PAGE 12 THE TOILEK SATURDAY, OCT. 23rd, 1920 A Story That Does Not Rhyme By H. N. Garner. In a capitalist daily paper I read these head lines: OPERATORS TO TRY TO BREAK MINERS STRIKE. Many Men Recruited From Rubber Plants To Take Places of Strikers. Then the articles goes on to say that one hundred and twenty-five men, recruited from the factories of Akron and other points in Ohio have arrived in West Virginia to be used as strike breakers. It is thought (the article states) the moners will use every effort to keep the strike breakers out; but the authorities are taking no chances and increased numbers of troops have been placed about the railroad station and other danger points. Strikers Live In Tents. The article states that 107 men, women and -children are housed in tents, and preparations are being made to put floors of boards in the tents to be prepared to carry the strike into the winter. Food is being cooked on stoves made of rocks and mud. None of the children wear more than one garment. Men and women are shabby, food is socarce and of poor quality High up on the bluffs (The article continues) across the river are the W. S. Leckie collieries, working under normal capacity because of the labor shortage. Around the mines are empty houses, comportable dwellings. The company stores are stocked with food and clothing, and awaiting the strikers are jobs which, according to mine operators, would pay each man an average of three hundred dollars per month. In the face of this the miners refuse to go to work and they freely give their reason. It is a desire to affiliate with bro ther coal miners throughout the country. Now you have read the tosses' story, the story that does not rhyme. What do you think of it? Let's look it over again. The big rubber plants in Akron laid off thousands of workers ill an effort to reduce wages. The workers cannot live on the wage.; they could get by going back. They are probably hungry ; most all workers would be if out of work for a few weeks. 125 men are going to the coal fields of West Virginia. I doubt if they know they are to be used as strike-breakers; but it's a safe bet, once they arrive in the strike zone, there will be no escape for them ex cept at the risk of their lives. Troops To Protect Scabs Miners will use every effort to keep strike breakers away. And why not? Increased troops have been placed around the station and other points. Troops are soldiers used to protect strike breakers. Oh, yes! the same soldiers who enlisted to protect "the flag of freedom" now used to pro tect those who scab on the workers who are striking for freedom and justice. One hundred men, women and children are now housed in tents and preparing to live, or rather stay in tents up into the winter. Think of littb children staying in tents, wearing only one garment in cold winter weather. Good jobs await ing these men which would pay three hundred dollars a month what a joke! How many of you were ever in a coal mining district? I have been, not in the district dealt with in this article, but elsewhere, and conditions and wages are pretty much the same, except where miners are organ ized strong enough to force better conditions. How The Miners Live. Taking the year around the miner makes what could hardly be called an existence, much less a living. Moreover here is another place where the story does not rhyme. Think this over: If the miner makes 300 dollars a month we all know his children would have more than one garment to wear. He hasn't been on strike so long that his children would have worn out all their clothes. He would have some household goods, stoves at least. What do you think, good com fortable company houses how many of you have ever seen a company house in a mining camp? If you never saw one, then just imag ine a farmer's cow shed after it gets to leaking so badly that he does not keep the cow in it any longer, and you have a pretty good picture of a company house. They stand on legs on a hill-