year or two
ago." 1t also recommended that
home economists" be added to the
relief staff to assist families in the
preparation of a balance diet''-on
AZ cents per person per day.