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ys : FY) ww UO WUD Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL vw Iilinois, was interviewed on Special Agents He stated he had To untearily, gaid ha wee OT ete ee SG SS a5 oft @ would make an excellent never been arra : : ould be willing ‘to “testify an The following signed statement was obtained from aoa me as Special f of tho Federal Buroau of Investigation, No threats or promises have been mde to me to obtain this statement, Tll., I was born o the United States in n Springfield, Ill., in , = 7 2 a a ftetw-aA tLe vie S| aad Mio L aid dak ‘dh Whites ULL Leo a member of this union until ¢ Norkars..of imorietme I was not po workers in Springfield, Ml., i in 1932 when I joined the Progressive working in a mine when I joined the P.M.A. I joined that union because I felt that I wanted to bolong to that union in case I started to work in the mines again. I started to work in Mine B, as I recall, in 1935, I was a momber of P.M.A. until 1942 when I had to Join the U.M.W. "4s far as I know the P.M.A. had no trouble with the manogoment of Mine B from 1932 until 1937. As for myself, I was absolutely satisfied with the P.M.A, I was dissatisfied with the U.M.W. because I felt that John L, Lewis had not played fair with the members of that union. It seemed to me that he took a]1 the money the miners made by means of assessments. Lewis and the U.M.W. said the miners would get back the money they paid in special assessments, but they never did. I believed at that time, and I atill do believe, that the P.M.A. is a wonderful union. Whonever, the . P.M.A. askod for & special assessment, which was not vary often, the officers always explained just why the asscssmont was being asked. All of the men who were members of P.W.A, were fully satisfied with the union. If a man missod & P.M.A. union he was not fined, but in the U.M.W. union, a member = 246 -