coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

32 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
tilled with a mighty zeal, are revolting against the
benevolent despotism established in their respective
communities.
It is but natural that those seeking relief from
intolerable conditions would turn for help to those
of their fellow-men upon whose sympathy and
support they can rely. The oppressed of all lands
and all ages have acted thus, and so the nonunion
miners, in their hour of need, turned instinctively
to their organized fellow-workers
FOB SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT.
To whom else could they go? What other force
or power is available? Would the church espouse
their cause, and if it did, would it furnish
the money necessary to clothe the naked and feed
the hungry while the fight was being made?
Would civic bodies or fraternal societies come to
their rescue? Would those politicians who promise
much and perform so little be friends indeed
in their hour of need? To all these questions
there is but one answer.
Experience has taught the workers that they
must rely upon their own economic power. Substantial
help may come from friends without who
are in sympathy with their aims and objects and,
while much help has come from this source, they
have learned that the solution lies within and
does not come from without. In the fight for
better homes, educated children, shorter hours of
labor, a higher standard of living, culture, refinement,
intellectual and moral development, they
must rely upon those for financial and moral support,
who, like themselves, have been oppressed,
but through organization and united effort have
in a measure secured, though at no less sacrifice,
the rights and liberties for which they are nowcontending.
The point I wish to emphasize is, that we have
helped in West Virginia, Colorado and elsewhere
in response to a call from the non-union men of
these fields.
WE ARE NOT INVADERS,
brutal anarchistic agitators, as some of the enemies
of organized labor say we are, seeking a
monopoly of labor in violation of law. While,
of course, not wholly unselfish, we are and have
been in a large measure altruistic. We have
spent much money and sacrificed a. great deal.
If we were selfish and only self-concerned we would
keep our money and save our energy. But not so;
we have gone as helpers, responding to appeals
from those less fortunate, without regard to color,
creed or nationality. On account of the strong
opposition of the coal operators and their friends
in the non-union fields we have been forced to
spend large sums of money. During the year 1912
we have spent $706,225.20 and for 1913 $1,621,-
942.67 for relief alone, a total for the two years
of $2,32S,167.87.
The amount spent for aid for the year 1913 was
distributed as follows:
District No. 7 $ 600.00
District No. 8 9,400.00
District No. 10 20.000.00
District No. 13 986.43
District No. 15 661,000.00
District No. 17 318,600.00
District No. 17 (tax refunded) 6,924.83
District No. 19 6,707.75
District No. 20 4,134.16
District No. 23 8,500.00
District No. 28 584.5O0.oo
Total $1,621,353.17
Aid to individuals 589.50
Grand total $1,621,942.67
Added to this is $9,840.14 expended for legal
services made necessary by reason of
GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS
and defense of civil and criminal proceedings instituted
against various officers and representatives
of the organization.
On November 30, 1912, we had a balance on
hand of $221,262.05. Our income during the year
was $2,159,031.69, making a total of $2,380,293.74.
Our total expenditures were $2,102,261.44, leaving
a balance on hand November 30, 1913, of $278,-
032.30, a gain over last year of $56,770.25.
On September 23, 1913, fhe mine workers of
Colorado were practically forced on strike. Just
preceding this action we had expended in West
Virginia on account of the strike on Cabin Creek,
Paint Creek and New River more than $300,000.00.
Because of this additional financial demand made
upon our International treasury caused by the
Colorado strike, we were forced to borrow $300,000
from the following district organizations for our
immediate use:
District No. 1 $25,000.00
District No. 2 25,000.00
District No. 5 25,000.00
District No. 9 25,000.00
District No. 12 100,000.00
District No. 14 50,000.00
District No. 21 25,000.00
District. No. 22 25,000.00
We have helped others financially as well
to carry on our own strikes. During the year
we contributed $4,032.00 to the legal defense fund
in the Hatters' case. In addition we supplied
the Western Federation of Miners more than $20,-
000 to aid them in their strike in the copper district
of Michigan.