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fins, CV. F.0. 44-13 that since that time, however, situations of importance have arisen that dimmed the mine affair in his memory. PATTERSON swumarized the "B" Mine in- cident that existed prior to his appointment as Regional Director and recalled some of the events that took place while he was in Chicago. In answer to the question as to why dues are checked off the payroll, atter is mentioned on page six of the Springfield office memorandum for the file dated August 23, 1943, PATTERSON advised that there is a provision whereby the company checks off and deducts monthly dues from union members and forwards the dues collected to the Union Headquarters. He further stated that in August of 1940 an agreament was entered into by ELSHOFF, the United Mine Workers, and the Progressive Mine Workers, whereby ELSHCFF would bargain with tndiprogressive Mine Workers as the mine representative, and that interference With employees attempting to join or form a union of their own should be stopped. These agreements were entered by the National Labor Relations Board in the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. Late in the year of 1939, the "B" Mine was reopened on an open shop basis. In July of 1940, the Progressive Mine Workers filed a new charge against the Kine *B" company, alleging that the Mine *B" opsrators were en- couraging membership in the United Mine Workers Organization. At about this time the United Mine Workers petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for an investigation to determine if their organization should not be the bargain- ing agent in the mine. He explained that the Board had not acted on the United Mine Workers' Petition at that time because the Board was still investigat- ing the charges made by the Progressive Mine Workers against the Mine "BP" company, wherein it was alleged that the Mine "B" company had been engaging in unfair labor practices, In January of 1941 the Board isgued a notice that the question of representing would come up at a hearing at Springfield. He stated that a nmunder of signatures for the United Mine Workers and the Progressive Mine Workers in relation to the company's payroll, represented a sizeable dis-= crepancy and had later developed that some of the employees had signed beth petitions with a view in mind of being with a group that emerged victorious at the election. The Progressive line Workers filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board, requesting that the United Mine Workers' petition for identification be dismissed on the grounds that the United Mineworkers -~2?-