PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1931 BEHIND THE MINERS STRIKE EDITORIAL NOTES Economic Decay in Soft Coal was tbe!
in the strike Bucharin and the Permanent Revolution The soft coal Industry is especially 1921 1929 of 23. percent. The tendency was must WELCOME REVERSAL know where the yellow socialists stand. worth studying at this time because of Total Coal Produced 181. 000. Tons 133, 000, 000 pronounced in Illinois where an adalExperience is a costly teacher, but an is that really do? Then you must know the militant strike movemen in a numPennsylvania 130. 000. 000 142 400, 000 tional tonnage of 250, 000 tons the leaders have ber of fields, because of its fundamental West Virginia 101. 700. 000 139. 000. 000 mechanically mined in 1930 over 1929.
effective one. Having suffered the full that they that is consequences of the stay at work pol stood on the side of the prosecuting at importance to Industry and because it Illinois 68, 200, 000 60, 100, 000 an increase of 24. percent. In Pennsyof every Left wing illustrates many of the features of indus Kentucky 100 000 60. 000. 000 Ivania the Increase was 2, 800, 000 tons or ley during Schlesinger strike maneu torney in the case vers, the Left wing in the needle trades militant in the needle trades sent to trial decay under capitalism, and points Ohio 30. 000. 000 23, 700, 000 66. percent, in Alabama 100 000 tons, is striving to avoid a similar debacle in all of prison in recent years. If you a way which will be trodden by more and Indiana 21. 500. 000 18. 000. 000 or 120. percent.
Alabama 19, 100, 000 17 700, 000 the Amalgamated. The Rank and File know where they stand, your manage more Industries as time goes on.
Mechanization of Mines Where Coal Comes From Committee in the Hillman Union the ment of the Union Square meeting is all Virginia 10. 700. 000 13, 100, 000 Thexe figures do not include the 20, Colorado The earliest recorded soft coal work10, 100, 000 10, 400 000 Left wing group dominated by the party the more indefensible, and our critic 000, 000 tons loaded by power shovels in has issued a statement on the stop ism of it is all the more justified.
Inge in this country were in Virginia, in strip mines which involve mechanixpage announced by the Amalgamated. The The article in Solidarity includes a de 1760. Since then it has been discovered tion on an even larger sale in strip statement describes the stoppage as a fense of the anarchist wind bag. Kenin over thirty different states in this year was about 7, 314 pounds, City Bank twenty eight coal mining com. pits. the coal lies close to the surface.
strategem to put over a deal between ney overlooks no questions except the Reason For Market Loss panies, with a combined capitalization and the enrth covering or overburden The basic reason for the loss of mar around 400, 000, 000, earned net profits is stripped off with shovels and the coal the Hillman bureaucracy and the bosses most important one. He says: Per country, but most of the coal west of the Mississippi is too low in grade tu against the members of the union. It haps his remarks about Russia are ob advises the clothing workers to turn jected to. Of course they are objected have more than a local importance. Overkets has been the displacement of coal of percent on their capital and surexposed in open pits, which are then of the the stoppage into a real struggle of all to. He adds: If so, then wherein dia 30 percent of the coal produced in the by other forms of energy supply. notably plus in 19:20 and percent in 1030. worked by steam or electric shovels.
The cost of a 15 yard shovel United States comes from mine states, water power for the generation of elec. To the extent that these figures are u clothing workers for better conditions in he misrepresent the situation in Rus Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia tricity, fuel oil and natural gas, and preventativethe Indicate one reason latest type with caterpillar treads, comthe shops.
xia? Well, we could answer that ques. Kentucky and Alabama in the Eastern second, increasing efficiency in the still for the bitterness which has markea letter installed. is halt a million dotOn both these points the statement of tion at great length and have done so or Appalachian field, Tinols and Indiana zation of coal by the railroads, who took labor struggles in the coal mines for lars. The average production per man the Kank and File Committee is surely more than once. But allow us to ans in the Middle Western field and Color 2114 percent of the domestie consump diminishing ration of profits on per day, which is about 3 tune for correct. It shows beyond all doubt that wer the question here with another quesado in the Rocky Mountain field. The ton of coal last year by the electric operator side.
