The Washington times., 1936-01-29
DECENT WAGE
OBJECTIVE
OF ACT
Would SponsorFurther
Legislation IfCourt
Rules Adversely
BY HARRY WARD
International News Service

OF FeuuSy1Vanld duG1lOI VI VIC ha-
tional bituminous coal conServa-
ton act, told the United Mine
workers convention today he
would continue the battle" II
the Supreme Court should de-
clare the act unconstitutional.
He was cheered by the 1000 dele
gates when he said:
"ShOuld the court knock out
this act, which contains such
great humanitarian principles
in behalf Of labor, / pledge
myself to a continuation Of the
efforts of your leaders and
stand ready to sponsor further
legislation which may accom-
plish the results which they
and I so greatly desire.
II am in this fight to a finish
and will consider it ended only
after you and I have obtained
that which we want and to
which the members Of your or
ganiZatiOn are entitled"
DeplOreS Conditions
Guffey reminded the miners he
was born and reared in the heart
of the Western Pennsylvania btu
luminous coal fields and had wit
messed at firSthand the deplor-
able conditions in which the men
in the mines and those depend
ent upon them EXISTED rather
than lived" He continued:
"It has been a lifelong am
bitiOn Of mine to do something
which might alleviate those con-
ditiOns. Hence it was with great
trepidatiOn that undertook
the formulation, sponsorship
and passage Of a bill which /
hoped would place the btu
minOus coal industry on a sound
economical and humanitarian
basis"
Guffey said he understood to
formulate a law, which would re-
suit in the conservation Of a great
national resource. His aim, he
added, was to guarantee to the
men who work in the mines both
decent wages and working condi.
tions, a protection to the owners
and operators, mot only against
their own follies, but also against
the ruthless competition of their
fellow operators as well as domi-
nation by consumers and tranSpor-
tation groups, who for years had
made the bituminous coal indus
try an object for ACKNOWLEDGMENT
for their own selfish interests"
Seeks End Of Battle
Guffey said the object of his
bill was to bring to an end "the
merciless and useless struggles
between capital and labor which
have too frequently disturbed the
peace and order of coal mining
communities.
While he said he had had
wholehearted cooperation OF
union leaders and a majority Of
the operators, he also had had the
bitterest opposition from minor
ity group of the operators who
for years have bitterly fought all
measures which were designed to
bring social justice and to restore
economic liberty to the people
working in this industry"
Guffey said while one battle
had been won another one faced
the industry. A minority of the
operators, small in number, but
powerful in tonnage and influ-
ence, he asserted, had sought to
discredit the Coal Conservation
act and to block its operation by
obtaining injunctions in numer-
Gus courts.
Flood of Resolutions
More than a thousand resolu'
tions were dropped into the lap
of the miners convention today.
They ranged all the way from
President John Lewis pet plan CT
organizing workers in mass pro-
duction, as opposed to the A. F.
of LIS plan for craft mionism,
to control of captive mines.
against FasciSm, against war, and
against participation OF the United
States in the forthcoming Olym-
pic games in Berlin.
One of the most important
resolutions was presented by
Local Union No. 935, Of Cassan-
dra. Pa, relating to a drive ito
iVAIJ1cfTsEy -
It recited it was the policy OF
the steel companies to refuse to
recognize "a good union in the
steel industry" because they want
"to force the steel workers to
ioin the company unions or to
remain unorganized."
In another series Of resolutions
the same organization took &C.
casion to attack the Supreme
Courts decision in the NRA and
railroad Pension act, saying "the
court IS there to help the big cor
norations destroy any gains that
the workers might make. 1t is
more and more clear that the
nine judges of the Supreme Court
will throw out any laws that are
to the benefit of the workers and
against the big companies"
A number of resolutions praised
the present Administration. Typl'
cal of them was the one intro
duced by the Danville Qll.) union,
urging the convention to go on
record as endorsing the New