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rc re Pa - sor en . Re: JOHN L. LEsIS, ETAL. advised he 15 presently unemployed. He and would mak: a satisfactory witness. arrested. His telephone number is , also known as : Tolloving voluntary statement to whom I know to be Special Agent o e Federal pe He advised he has never been ureasu of Investigation. make it without fear of threat, force, or promise of any kind. . UT wae hare ft ae own + Ter ah Foro Wh od wGeuis a7 unemployed, I started working in coal m the United Mine workers of America Union in started working at Hine 'B', Springfield, in about joined the Progressive Mine workers of America because I did not like the actions of U.K.u, They stole ballots and faced a reduction in wage scale on us. No one in any way faced me to join P.k.A. "Between 1932 and Spring of 1937 I was satisfied with the P.M.A. T thought it was an honest union heineg operated for ite momhere. and Pita! - aN Le ew pe ee a se ee eg I thought the officials were honest. I noticed no unusual assessments, During this time I never noticed any clos-downs, strikes or picket lines. I noticed no attempts made by U.M.W. to organize in any way at Minc 'B', The compamy at no time indicated they wanted the mcn to change to U.K.W, x, "I remember that about May of 1937 the P.M.A. expelled FRANK AUSTIN, | JOE :LB/NESE, BOwLING GFEEN BOH’NU/N, PETE CARTER, BILL SURTOCK, EMORY JACAwAY. | JiMES HALE, TONY FLOTCH, COTTON ANN/‘NIAS and ANIY SCHAELIVIOUS were the men | are Tat Thine eae aynalleA hoesanen they were tering ta turn our PLEA H expe ..ca, auicy ihe Kelle fe ae Lt afl wo kde MI yd We Fes We Wit ee Ne Fe / local over to U.k.«. Some of these mon I believe were expelled at a P.h.A. meeting May 11, 1937. But I donot remember how many. I believe the others were expelled before that. I attended this meeting May 11, 1937 but I cannot re- member what went on. "T know there was a wage scale trouble between the company and P.H.A about this time. On May 12, 1937 I went to work as usual as a digger. About 2:00 ofclock in the afternoon we were pulled out of the mines by our local PMs affiriste T thoueht the reasan wee herause af this wage erale trouble. Pebesis OFTLCIBIS. 2 thougnt tne reason Was Decause Of tnis wage scale troupe; and after I got up on top, I also heard a reason was because the company refuscu to fire these men who had been expelled from P.E.A. I do not know which of