the entire industry. averaged 13 tong the Left wing militants in the needle thon: If you think it was quite in order quality of the coal mined, or its rank utility companies, who took 914 percent Financial Concentration per man per day in strip operations trades have learned something from the for the Anarchist to air his views en var. es widely, and with it varies the and liy dther large industrial consumers, The tendency toward Anancial con in 1998, ageninst tons per day Ludgeoning they have endured as a re Russia at the Union Square meeting commercial value, which determines the of the total enerky from all source centration in the coal Industry will be per man in 1914, when the average for to de sult of the treacherous policy imposed aid you expect comrade Swah distance to which it can be shipped in used 1913. coal, clear from the following data. In 1920 the entire industry was 61 tons.
upon them in recent time by the Cen vote his speech to a refutation? In that competition with other fuels. The high hard and soft, supplied 91. percent, there were 277 recognized commercial It is not a coincidence that some of trist bureaucrats.
During the Schlesinger strike, the Lett tree for all debate on the principle dis est grade coul is that from one of the oil and gas percent. and water power soft coal producers: by 1930 there were the Litterext strues of the miners have West Virginia fields, particularly the percent, by 1928 the latest year for only 4, 612. The mortalities were sever been in the most highly mechanized op wing it will be remembered, had a dit putes in the labor movement. Such smokeler Pocahontas and New River which Bureau of Mines data are ext in the class mines producing from erations, where the owner take was erent polley. At that time the stalo discussion, announced for what it is cons, considered the finest in the world available, the proportion contributed by 10, 000 to 50. 000 tons a year, of whom highest and his financial strength corre 1sts naid, and not without these ten sponding. The Wildwood mine of the Justification as is the ease now in the Lage would no doubt participate. But except possibly the British Admiralty coal was 67. percent, by oil and gas 61 percent disappeared in 18. percent, and by water power years: the mines producing 50 100, 000 Butler Consolidated (onl Co. the first Amalgamated, that the was a the staging of this debate under the guise high percentage of fixed carbon in re percent. Indicating increased efficiency and 100 200 000 ton, a year were also mine in the United States completely laid fake. And from this they drew the con of a defense meeting for the Centrallalation to volatile matter, low molature of use, as recently ay 1920 the average hard hit. On the other hand, the class out from the beginning for mechanixed clusion that the left wing militants men is out of place. The class war and ash content and low percentage of electrical company throughout the Uni producing 100, 000 tons a year and over operation, has been the scene of some of should stay at work while the right prisoners are entitled to more respect impurities, the worst of which is sulted States burned pounds of coal under actually increased, hoth in umbers and the hardest fighting in the present strike wing workers went out. By this policy and consideration that that.
phur.
