Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-27
RESP POSSIBILITY
FOR COAL STRIKE
IF IT OCCURS IS
UP To OPERATORS
John |, Lewis Says the Own
erS Have Not Offered a Sin
gle Suggestion Designed to
Avert the Catastrophe,
REMAINS SILENT ABOUT
ULTlMATUM OF WILSON
During the last twelve Months,
He Says the Miners Aver
age Earnings Have Been
Only About $50 a Month,

tsY aoRslRs JOURNAL tPEcGI LEAsEo wiREl
Bloomington, ILL.,, oct. 26.-John l..
Lewis, acting president of the United
Mine Workers of America, tonight
declined to state specifically the atti-
tude of the United Mine Workers to-
ward the statement of President Will
son yesterday regarding the proposed
strike of the bituminous coal miners
of the nation.
In regard to this Mr.. Lewis would
only say;
Il am an American, Tree born, with
all the pride of my heritage. l love
my country with its institutions ana
traditions With Abraham Lincoln,
/ thank God that we have country
where men may strike. May the
power of my government never be
used to throttle and crush the eff
forts of the toilers to improve their
material welfare and elevate the stan
dard of their citizenship"
Has Not Received Message.
Mr.. Lewis said that he had not re-
ceiyed any message from Washington,
that he had been travelling all day.
He left Washington at 6 o'clock Sat
urday evening TO return to his home
at Springfield, which he left October
6. He added that he had yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock called meet
ing of the national executive board OF
the United Mine Workers to convene
at indianapolis at 10 O'Clock Wednes-
day morning. He explained that the
meeting was called before President
Wilson'S statement was made public
The gathering had been called pri-
marily to formulate details of the
strike.
When asked to make a statement
on the right of the miners to strike
November in the face of the critical
conditions, he said
THE coal operators have not Of
fered single constructive suggestion
designed to avert this catastrophe.
All through the negotiations at Buff
falo, later at Philadelphia and still
later at Washington the miners
waited in vain for any counter pro-
posal to be submitted by the opera
tors. During the conference with Sec
retary Wilson at Washington, we said
many times that We were willing to
re-enter negotiations with the opera
tors without reservation to conclude
the making of an agreement forth
with. The offer that we made was
repeatedly declined. The responsible
ity for the stoppage of work in the
bituminous coal districts must neces-
sarily lie with the coal operators
Mr.. Lewis was asked what answer
he had to make to the contention of
| the operators that the contract had
not expired.
"Our contract read that 1t was tC
continue in effect during the period
until the war ended and not to ex'
ceed March 81, 1920" he replied
| War Is Over, He Contends.
"The war is over. Our soldiers
have returned. All the government
war agencies are disbanded A Ger
man vessel of war is even now head
| ing for New York, upon peace mis-
sion. In substance, form and reality
| the war is ended, and our eontrac
| has expired"
What right have you to ask Sc
| large an increase in wages as sixty
per cent?" he was asked.
'Well, now we are willing to stant
on the merit of our proposal he re
| piled. This so per cent increase Il
subject to- negotiations as are all de
mands of the United Coal Miners, bu
they will not even negotiate"
During the past twelve months tn
!
averaged only SIS a month, or $500
for the entire period. The men hav'
worked on an average of less thai
three days a week since the armis
tice was signed Men with familie
cannot live on this amount. Childrel
in mining camps are undernourished
This is a matter of life and death t
the women and children of the min
ers' families as well as 1t is to tn
public. Charity begins at home.
"Our aim is to make a shorte
working period and to distribute IN
work over more days during the year
The miners in England have seve
hour day, from bank to bank Whlcl
, means from the time they leave tn
, surface of the ground until they ge
back Miners in the United state
have an eight hour day. but tina
], doesn't count until they get to tn
face of the coal. They are in realit
. working nine and half hours day,