United labor bulletin., 1914-10-03
WILSON MAYFORCE
OPERATORS TO ACT
Threatens to Withdraw Troops
From Strike Zone
Conferences at White House This Week
Indicate an Early Movement to Bring
About Settlement Of Some Sort

No definite steps have been taken
this week by President Wilson OF the
coal operators looking to enforcement OF
acceptance of the peace plan OF settle
meut in the long drawn out strike.
Press dispatches from Washington tell
of conference between the President
and Hywell Davies, one of the media.
tors. Following this meeting at the
White House IL was announced the 1000
federal troops might be withdrawn from
doing police duty in the strike zone un-
less the operators accept the three year
truce and terms originally proposed and
adopted by the United Mine Workers at
n special convention held in Trinidad.
Two paragraphs in the plan submit
ted are being vigorously protested by the
operators. One Is that requiring all for
mcr employees be reinstated without
prejudice. and the other for appointment
Of a federal commission Of three to see
that the state labor laws and other re-
quircmerts are complied with. 20 hear
and adjust grievances.
should the federal troops Be recalled
and General Chasc's state militia sent
to the strike zone there would unques-
tionnhly be another reign OF terror more
disastrous than the one which preceded
the coming OF Uncle Sans disciplined
soldiers Therefore il j. not believed the
President viii issue an order for with
drawal OF tho troops without some peace
agreement being reached. He holds that
the federal troops having been called
in TO stop civil warfare, the mining sit
uRtion in Colorado has become ma
tional question.
Wilson Suspicious Of Operators.
This is given as the basis for that
section OF the proposed agreement pro-
yiding for a national commission TO see
that the trouble IL really settled and
laws enforced. Another probable rea-
son is tina; President Wilson, in view oil
what has gone before, has very little
confidence in promises made by the op-
orators or ability of the present state
administration 10 handle the situation.
The President l. said 20 be consider
ing another recourse should the present
situation continue into the winter
mouths and the people OF Colorado b.
threatened with priyatiou and suffering
through a deficient coal supply. II Is
known to the Presidents advisers now
that the coal output this year from the
mines of the largest operators is not
half of what IL was for the same period
Of last year.
Only Half Normal Output.
Official figures obtained from the
state coal mine inspectors office show
that from January ] 10 September /.
1913, the mines of the Colorado Fuel
and Iron Company. the Victor American
and the southern mines OF the Rocky
Mountain Fuel Company produced g..
1so,si3 tons. Official figures from the
same source show that for the CORE
spending period OF this year the output
OF these companies has shrunk 10 n
total Of 1891 .0i5 tons. That gives n
shortage for the eight months of this
year OF l,7a2,7a6 tons. And. were the
winter there now. this great shortage
would create situation OF the utmost
gravity for the people of Colorado.
But President Wilson is determined
that such a situation shall not confront
the people this fall lie insists that the
operators must restore normal condi-
tions either by settling the strike
through a recognition Of the union. or
the acceptance of his plan for a three
years truce. He takes the view that
either of these plans has proved in
other cases to be practicable and just.
Patience Nearly Exhausted.
President is almost exhausted in wait
ing for the operators to realize that. ms
operators, they have large public obli-
cations as well as individual rights. And
IL is said further that the President is
determined upon the people of Colorado
having an adequate, available supply of
coal this fall. even il the most drastic
means have to be rcsorted to in accom-
plishing this end.
President Jesse +. Wclborn of the c.
i. & /. Co. returned to Denver this week.
after his conference with President Will
son Mt the White House. From the tone
of interviews given out to the daily pa
pcrs he returns much meekcr than he
went away. with several of his war
feathers pluckcd from the Haunting
hcadgcar he wore so. dcfiantly hereto.
fore. No announcement at this writ
ing has been made of the next move
contemplated by the operators. They
confess disappointment at the firm
stand made by President Wilson.
At headquarters of the United Mine
Workers all is serene. with the Off
cials pursuing period Of "watchful
waiting, for any move made by the
President or operators.