Its boilers to produce a kilowatt hour of in ontpit This class was responsible in the western ennsylvania fields. The which they enforced against all proThe cost of mining depends in large current opply by 1920 the Agare had for 20. percent of the total output in fighting Around Terrin, Illinois, in the tests, they deprived the Left wing of all part on the thickness of coul de declined to pounds, and the best 1905, for 48. percent in 1971, 47. per 1922 strike, centered around a strip min: possibility to influence the masses of FIELD ORGANIZERS OF THE poxit or seam, the presence or degree Practice in the country was 10ths of a cent in 1920 when there was a temporing operation of the Southern Illinois workers in the streets. They gave the OPPOSITION of slate, hony coal. and other solta pound, Indicating the extent of the populary troom in coal encouraging the small Coal Company, reactionaries a powerful weapon which Impurities, the extent of mechanization, ble further fores. In 1990 the average mine, and 59. percent in 1928. With The coal operator today faces a narthey used to the full against the Left Among the signs of consolidation of the flatness and continulty or on the railroad consumed 174 pounds of con the pre vent hard times in the industry. rowing market under the whip of comwing. If Schlesinger were to give credit the Communist League and the develop other hand steep pitch and broken up in carrying 1000 tons (including freight, the proportion of the output controlled petive economic pressure to maintain where credit is due for the present en ment of its activities, the appearance of geology of the deposit. The combina locomotive and tender) a distance of by the ble mines must be still larger. or enlarge his profits acquire a finan trenchment of the Right wing union he voluntary organizers in the field is not tion of differing commercial value of one mile; hy 1929 the average figure was This means that the miner in his strugcial base for the increasing mechanixawould have to make heavy acknowledg the least significant. The emergence of coal produced and differing costs of pro down to 125 pounds. Similarly, in 1017 gles is facing a financially stronger unit, tfon which is being installed throughout ments to the stay at work slogan of capable and self sacrificing forces who duction has resulted in substantial dir the steel mills consumed an average of on the average, than in the past and the Industry. He will put up a terrific the Communist party.
carry the message into new fields is anferences in the ability of the various 3, 524 pounds of coring cont in making the necessity national Organization resistance to the maintenance of decent The Oppowitlon hammered this slogan anfalling mark of vitality in our move fields to compete with each other. a ton of plg iron; now they need less is even more pressing than hitherto. living standards by the miners. The min.
and advised, instead, that the Left wing ment. For several weeks comrades Shift of Coal Felds than 3, 000 pounds, decline of over The proportion of conl mined mechers will need every advantage of organi inilitants go out with the rest and steer Clarke and Stamm have been doing plon.
In practise, this has resulted in a shift 15 percent.
anically. that is, by the use of mechzation and leadership to make good their the movement into the path of struggle. cer work as field organizers in the Clevo ing of the market away from certain In the definition of economic old age anleal loaders and conveyors under counter resistance, and carry the strug The advice was without avail them. An land territory and we have every reason felds and towards others. The fielda Elven in a previous article in this serios, ground, has increased rapidly. From 21 le further from lefensive to offensive experiment was necessary to expose the for the confidence that the firm basists which have been losing out in competitwo outstanding features were the 600, 000 tons in 1998 the output of mech economie lines and ultimately ont of the complete emptiness of the Centrist pol boing laid for the establishment of a tion have resulted in violent efforts rate of profit and the tendency toward antcally mined coal increased to 37, 900economic field into the broadest political tey. The experience was bitter but not functioning branch of the League.
cut wages in an effort to maintain pro concentration and mechanization. Ac000 tons in 1920 and 46 800. 000 tons last demands entirely in vain. Nobody would dare FIELD.
to tell the needle trades workers to re a great importance. Every new opposi effort to maintain their competitive suFor us such an achievement will have fits: the others have cut wages in the cording to a compilation by the National year, an increase during a year of crists peat that sorry performance.
tionist counts, and is worth effort to perfority. The result to date has been We can only welcome the reversal of gain; the formation of a new branch is a clear cut and increasing superiority of tactics in this respect. The policy of an achievement which our entire organi the West Virginia and Kentucky fields to the party in the neelle trades today. zation can justly celebrate.
Our num. the detriment of Illinois and Indiana despite many changes, is yet by no means bers are few but solid. They are strong while ensylvania las largely held its fully correct. But we can be thankful in llens and by them will prevail. Every own as indicated by the following fly wrote in a pamphlet devoted to the Oct At the beginning of 1918, Bucharin theoretieinn of all the campaigns against Bolshevik guard of the Illegal period of Trotskyism which were summed up in our party.
