End Slavery in the Coal Fields!
Hapgood, Powers
End Slavery in the Coal Fields! Private Ownership of Coal Has Brought Chaos, Tyranny and Hunger—The-Socialist Way Out By Powers Hapgood f^OXL MINERS throughout thM country arc \**> facing a...
...As long as owners take more in profits than they can possibly consume, and more than is required for new investments actually demanded by industry, they make it impossible by that much for the people to *buy back what they have produced...
...Then your place is in the Soa*u* **f?|j fanel* Topics ! ly Norman Thomas ^ j, Psienton—The C P. L. A. and the Sothe Gloomy Outlook for Disarmament JwLtorh Address in Vienna—Bernard "*^^Shaw and Soviet Rnasta JJjp fKBT IN PATERSON - come back from a big strike mass meeting in «sa of*' hope in my bean aad fresh admiration for the men and women who are carrying oo the struggle for decent standards in a chaotic industry wheat andsa pleasure of herd times what hale bad been won in recent yean wis bong lost...
...Coal mining should be considered as much a public utility as sir, water, sanitation, the public highways, or the postoffice...
...Tie IssWlst a 100 per cent union and a wen established political labor party is not an eacuss for, fa^Bnf to) push nationalisation...
...There will necessarily be a national basic wage scale, with wages as the first charge against the industry...
...But I wonder how »^P^e longrebel, could stand the strict, rigid, and S*~°r non Communist—instead of a famous visitpt, who travels with these eminent absentee ¦R> British Astors...
...The times call for determined, concerted aad tboagbtful action by men and women who are dtesatlsfied with the present Order of liiihtollMf chaos, unemployment and hunger...
...It gives hope to the miners...
...3»w always been eager for a larger and stronger groupxrttotim But the C.P.LA...
...The I trouble with it is that it Is rigidly controlled by the Communist Party for Party harmony between a political party of the ad than* own union...
...Most accidents ire caused by the desire of msnsgnmsnt to reduce costs...
...A METHOD OF RUNNING NATIONALIZED MINES Coal is a necessity...
...liouk: i* glad to have our critics, if they are in earnest ¦traettw in their criticism...
...BETTER AND HAPPIER HOMES...
...To voice a complaint IS to lose your Job...
...The Socialist Party stands for the miners and for all men and women who work...
...There forces making far internationalism sad for peace...
...There is no pit committee to speak to in case a miner has a grievance...
...Many private owners oppose safety devices...
...Why should we permit people to make a profit from owning coal mines any men than from owning highways or the postal service...
...It includes the following: J. A Secretary of Mines in the Cabinet...
...Because it will not be necessary to make profits, wages can be far higher under Nationalization...
...They vallate even the loaaiivatlst safety sCw> that are now en the books, the coal industry of this country kills over 2,000 miners a year and injures tens of tbnasssds more...
...the C.P.LuA...
...It is not unusual to see women rtanding at the pit-heads, each waiting for a ear to come up with her husband's check on it, so that she can get a slip from the weigh boas and go to the company store to get enough food for supper...
...In the third place, mining coal will be less dangerous under nationalisation...
...Join us sad help to make us s...
...In Ludlow, the owners' agents shot down and burned women and children...
...What can we do to bettor curssi ves and our families—-to get even the barest necessities of life for our wives and children?'* NATIONALIZATION— THE WAY OUT One of the answers to this question, of course, is organisation, Coal miners must have a strong, militant, honestly led union that, will give them the power to command better conditions...
...HOW THE PROFIT SYSTEM SWINDLES THE MINER Wages are as low as thirty cents a ton for miners, aad three dollars a day of tea or twelve or even more hours for day men...
...On Friday of last week, after kwsx asgaOations, the United Textile Workers aad the- Jeaiileliil Hah %liiKsis geRvtasjr . new charter from the United Textile Workers for one united local...
...fi . VJWS HEARTENING SPEECH ! ' tut to this gloomy picture one can imagine the Joy with k I read of Leon Blum's eloquent aad friendly spisch at S International...
...for the fine Job it has done and i* httrsan...
...And that is a a • f. L. A. AND A NEW PARTY gar tie Paterson situation sad above an fat iaiuguig the sneer locals into one vigorous body the.Conference for * Labor Action has played a notable and very useful k she grring very effective cooperation to the peasant Bu j the sort of thing which Justifies the CiPJLA...
...Wage reductions, alack work, isissry, starvation of body and soul, are the oanm^ioas «wiywlmi in the coal fields today...
...It directs its attack on the exploitation of workers in all industries, in steel, on the railroads, in the offices aad 08 the farms, as well as against the ruthless sweat ing of the miners...
...If, hosjosci...
...No union and no political labor party can flourish in this country which does not understand that under capitalism there is no hope...
...They have been attacked in ways illegal, murderous, and an-American...
...Nevertheless, however snai¦¦ hsnahs may be diviksttssdoa like that at Peterson, the' workers who in the petty am organized under the old union banner, recognise yog oa say union is out of the question...
