Show MINERS SPEND HUGE SUMS IN CARE OF NEEDY Relief Campaign on Large j Scale Conducted for Relief Relief Re Re- Relief lief of Members Out oi of Employment NEW YORK Feb C e By Dy A. A P. P P.- P. The United Mine Workers Yorkers of ot America America Amer Amer- ica announce that despite national prosperity elsewhere they are conducting con con- conducting ducting a relief program on a large largo scale for tor members now out of ot work worl through strikes and lockouts Union officials say that since las last April the relief has amounted to many millions of dollars hundreds hundreds hundreds hun hun- of ot thousands of ot dollars being paid out monthly and that it cares for what no now nov amounts to destitute miners and their families in various strike districts The members of the organization as a whole they say contribute this expenditure which will be continued until tho the strikes are won The unemployment affects bituminous bituminous coal tl fields particularly In southern West Virginia Kentucky and Tennessee The union dates the trouble from what It terms the failure of ot mine owners there to ac accept accept accept ac- ac the Jacksonville agreement of December 1923 CUTS OPPOSED In n other years the basic scale had usually been adopted adopter throughout the Industry at large Mine owners owners owners own own- ers in the present strike areas however opposed the Jacksonville scale scalo as being too high for their high cost workings and as one which they could not pay especially especial especial- ly when in competition with lower scales paid In other nonunion fields The miners stood upon the basic agreement and fought t any cut The United Mine Workers' Workers organIzation organization organ organ- stands behind their men in inthe tho the position they have taken to fight any cut When evictions from company owned houses follow follow fol fol- fol- fol low bow the union assumes their famIly family family fam fam- ily burdens It finances the fund needed to provide cottages barracks barracks barracks bar bar- racks or tents for relief camps am and c colonies scattered among the hills hillsand hillsand hillsand and mountains It pays moving expenses expenses expenses ex ex- ex- ex supplies food tood clothing and fuel secures medical attention for tor forthe forthe the sick and approves the tho bill of ot the undertaker burying those who die HOMES FOR EVICTED The Kanawha fields in southern West Virginia which the union cites as an example of ot the functioning functioning functioning of its relief machinery re received received received re- re In relief funds in December December December De De- De- De cember alone The union there bought a tract of ot sixty lots for tor 1800 and built bunt cottages for to provide a roof for some of ot the 1600 miners' miners families evicted On th Kanawha river according to ta the union families were dispossessed dispossessed dispossessed dis dis- possessed the day before Christmas Lacking shelter against rain and snow the tho women and children were housed in a church the pews being converted into cribs On Christmas day there thero were children living in tents or barracks In West Virginia The union received from the International in In- In in-I in officials with which it bought ten tons tong of candy and nuts This was distributed throughout the area so mothers could put some token in the childrens children's stockings |