Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-11-01
COURTS ONLY WILL
Be USED AGAINST
STRIKING MINERS
NO OTHER MEANS TO BE RESORT
ED TO SAYS ATTORNEY GEN
ERAL-PRICE FIXING WILL PRO.
TECT PUBLIC.

Washington, Nov. 1.-The govern
ment does not plan ito use any other
power than the courts for protection
in the coal strike. Attorney General
Palmer announced Friday
Two other developments came in
the governments efforts to avert
disaster to the nation in the strike.
President Wilson signed an executive
order fixing the maximum prices for
bituminous coal. and Fuel Ad
ministrator Garfield signed an order
reviving the distribution and diver
sion orders of the fuel administration
under which the old list of prioritieg
Immediately became effective.
Rail Men Offer Aid.
Railroad union officials comforting
late today with Attorney General
Palmer, entered no protest against
the injunction issued in indianapolis
today against the calling of the coal
strike. and rendered the good offices
of their organizations in attempting
to arrange a settlement of the strike.
II was at this conference that the
attorney general told the railroad
union chiefs as well as Samuel
Gompers. president Of the American
Federation of Labor, with whom he
conferred after the meeting with the
railroad mon. that he did not believe
il would be necessary to use any
other power than the courts ito pro
tect the government
Mr.. Palmer said he told the union
men they were at liberty to say to
either side in the strike that the
President was ready to act immediate.
~ to have the controversy settled
amicably whenever the strike was
called off.
Palmer Explains Action.
President Gompers and other Off
Gals of the American Federation of
Labor were said. however, to have
urged their views on the matter Of
the injunction in their conference
with the attorney general,
Il explained the necessity for the
action" Mr. Palmer said "and the
manner in which this case must be
differentiated on its facts from all
other cases in which iniunctions have
been used | have been opposed and
the administration has been opposed
to government by injunction where.
by employers might use the processes
of the courts on an exparte hearing
to force their employees into submis-
sion.
This is the government itself
using its own courts to protect itself
from paralysis. Ii Is not an injunC-
ton obtained by employers, not for
the benefit of employers, not to set
tie the controversy. but to save the
people OF the entire country from dis
aster. 1t doesn't affect the right of a
man to work when he pleases.
Leaves Men Free to Act.
In this connection Mr.. Palmer eX
planned tlat the petition for injunC-
tier as prepared by the government
seeks to restrain the officers of the
United Mine Workers from doing any
thing in furtherance of the strike or
der
III the injunction is obeyed,' Mr..
Palmer said. "and it goes without
saying that the law must be obeyed,
it will take away the direction of the
strike from above and leaves to the
men perfect freedom to work or not
as they see fit. No strike can go on
without direction
II the injunction Is disobeyed the
court can act on its own initiative to
punish the violators or on applica
ton of the government"