that the nicidal slogan of stay at work accexxion of new forces educated in the red (See table above. oher revolution the struggle against the permanent rev. That Bucharin is not endowed with while the Right wing workers are on the Marxist doctrines of our movement and The West Virginia operators, uc The fall of the imperialist regime olution. But earlier, when the lava of any particular firmness in his opinions, painfully achieved tout all the sturor for hastens on the day. Those who make :cording to an engineering expert, might was prepared by all the preceding bls the revolutionary overthrow had not yet is well enough known. But it is not a of the revolution. But this fall, had time to grow cool, Bucharin, as wel question of Bucharin. If one is to lend it. It is another demonstration that possible by puutient work of propaganda the coal trade, standing ready at all and the victory of the proletariat sup see, could find no other characterization credence to the legend, created for the the policy of the Opposition can make its and organization in the field will be times to descend on any fat prize that ported by the poor peasantry, a victors of the revolution than the definition first time in the fall of 1021, that he was, even if after ruinous delays, when highly regarded by every Oppositionist. may appear on the horizon. Let a short which at one wow opened up immense against which, a few years later, he had tween Lenin conception of the revoluexperience has reinforced and confirmed The field work of the comrades in age of fuel appear in the Northwest or horizons throughout the world, is not to fight so merellessly.
tion and Trotsky theory of the per its correctness. But that is just the Cleveland, of great value in itself, has in New England and the West Virginia yet the beginning of an organie epoch The pamphlet by Buchurin appeared manent revolution there existed an unpower of the Marxist platform of the an even greater significance as an ex producers will soon be on the job with. Before the Russian proletariat is in Priboy. the publishing house of bridgable chasm, and that the old party Left Opposition: It stands up under the ample. By deliberately picking out the their high grade coals gobbling up the nosed more acutely than ever before the the Central Committee of the party. Not generation was educated in the under: of field of operations in agreement with main plums, much to the chagrin of the problem of the world revolution. All the only did nobody declare this pamphlet standing of the irreconcilability of these the National Committee, travelling with Illinois or Pennsylvania producers a relations that have developed in Europe neretical, but on the contrary, everyone two theories, then how could Kucharin ont railrond fare and maintaining them the case may be. For the Ohio mines, lead towards this inevitable end. Thus saw in it the official and Indisputable ex at the beginning of 1918 propagate with AGAIN THE UNION SQUARE selves in the field on their own resources, handicapped by somewhat interior con la the permanent revolution in Russia is pression of the views of the party Cen complete impunity this theory, which he MEETING with only nominal assistance from the and union scales, they have an indir converted into European revolution of tral Committee.
called the theory of the permnnent rer.
organization, they are showing how a ference bordering on contempt; in times the proletariat. From the Fall of) In this was the pamphlet was resolution? Why did nohotly absolutely For is the defense class war movement which has no money can have of a full market the West Virginis mines Czarism to the fall of the Bourgeoisie printed many times in the course of the nobotly In the party come forward prisoners is a class question. We pro organizers, if it has the men. We shall have only to reduce their wage scales, aby Bucharin, page 78. Our emphasl. following years, and together with an against Bucharin? Ilow and why did ceed from the point of view that they see more of this in the near future, matter the miners are not liable to pro The pamphlet concluded with the fol other one devoted to the February res: the publishing house of the party Cen: They are not the private property of any revolutionists, trained in the school of put thetr high grade coals down in the Into the powder magazine of blood collapse of Czarism to the fall of the and why did Lenin keep quiet? How tion. Regardless of their individual ambition to work for the morement and er than the local mines can produce it torch of the Russian socialist revolution. German, French, English and other lan pamphlet by Bacharin, defending the View they are entitled to the solidarity will do it at all cost. The path of the themselves.
and support of the workers as a class, phoneer organizers at Cleveland will be It has not died. It lives. It expands. guages.
permanent revolution, into various lanKey Position of West Va.
and expecially of all the advanced and followed by tens and scores as our move It will inevitably fuse with the great In 1923, the pimphlet probably for ranges? How and why did Bucharin conscious elements. Towever we may ment grows takes root and becomes the enps a key position in the industry, tarlat. Ibid. page 14. The West Virginia felds therefore oc victorious uprisings of the world prole the last time was printed by the hardemphlet retain the title of party manual be divided on this or that question of movement of the workers vanguard, as from a labor point of view as well as kor Party Publishing House Prole almost up to the denth of Lanin? How principle we should present united inevitably will.