...Manaaaa^JssnnEi: > t...
...The plan of nationalization issued by the United Mine Workers of America, when it was a powerful union, is one method that aught be adopted...
...Those hi charge say it is because of industrial depression...
...Write today to the Socialist Party, 2653 Washington Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois...
...It is hardly necessary to describe to miner* how tragic their conditions have become since the collapse of their once powoifut union in too bitumBRUTALITY AND OPPRESSION FOR COAL WAGE SLAVES For ,years the miners have been struggling for decent conditions...
...If blood be the price of their legal wealth, good God, we have paid In full...
...HEALTH, SAFETY AND FREEDOM...
...The principle of nationalise tion could well be applied to all the industries which are needed by the people of the nation to supply them with the necessities of life...
...Prance and her Allies have got about aaMJlsj ssnl Hence they are afraid to disarm unless r*t a guarantee of protection against say and every atreover...
...Because the passion for profits to an essential part of private ownership, aad because profits cause unemployment, there is only one possible way for the sick industries of this country to get -well, and that is through public ownership of industry...
...At times where {be average weight used to be 4,400 lbs...
...3. A national mining council, to administer po>. teles, with miners, technicians, and cecasanars represented...
...The ¦njiiipliiyiiiiai in the coal industry, as in all other industries today, is Private Owaetshlp...
...It hi the re as est why we must demand government ownership...
...Practically all the broad silk mills are dosed...
...4. The safeguarding of collective bargaining through joint-conferences...
...is at this moment in no poetIs esasoy, for its own sake or for the sake of the labor l » Jorm a bona ade labor party or to alienate Socialists to act, as an official censor of the Party...
...If just as much coal is produced there Is Just as much wealth being created to a shorter time, and the industry can pay Just as much for a shorter work day...
...In the second place, there will be a shorter work day to solve the problems crested by the new labor-saving: machines and methods of mining...
...ESOSSS production, going back into business as "capital" to produce more excess production, causes business stagnation which forces shut-downs sad causes unemployment...
...If this program appeals to you...
...The hope of the world lies not in nation's ike friendship of French and German aad all other ¦we k>vs of their owa country does not bund them to the haasUuu for the good of ail those whose toil keeps ail Ik ear Interdependent world...
...They are ail asking the question...
...irneular Juncture should divert its energies into trying to i jarty to opposition to the Socialist Party or to becoming jflfcuU censor of tie Socialist Party—as some of its memi» desire— it will hurt its own cause and make it difficult santa Mr Borishsto who have worked with it and want ¦ to want with it to maintain their membership in the bet act mean that friends of labor to the C.P.L.A...
...I do net want to out this statement...
...JOIN THE SOCIALIST PARTY1 That is the program of the Socialist Party...
...What «ed not say was more important than what he said, i m...
...All classes of people in mining communities are suffering from the intolerable condition* in the coal industry...
...Private Ownership of Coal Has Brought Chaos, Tyranny and Hunger—The-Socialist Way Out By Powers Hapgood f^OXL MINERS throughout thM country arc \**> facing a crisis...
...2. A Federal Commission of Mines, to control budget and policy on the basis of continuous factfinding...
...Thus was There is also in Peterson, as Omjfboay knows, Use Marions...
...A gains t them have been used injunctions, yellow-dog contracts, evictions, operators' gunmen and private coal and iron police...
...The coal miners' only hope is the-ownership of the mines by the government and the production of coal for use, and not tor profit...
...Some people say that ws cannot have nationahV zation of coal mines without a 100 per oast union and a big political labor party...
...he Williamstown Institute they have Just been discussing , very gloomy picture of the Impossibility of getting dist or, iaeattVlB finding any solution for Europe's troubles of pai rt| asMdsllstle demands In very few of the oispulsd Europe is tbsie such dear right aad wrong that re-drawing idanss easM satisfy dear Justice without creating new l That doesn't mean that some boundaries do not need rec. It stealy means that the hope of Europe lies in a degree tattoo of nations and Justice to minorities which make » lass important...
...have no TXxxtt tie Socialist Party...
...asnt complacency may not tost forever...
...include democratic control...
...NATIONALIZATION OF COAL MINES MEANS i REGULAR WORK AT SHORTER ! HOURS...
...Economists today agree that we cannot have prosperity unless the workers, who form the great mass of the population, receive back as wages enough money to buy what they produce...
...The workers keep their faith in "-"ifm in hard times because it stands for a logical principle...
...Kh not lfkeiy to be immortal any more than was our HLSeneaa collapse, especially violent coHapas in a Hit¦* would not leave France untouched, in the war debts "hates baa a claim oa Europe which skillful negotiators ¦jhto preeaote both economic Justice and progress in disHke aamediate business of Anmrsbaas to aot to carte * to see that we organise public sentiment in America so •Je* discover and advance upon the seed to peace...
...Are you one of these men aad women...
