The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-10-19
COAL men HIT
BY fuel BOSS
FUEL COMMISSIONER GARFIELD
SENDS WARNING TELE-
GRAM.
THE COUNTRY AT WAR
And Fuel Must Come From The
Mines at Reasonable
Prices.

Washington, Oct Whatever
powers necessary will be employed
by the Federal Government to stop
the strikes OF coal miners in the
Middle West and prevent interruption
OF the Nations fuel production.
This warning was given to-day by
sharp telegram to miners and op-
orators in the fields involved, re-
minding them OF their pledge not to
allow the output of coal to be di-
minished and declaring that any at
tempt to bring pressure to bear upon
him to force a revision of coal prices
would result in postponement of de-
cision on that question.
DR.. Garfield was in conference
during the day with John 7. White,
president OF the United Mine Work
ers of America. who reported that so
far the strikes in Ohio, Indiana, ILL
nois and Pennsylvania were local in
character, though they were threat
ening to spread. He expressed the
hope that the men could be induced
to return to work.
The Fuel Administrator did not
comment upon his warning or go
into details concerning the steps he
proposed to take II IL is not needed
further than TO say that while the
country is at war no interference
with fuel production is tolerated.
Congress has empowered the Presi-
dent to take over mines and operate
them II he deems 1t necessary.
Message by Garfield.
The Fuel Administrators telegram
follows:
American citizens engaged in the
mining of coal, whether operators or
miners, are for the most part mind
full of the fact that our country is at
war and that the burden rests upon
them to produce the coal needed
without interruption. But there
evidently are some who fail to
understand the gravity OF the situa-
ton and who do not hesitate to adj
vocate strikes at the present time
as a means of forcing the Govern
ment at once to decide whether the
wage increase agreed to at the meet
ing recently held at Washington by
the operators and miners of the CEN
trail district should be covered justly
by an advance in the prices fixed by
the President
1.-The matter has been submitted
to me and all concerned are expect
ed to cooperate. am giving imme-
date and close attention to the Ques-
ton and hope to reach a decision at
an early date. The only circum-
stance within my control which will
delay that decision will be the viola
ton of the spirit of the arrangement
between the operators and miners.
which was that under no circumstan-
ces should the production of coal in
the United States at the present time
be allowed to diminish.
"If either the operators or the min
ers attempt to bring pressure upon
me to reach a decision | shall post
pone il and use whatever powers are
necessary to compel the production
of coal to meet the country's needs"
Mr.. White reported that a consid-
cradle number of men were out in
Springfield and Peoria districts, in
Franklin and Williamson counties
and In the Belleville coal district OF
Illinois. In Indiana, he said, six
mines were idle because the men de-
manded wage increases, and in the
Berghole district OF Ohio several
mines have shut down.
Wage Scale Agreed On.
Under the recent agreement reach
ed at a conference here between the
operators and men a new wage scale
granting substantial increases was
agreed upon. The operators first en-
tered into the agreement conditional
upon an advance in prices being al
lowed by the Government. The Fuel
Administration refusd to consent 10
such an arrangement, and the oper-
ators, according TO the administra-
ton, finally agreed without that stip-
ulation. The question OF allowing