How far removed from the theory of tarll. and in the preface to it was ex and why was the pamphlet reprinted in front to the class enemy in defense of In this way the bona fide type of prothese fields is indispensable in view of at that time!
from that of the operator. Control of socialism in one country was Bucharin prossed the conviction that the pamphlet 1923 in Kharkov, future center of Stal every persecuted worker, whoever he fessional revolutionist will now up. ro has an enormous Importance not only imit fanaticism and warmly recommend their ability to throw enormous tonnages may be. It is from this standpoint that celve his training and prove his worth on the market when strikes are on in the principal, and in reality, the only the youth etc, but also for the old old Rolshevik suard?
Everyone knows that Ducharin was for the new members of the party, tored to the party youth as well as to the we protested in a recent issue of the in the hard school of experlenee and other flelds: on the other hand, a free Milltant against the conduct of the come to lendership of the party and the rein to unlonize Illinois and Indiana is Rucharin pamphlet is distinguished in the Union Square meeting for class. In the best days of the from his subsequent writings and in the Centralia prisoners and to lesser extent in the Socialist worthless for a national unton if perThe July 21 issue of Solidarity returns party, the movement was recruited and chased at the expense of hands off West toriography not only in the charncteriza to the discussion only to demonstrate kept alive in no small degree by the Virginia and Kentucky.
tion of the revolution but also of its The latest figures show that this su In 1921, there appeared in English one logie of the situation is compelled to leaders. Here, for example, is what it anew the sectarian, point of view. and included as organizers who took it upon periority has been intensified since the of the many editions of an old work of introduce more and more radical social says on page 131 of the Kharkov ediagainst it. We are now Informed. In guarantece to carry the propaganda to 1981 a total of 5, 961, 000 tons of soft tives. which contains the most comthe week ended July Trotsky: Review and some Perspec reforms.
tion: an article by Jack Kenney that the the masses. Today movement, on high The central point of political life meeting was not called as a united er ground and on a firmer foundation, conl was mined in the United States, plete exposition of tho theory of the Now who published this brochure? The becomes. not the pitiful Soviet of front meeting. was called by the will measure its growth in no small de week in July 1023, a falling off of 46 against an average of 11, 200, 000 per permanent revolution.
publisher old not find it at all neces the repulitle, but the future congress of General Defense and Invitations were cree bus the number of such organizers percent. Illinois and Indiana Tell off by preface by the author dated March the cover is printed. Published by the ter of this work of mobilization stood The English edition is accompanied sary to conceal his criminal name on the All itussian revolution. In the consent to organizations and groups asking it enlists.
them to send speakers. That is no ansProfessional revolutionists we Communist International Moscow. the Petersburg Soviet which demonstra54 and Go percent respectively, and Penn 12, 1919, Kremlin. written for the wer to the point of our objection. The have for the leadership of the revolu in West Virginia, Amounted to less than out in 1910. Between this Russian edure it says Printing Shop of the Com: Leon Trotsky, the most brilliant tribus must sylvania 57 percent, while the decline sian edition of the brochure which came 1921. On the back page of the broch tively elected to its presidency, comra.
question of auspices is more or less a lonary movement is a full time occupo 11 percent in the Southern held and low clon and the English edition of 1919, intern. noviev was chairman of the of the proletarinn Insurrection.
ganizations invited and represented on of the satisfied official who welchs every and Kentucky production declined only languages. In the preface of 1010, the time, the edition could not go by without formallt in such case, alte is the ordene Baithe chant derm we do not think than 28 percent for the state as a whole, number of others appeared in various Comintern, Bucharin worked there full Further on, on page 135: the platform which determine the cher service the movement and exacts pas 26 percent. On October 28. Trotzky, the brillian acter of the meeting.