...FUidler writes me from Russia that since he was CJ**Oaer he sees signs of real progress in many ¦fjwhtr things, the food conditions are better...
...The dyers and the ribbon makkTh^ 4iV'f«he ilihuhaj M gaad...
...Rather X should like to —pttsslsi the to the CJ.UA...
...Her prosperity...
...A public necessity should come under public authority...
...The miners who work in the industry, the technicians who srtmmtatet it, and the public, must all be represented in the management...
...MORE AIR PUMPED INTO THE MINES...
...on each car when there was a checkwetghman, today, under non-union conditions., the weight is only around gjQflU...
...Why aot a pj*te> or a Get To Work loan...
...SECURITY...
...Prance, rightly or wrongly, thinks she need not an economic collapse as much as Britain or the United loose she hi likely to stick to her pros sat refusal to disarm npossibla guarantees to to permit anything like equality in bar so give Germany much better economic terms than K Such at least was the impression given not only by ah but by the very suave spokesman for France...
...We do not claim to be sacred...
...A ; six-hour day and five-day week will produce all tionalization no set of workers will be allowed to work longer hours than this...
...This is because the European unions hash nationalization as the corner stone of their program...
...Has this policy cured grievances* Has it obtained a de» cent American standard of living for the miners T It has not It has not even kept alive an organization...
...GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP WOULD HELP WORKERS Why will the conditions of the miners be better under government ownership than under private ownership ? In the first place the government will not suffer from the cut-throat competition which causes one private operator to reduce wages when his competitor cuts his employees...
...Dto ¦ ociy one stage on the road but 4t Is ah haanrtmt s _- ' n-j&n toXGER LOAN friend makes a good point...
...Well, I shan't quarrel The important thing to to push agitation for the ihear answer to Hoover's repsatsd statement that unfn a problem for dtiss sad other local communities to '¦true that cities and local areas-may be the beet to **wrht relief...
...He asks me why X **" that Ave billion dollar Federal loan, to be repaid out inheritance taxes, as a Hunger Loan...
...That is what we mean by NATIONALIZATION...
...Our organisation has been almost completely crashed...
...Most of the coal diggers have no union checkweighmen, so that it is a thing to have half a tot) or mote stolen from them on each car...
...They do not can for control of a j party...
...and gag this Roe will pat a different and more hopeful face Ms American labor movement...
...Ours Is not a static world...
...the Socialist Party earnestly invites you to Join its ranks...
...In Pennsylvania, Wert Virginia and other coal fields the killing of miners gOM on almost continuously, sometimes by operators' agents, sometimes by public officials, but always paid for out of the profits of the coal By the deaths and accidents -to the mines each year we have paid the high cost of private owuaishlp...
...The celeKlrTwWllc aot 00011 to Russia before but spent a few ¦7*°k*e including his birthday, is very enthusiastic p%fa a* he were 18 years old he'd go there to live...
...Moreover, wages ' will be Just as high for six hours as for eight or ten...
...Neither would the ptaa use up aO the MMgT, |2to?B^^ NO HOPE IN A POLICY AIMING AT LESS The pohcy of the miners' organisation far small 'demands...
...Textile Cnion...
...The problem of raising s/bftg loan, payE?***tfcn, and putting the loan properly to work is, for ¦pi »»BaUMUy pointed <">*, essentially a Federal affair...
...DECENT WAGES...
...It has been a policy of conciliation...
...In order to hold their pitiful Jobs, it is often necessary for the miners to deal only at company nwTaVato fate of the siwsrlj sliUnau miners...
...fckTii.18 who can,t s<tt iobs 1x1 =«>wded England, Manas Bg^hi change if they could get in...
...Tet the miners' organisations in Europe survive and even grow stronger in the face of a worse depression than we have in Amen lea...
...THE END OF PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS...
...Possibly, but oo the other hand it is also true that we cea atuei have a 100 per cent union and a big political party without pushing aad fighting for a |l|fleas' of nationalization of industry...
...5. Freeing production management from wage squabbles and sales problems, by making wages the first charge against the industry and therefore making wage MOSSllliiiiiWlt one of the functions of the Federal Commission under the principles of - collective bargaining, which will be safeguarded by an independent Joint wage seals mmwIHii Such a plan need not result in coal being more expensive to the people who use it.' By eHminat- >< lag the wastes of the proa sat disgraceful competitive system through a centralised control over an coal mining, it aright mean ova* Mwer'ffsfiBV...
...But even a reeJ onion win not be enough...
...Under nationalization, there would not be the coiiantltlvo necessity of keeping costs of saining down to the lowest level, so that safety would increase...
...Only Socialist internatlonInaUy solve the problem, and every growth of strength of *roes ought to make it easier to solve...
...THE PEACE SENTIMENT iWttiiJS it would be both stupid and cowardly to say that Iskeggis at the forthcoming Geneva Conference on disJb already a lost battle...
Vol. 13 • August 1931 • No. 6
