Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
April 11, 1926
The Daily Worker
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
What is this article about?
Alexander Howat describes widespread shutdowns in Kansas coal mines affecting union workers, miners' march on non-union operations leading to arrests, and a new agreement on machine mining rates amid national labor struggles.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
SHUTDOWNS HIT COALDIGGERS IN KANSAS MINES
Miners Stage March on Non-Union Field
Kansas coal mines are hit by the flood of shutdowns that is covering the nation's union fields, says Alexander Howat, former Kansas district president and long a national figure in the United Mine Workers.
Most Mines Union.
"Most Kansas mines are union," declared Howat, "but a number of the strip mines that Gov. Allen tried to operate with college boys some years ago and a few other operations are openshop. We fixed up an old time miners' march and showed the scab operators that the union means business. The sheriff followed our flivvers and finally took us on charges of conspiracy, intimidation and unlawful assembly. We are out on bail and the cases will come up in Girard.
"Some of the non-union pits were on the Missouri border so we would work on a Kansas operator until the sheriff hove in sight. Then we'd crank the Ford and hop across the line to reason with the Missouri operators. The western strip of Missouri is District No. 14 of the United Mine Workers of America along with the whole of Kansas. Then we'd circle around and before the Kansas sheriff knew it, we tried our tricks on another Kansas operator. But finally the cops got us."
About 16 per cent of the union mines are working fairly steady with a large part of their output contracted for by the Missouri Pacific and other railroads. The rest of the mines are glad to have one or two days work a week.
"It's the worst situation all thru the country that the miners have been in since the union was organized," Howat says.
A settlement with the operators has been reached by the Kansas union on machine mining. The rate is 90 cents a ton for machine production compared with $1.25 for regular hand mining. Howat does not think the machines will be a large factor in the Kansas field because of the irregularity of the coal seams.
Miners Stage March on Non-Union Field
Kansas coal mines are hit by the flood of shutdowns that is covering the nation's union fields, says Alexander Howat, former Kansas district president and long a national figure in the United Mine Workers.
Most Mines Union.
"Most Kansas mines are union," declared Howat, "but a number of the strip mines that Gov. Allen tried to operate with college boys some years ago and a few other operations are openshop. We fixed up an old time miners' march and showed the scab operators that the union means business. The sheriff followed our flivvers and finally took us on charges of conspiracy, intimidation and unlawful assembly. We are out on bail and the cases will come up in Girard.
"Some of the non-union pits were on the Missouri border so we would work on a Kansas operator until the sheriff hove in sight. Then we'd crank the Ford and hop across the line to reason with the Missouri operators. The western strip of Missouri is District No. 14 of the United Mine Workers of America along with the whole of Kansas. Then we'd circle around and before the Kansas sheriff knew it, we tried our tricks on another Kansas operator. But finally the cops got us."
About 16 per cent of the union mines are working fairly steady with a large part of their output contracted for by the Missouri Pacific and other railroads. The rest of the mines are glad to have one or two days work a week.
"It's the worst situation all thru the country that the miners have been in since the union was organized," Howat says.
A settlement with the operators has been reached by the Kansas union on machine mining. The rate is 90 cents a ton for machine production compared with $1.25 for regular hand mining. Howat does not think the machines will be a large factor in the Kansas field because of the irregularity of the coal seams.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Coal Mine Shutdowns
Union March
Kansas Miners
Non Union Fields
Alexander Howat
What entities or persons were involved?
Alexander Howat
Gov. Allen
Where did it happen?
Kansas Coal Mines, Missouri Border
Story Details
Key Persons
Alexander Howat
Gov. Allen
Location
Kansas Coal Mines, Missouri Border
Story Details
Alexander Howat reports shutdowns hitting Kansas union coal mines, with miners marching on non-union fields, facing charges of conspiracy and intimidation. Some mines work steadily for railroads, others sporadically. Settlement reached on machine mining rates.