in a sort business relationship. We author speaks of those differences which them seeing it, all the more so because and valiant tribune of the rvolt, the If it was not even intended to be a think rather of the militant who devotes soft coal industry has taken place against vism in this question. Among other ton could not go by unnoticed by the apostle of the revolution, declared The shifting of markets within the at one time separated him from Bolshe It was the only one. The Russian edl defatigable and ardent agitator, ti united front, as the author states, it his activities entirely the movement Central Committee of the party espect the name of the Revolutionary Military only makes matters worse and shows and takes his chances. Every step to a background absolute and relative things, the preface says: ally when it was published by it or bs Committee to the up a narrow minded conception which is ward the creation of such a cadre decline in the demand for coal. For Therefore, once having won power. etersburg Soviet, far removed from the idea of a class presents progress.
many years up to 1918, the consumption the proletariat cannot limit itself to bour: Lenin especially.
amid thunderous applause from those defense of persecuted and imprisoned of coal in the United States Increased geols democracy. It must adopt the One is constrained to ask again how, present, that the provisional govern militants. It was a united front, al at the rate of 16, 800, 000 tons per annum tactics of permanent revolution e. to in the greatest and most burning ques.
ment no longer exit. And as living right, but a very peculiar one united THE MILITANT In 1917 the consumption (including ex: destroy the barriers between the min. tion, not only the Central Committee but proof of this fact, Lenin appeared, greetfront without the Communist party. Why Vol. IV, No. 17. August 1, 1931 was it excluded? This is the question the total in normal years) totalled 653, democracy, to introduce more and more tribute a brochure entirely devoted to negality by the new revolution.
we raised. It has not been answered, Published weekly by the Communist 000, 000 tons; this figure was not reached radical social reforms and to look for the defense and to the interpretation of In 1923 1924, the flood of the socalled because it cannot be answered on the League of America (Opposition) again until 1926, when the British coal direct and immediate support in the the theory of the permanent revolution, discussion against Trotskyism was ground of the real Interests of the class at 84 East 10th Street, strike stimulated exports and brought West European revolution. This post in which, moreover. In a preface espect 100se. It destroyed much of what had war prisoners.
total sales to 567, 000 000 tons; In 1929, tion is developed in this brochure, or Kenney found it necessary to defend Editorial Board ally written for the new edition, the been built up by the October revolution, at the peak of prosperity. total de ginally written in 1904 1906. etc. author affirmed that the march of events It submerged the papers, libraries rendthe presence of the yellow socialists Martin Abern James Cannon mand was 637, 000, 000, and last year 10 To destroy the barriers between the had approved his theory? Is it possi ing rooms, and under its slime and dirt who were invited to the meeting. We Max Shachtman Maurice Spector dications are that the sales were 465, minimum and maximum program thie ble that up until 1924 there were at the was buried an innumerable quantity of did not object to that; we protested 000. 000 tons.
Arne Swabeck is precisely the formula of the growing head of the Bolshevik party only blind documents relating to the greatest epoch against a friendly solidarity with then The average anual consumption per over of the Bourgeois revolution into the men, ignoramuses and still worse, Men in the development of the party and of 18 against the Communists. The article Subscription rate: 00 per year; for capita from 1912 to 1914 was 8, 946 pounds socialist revolution.
in Solidarity Justifies this reactionary The premises for sheviks or counter revolutionists?
eigh 50. Five cents per copy of soft coal; the average for the years such a development are the conquest of somebody answer this question one of must be dragged out bit by bit in to Let the revolution. Now these documents poliey with the statement: We at least Bundle rates, cent per copy 1926 1928 was 8, 608 pounds, and last power by the proletariat which, by the hundreds of thousands like it. to reconstruct that which was.
or The Permanent Revolution in Lenin Time emeral from all the latest stalinist nie let