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RE: JOHN L. LEVIS, ET AL INTERVIE WITH VILLIAY M. RYAN Court of violence in connection with the (contimed) eee mine bombin,; cases. Mr. RYAN informed that numerous difficulties arose at Mine "B" betweanthe Pit Committee and the Mana.zcment and that there were, in fact, work sto.pazes oY SNOrt duration lasting perhaps as long as two or three days. I+ also appeared that the frogressives at Mjpe."2" were able to obtain concessions which wore ovtside the scope of the contract which the Progres~ sives had with thet wine. In spite of these difficulties, Mr. RYA™ was of the firm opinion that the men at both Mine “E" and Mine "A" were content to be members of the rrogressive union and so indicated their desires in the elction held in 1337, at which there was an overwhelming majority of votes for the rrogressives as the bar jcining a,ent for them at Mine "B", ~ Durin,; the time that ik. RYs% o -sreted Mine "A" he was not aware of any raidin, tuctics cv asitation of the United organizers at his ine, Previous to the strike i Uayv of 1937 Mr. RYAN advised that ELSHOFF had com- plained to him on varizus occasions coneernin, his difficulties with the Prowcssive Miners and inciecst:c some inclinations tovard the United Line workers. Er. RYAN attribeted sons of the cifficulties arisin,, at Mine "B" to the overbearing tactics of tae Mine Superintendent, OSCAR FaLCETTI. These officials were reluct nt to dezl with the officials of the Progressive tine workers and he knew of actual occasions when ELSHOFF had either ordered} or run Dl McGILL, Progressive Hine official, off the Mine "B" property. This activity, it should be noted, was carried on prior to the strike in Masry 1937. Mr. RYAN's comments won whether or not any other nattcrs, such as Wares, entered into the difficulties actually precipitatinz the strike on May 12, 1937, were thet ELSHOFF had stood just all he could from the Frozressives and closed the mine rather than deal with them furthcr. How-\ | aA ever, ir. RYa‘l is positive that ELSEOIF would never have closed this mine | “ for anythin; more than on a temporary basis, unless he had received defini ta assurance that his expenses for the upkeep of the mine would be insured. Mr. RYAN estimated that it would cost ELSHOFF between_§5000 and $6000 a month to kee: his mine in shape durin; the time it was shut He Was avarg t ELSHOFF had to pay $ the mine owner, @ lir {BOITZES of Peoria, Illinois, who is also the lessor for kine “pt, Insofar as he kne , ULSHOFT kest the mine in ;o0d shape and when it opened in November of 1939, it would have required only two weeks' work cleanin; up to put it in full operation. 4his would have necessitated an initial outlay of from $10,000 to $12,000. In sccordance with the usual — custon of wae payments, ELSHOFF would not have had to pay his miners any ar wages until thirty days after operations were started, at which time he : should have been minin, onouzh coal to meet his payro3l and maintenance expenses, . - 448 = : rng ee inn cee ie ee ec ee ee eg crest _deimeamethiemnttet Remtiendinemmetinenttadneiiictateaatin ieee a