Page THE MILITANT bulurday, December 28, 1929 The Illinois Miners Battle The McAlester Mine Disaster Did renew your Sub? already received notice Coal Co. Raises Rent stances; one man drank polson by mistake; the metal in some way ran past the stopper and set fire to his clothing. painter cleaning with steel wool caused spontaneous combustion; electric shocks caused the death of three; a fireman assistant was Continued from Page leadership in the Illinois iiners strike.
cleaning out the ashpit when the blowot From the Lewis Fishwick Farrington maFor the miners it becoines essential to pipe in the boiler blew out, enveloping him chines, jointly with the coal operators, will fight to correct such mistakes.
Few more tragic stories will have been in flames and steam; a gasoline lantern be launched an increased campaign against Fishwick Progressivism told in the entire year of 1929 than that of exploded in a sleeping car and in the reCommunism and against Communist lead The immediate result of the break up the mine explosion at North McAlester, sulting fire a laborer was burned to a crisp.
ership in the union. In any event for a of this strike will be a strengthening of Okla. and its aftermath. Lives of 69 coal worker to fall victim to such a campaign, the Lewis Fishwick Farrington control of diggers were snuffed out when the spark to accept it, is to strengthen the hold that the situation. That, however, can only be of a coal cutting machine ignited a gas crooks and fakers gain upon the unions.
a temporary setback, because of the role pocket. For the 59, the troubles of exCommunist leadership of the union played by this gentry itself. The Fishwickistence in a low wage, non union industry means leadership by the most advanced Farrington combination in its present fight are over, but for the dependents there is working class section, the one which is for the spoils with the Lewis machine is added to the loss of their breadwinners most responsive to the true interests of the cunningly taking on a somewhat progresthe desolation of a future shrouded in derank and file. That is always correct. But sive veneer, hoping thereby to fool the stitution.
it must be established on the broadest pogminers into support for them. They have Oklahoma workmen compensation law sible basle with the constant active collabreceived favorable publicity by the Socialoration of all honest Left wing and promakes no provision whatsoever for the ist Party, which since its New York election widows and orphans of men killed in ingressive elements. Particularly must it be victory has become more ready to align dustry. They are expected to go into court, based on correct policies and that is not itself with the capitalists and their hanghiring lawyers to prove negligence by the yet the case in the National Miners Union, ers on. The leading Musteites have already company. How negligence can be proved The strike and what preceded it, is publicly cast their lot with this combination when nearly every man in the mine was the best illustration of this contention. thereby showing that tho their coming into killed is something the Oklahoma legislaThe lack of thorough strike preparations being was decidedly a reflection of growing tors probably never thought of.
and concentration on outstanding strike is working class dissatisfaction even within The coal diggers were for the most gues failed to bring out the most decisive the conservative unions, these self styled part Negroes and Mexicans, reports a Fesection in the southern part of the field. progressive leaders are already beginning derated Press correspondent who passed any of our readers have The campaign of artificial issues raised to merge with the reactionary bureaucrats.
through the field last autumn. Thirty five against Watt, the national president end To the Left wing this can mean only of the victims were Mexicans. The union of the expiration of their ing in his arbitrary removal, initiated by one thing and that is, simultaneously with is only a memory in Oklahoma and wages subscription to The Militant. In the Party leadership, almost split off and the building of the National Miners Union, have been cut to the level of the bankrupt order to avoid missing an issue of certainly discouraged the whole Staunton to organize Left wing sentiment within the farmers, whose 1929 crop was a complete section. The representatives from that subthe paper, particularly now that it old union so much more energetically.
failure.
district at the last Belleville dis Taking advantage of this latest exposure is published every week, it is adtrict convention saw in that campaign only of the strike breaking activities of the FishФ visable to send in your renewal the worst features of machine rule. They wick Farrington combination a genuine immediately. As an additional offer, objected, but to no avail, and thus it Left wing and progressive movement should POOR SCABS!
all those sending in a new subit became a campaign against them. Hence be built of ali favorable elements within scription, or a renewal of an old this section, which had been among the the of where is still has a mass sub, will receive free a copy of best supporters and the best fighters be organization. All opportunities should be The Draft Prograin of the Comfore, this time practically failed to respond. utilized to more effectively propragate uniBROUGHTON, Pa. Scab miners munist International: Criticism Foster on Strike Strategy!
ted struggle of all rank and flle miners for get it coming and going from the Pittsburgh of Fundamentals by Leon TrotOn the question of preparation for their interests, and thus help prepare for Terminal Coal Co. which went nonunion sky. This masterful work, which was strikes of unorganized workers (which is the next open battle.
the case in this instance) Wm. Foster three years ago. Rent of the company houses Persistent organization work of buildsent to the Sixth Congress of the in Broughton has been jumped a says in his pamphlet Strike Strategy. ing the National Miners Union and preparComintern for the consideration of month. Miners now pay 10 or 12 a month Less and legs can the strike strate ation for future strikes is now particularly the delegates, was deliberately for company shacks of four rooms without gist depend upon the spontaneity of the necessary, not merely sporadically in cerrunning water and unfurnished. The rent suppressed by the Stalinist machmasses to bring them into revolt against tain sections but as far as available forces ine, taken out of the country by their exploiters, more and more he has to used to be or 10. Streets are unpaved and conditions permit on a national scale.
but there is electric light. The scale has one of the delegates, and published figure on substantial preliminary organi But above all correct policies are essential been trimmed as follows: for the first time in the United zation, conceived planfully and carried as a guide to correct action.
