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c 69 RE; JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL bt t- 72 I Vg TH Progressive Miners of America was formed, I was em . ployed at Peabody Mine No. 59 at Springfield, Illinois, {continued Before the formation of the Progressives in 1932, I acted as a watcher, during which time the two refer-= endums were held by the United Mine Workers to determine whether or not they would accept the contract agreed upon between the Seale Committee of the United Mine Viorkers and the Scale Committee of the Illinois Coal Oper- ators Association. I was present at the time the ballots and vote tabu- lations were allegedly stolen by representatives and followers of John Le Lewis. In the succeeding reaction which followed, I took an active part in the organization of the Progressive Miners of America, "One of the mines which was crganized by the Progressive Miners and which came under my jurisdiction as a Board Lember was the Mine B Coal Company located in Springfield, Jllinois, and operated by Carl H. Elshoff. This mine was under the jurisdiction of Locel No. 54, Progressive Mine orkers of America and was a part of District No. 4, . | m The Mine B Coal Company was organized by the PUA in the Fall of 932, and from that date, up until the Spring of 1937, relationships be- tween the management, Carl H, Elshoff and the PMA, weve friendly and all grievances arising were settled in a satisfactory manner according to an established procedure and joint contract without any interference in pro~ duction or strikes, "The first knowledge of any trouble or controversy at Mine B was brought to my attention in April of 1937, On March 31, 1937, the contract which had been signed by Elshoff and the PMA in 1935 expired. At that time and prior, negotiations had been going on between the Scale Committee of the PMA and the Scale Committee of the Corl Producers Association of Illinois in order to arrive at a satisfactory contract for all mines being operated by the PMA. On Merch 31, 1937, Mine B was not a member of the Coal Producers Association, and it was necessary to enter int we GoM: With Fishoff as an inde pendent operator. On April 2, 1937, fue ee... 7 wm, signed an agreement with Elshoff o ti éntract which expired on Karch 3] until such time as an agreement was reached between the Cosl Producers Association and the Scale Committee of the PMA and ratified _ by the members of the Progressive Miners Union in this District. This ex- tention of contract which was signed by Mr. Elshoff carried with it the - 407 =