The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-09-01


The threat of the /. w. w. to tie up
the Industries of the West, including
the harvest If their leaders were not
released was met promptly by the ar
rest of lot more of the gang, and the
great strike fizzled out miserably. No
sooner was this trouble passed than the
machinists and bollermakers, employed
in the Atlantic coast shipyards, were
called on to quit. This of course would
put stop to vast amounts Of govern
ment naval work, and the United
States mediators got busy at once. Sew
eral thousand men stopped work, but
most Of them either pledged Secretary
Daniels that they would not quit, or
delayed action until a vote could be
taken.
President Cuts Coal Prices.
Having started Mr.. Hoover well on
the food conservation campaign, Pres
ident Wilson last week turned to the
almost equally pressing coal problem,
which for several weeks had been ex-
-ercising the wits of various state ad-
ministrations. Having studied the pro-
duction cost figures supplied him by
the trade commission, the president is
sued an executive order fixing a tenta-
tive scale Of prices for bituminous coal
at the mines In nearly all coal produc-
ing districts Of the country. These
prices In some instances are more than
81 a ton hdlow the voluntary prices
| fixed 4aI IA leSeSnfagence last June. The
scale is subject to change when meth
cd Of administering the fuel supplies
of the country has been determined
and put into operation,
Later In the week the president
named DIR. Harry Garfield fuel admin
istrator, fixed anthracite prices for
producers and jobbers and set limit
on profits to be made by bituminous
wholesalers.
The senate spent most of the week
| In consideration of the revenue bill.
Among other things it increased the
finance committees income tax pro-
visions by a total return to the treas
ury of $73 100000, adopting unanimous
ly the Gerry amendment, which adds
$40,000000 to the returns from in
comes of half a million and over.
Japan's Mission in Washington.
The imperial Japanese mission was
formally received in Washington by
Secretary Lansing and other govern
ment officials on Wednesday. Its head,
Viscount Ishii, made 1t clear that the
mission has come not on commercial
or political errand, but to decide on
how the two nations can best coop
crate, in both a military and an eco
nomic sense, In carrying on the war:
The neutral countries of Europe-so-
called, though no country there is any
longer really neutral-are still trying
to get around the American embargo
that is SO painful to their pocketbooks
and their stomachs; but the indica-
lions are that unless they quit supply
ing Germany with foodstuffs, their suf-
fering will only increase. Switzerland
and Holland, which depend on Ger.
many for coal, have contracted to lend
the kaiser large sums In return for the
privilege Of continuing to buy their fuel
from his country.
/ characterization and freedom from Ger
man and Austrian influence in the ap-
pointment of DIR. Alexander Wekerle
as Hungarian premier, to succeed Els
terhazy. The new premier is popular
| Democratic, a financial genius and is
| known to be no friend of Germany
| The new nationalist movement In Hun
gary has attained great strength, and II
| is said King Charles is in complete har-
mony with the desires of the nation.
| German aviators distinguished them
selves last week by another raid on
| English coast towns in which II per-
sons were killed, and by deliberately
| bombing two French hospitals behind
! the Terdun lines and then shooting
down the doctors and nurses, who were
trying to rescue the wounded soldiers
from the resulting confiagration. 1t
would seem that the chivalry of avi-
ators Is one-sided.
Negro soldiers of the Twenty-fourth
United States infantry, stationed at
Houston, Tex, as guards during the
| construction of Camp Logan, started a
serious race riot, in which a dozen
white civilians, police officers and Ma
tional Guardsmen, and number Of ne
groes were killed, and more than a
score wounded. Among the dead was
Capt. J.W. Mates, Battery A, Second
Illinois field artillery, who was trying
to restore order.