Day labor which used to get 50 a States. The booklet makes an exthrough almost like military strategy. WithФ day under union conditions now gets 25 cellent combination with a yearly in the past Afteen years American employand around the mine on top as low as 50 subscription to the weekly Milltant.
ers have become very able and skillful in COMMUNITY CHEST DRIVE a day. Miners paid by the ton have been checking spontaneous mass revolts amongst cut from 770 a ton to 55c. Pick miners get their workers. To this end they have develhe Militant has already been oped a whole arsenal of weapons which 77 a ton instead of the union scale of 11. And there been another cut besides.
greeted with very favorable may be summed up under the general heads HOUSTON, Tex. Kennedy, forma staunch union miner now forced to work comment in all sections of the of concessions, of duplicity and terrorism. er employe of the Lone Star Creamery Co.
under scab scales tells Federated Press.
radical labor movement. It is strivAnd further: In impending strikes of of Houston, refused to join the company We ain got no checkweighman anymore.
ing to become the outstanding rev.
unorganized workers, conservative labor 100 club to donate a dollar to the Comleaders habitually overestimate the imporI can figure from my own loading experolutionary labor paper in the munity Chest. The company fired him, took ience for 20 years that the company is country. The frenzied enmity it has tance of organization and underestimate the dollar out of his wage anyway, and cheating us from 10 to 20 on the weights. already aroused in the ranks of the spontaneity of the workers. They smo refused to give it back to Konnedy. Two ther the fighting spirit of the workers by a They stick us for deadwork (removing slate, the official Communist Party is an days after being discharged he went to the etc. also. They got us every way.
indication that it is doing the dry as dust campaign for execessive or office with his pistol, aimed it at an official ganization. On the other hand, a common of the company. Thoroughly frightened he work of enlightenment and claritendency of left wing leaders is to underfication which is its alm. Every gave up the stolen dollar.
estimate the necessity for a certain degree MORE HOOVER PROSPERITY The company had Kennedy arrested, worker can help this work troof preliminary organizntion and to depend charged with assault to murder, robbery mendously by putting firm foundtoo much on the spontaneity of the workers.
ation under the paper in the form The result is abortive strikes. The history case was carried to the grand jury where of a wide spread mailing list. It of the is full of such mistakes. the charges were no billed.
By Jack Mette you are already a subscriber, there (My Emphasis. Nearly all big industries around COLLETON, The first thing that are other workers of your acquainThis is as true now as when it was Houston resort to these methods to fill the heard when a dropped off the jerk water tance who would appreciate getting written, and it is precisely the policy which community chest. Workers are afraid not passenger train in this little lumber camp was not followed by the Communist Party to donate for fear of losing their jobs, village of the Colleton Cypress Lumber Co. the paper. Help us by getting their a subsidary of the great Ritter interests, subscriptions or else send in the was that they were cutting off men.
money for their subs yourself. We have been told by the boss that we might as well check out and hunt us he annual subscription to the another job, one of the mill employees Militant (52 issues) is two explained. The Ritters own eight or ten dollars (2. 00. This sum also big saw mills in this part of South Caro includes the free copy of the Trotlina and they say that all of them will close sky booklet.
on the first part of December and that more than 400 families will be thrown out of emENTERTAINMENT and DANCE ployment and that not counting the unmarried men. They say that they might THE MILITANT on reopen in April or May and then again they 25 Third Avenue, may not, but that they would advice us to Tuesday, New York, December 31, 1929 hunt other employment. p. I am enclosing two dollars. 00) for one year subscription INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS MOUNT to the Militant and a copy of the at the ALBANY Although the advent of win Draft Program of the Comintern ter usually brings a decrease in the number MILITANT HALL by Trotsky.
of fatal industrial accidents, November 25 Third Ave. near 8th St. showed a total of 174 deaths, the New York state labor department reports. The 63 NAME deaths in construction work were responJOIN WITH THE REDREVELERS sible for the increase, being the largest ADDRESS for any month of 1929. Falls from scaffolds ALL WORKERS WELCOME and ladders killed six. Falling bricks and City. State planks killed seven and cave in of excavaAuspices: New York Branch, Communist League of America tions killed three.
Five workers were killed by exposure to gas fumes and other poisonous subHi jacking Labor in Texas with firearms and carrying a pistol. The Southern Sawmills Shut Down NEW YEAR EVE REVEL THE MILITANT, VOL. 11. No. 22. December 28, 1929. Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 25 Third Avenue, New York, Subtription rate: 00 per year; foreign 50. Five ces ts per copy. Bundle rates, cents per copy. Editorial Board: Martin Abern, James Cannon, Max Shachtman. Mauce Spector. Arne Swabeck. Entered as second clası mail matter Novembor 28, 1928, at the Post Office at New York, under the act of March 1879