Evening star., 1919-12-05
Men Getting Jobs
in Other Lines
=. of Work.
OWN>DISTRICT is
3 IN NEED OF FUEL

CUMBERLAND, Nd. December 5.
Miners In the FairmOnt, w. W.
district have voted TO accept inc
II per cent increase In wages pro-
+ posed by the government No
turn to work under duress.
time has been. set to resume anu
nnne :. y1orkinr yet. Union head
quarters here are closed ana on
GERS are away.
From a STAFF Correspondent
CUMBERLAND, Md, December o.:
Production of coal in this ols'rie'
has absolutely ceased ,.o,
Not a single mine in the dlstric. {.
from which Washington draws
large part of its bituminous coal sup
ply is turning out pound OF coal.
urthermore, there is no lnalcation
that the miners ever intend TO go
back to work. They are seeking ana
finding other jobs, and a dozen %
them, to, whom L talked last nlsnt'
70 said emphatically that they were
Through with coal mining.
These men are working on the DIG
plant being built here by the Kelly
Springfield Tire Company. More tnan
500 coal miners are working on tnat
job alone. AS many more are VOTE. VOTE
g1on the new cellulose plant. which
also is a big contract.
"on Mining for Life"
One Of the men said:
me and a big bunch Of my buddies
is off of mining for life. No more
underground work for us as long as
work ON top holds out. There's 500
or more of US on the Kelly-Spring-
field job and as many more on the
celiulose: Them jobs will last for a
year. ana xhen they're done thereli
h 5 h.e1sS osl NJ aasf.ss 8 former. g. miners
&orAing on tonsfiuction jobs, on
Toad contracts, on railroad bridge jobs
and the like. Scores of-miners who own
Overland, Pierce-Arrow, Hudson, and
other big cars are using. them, slightly
converted, for light trucking, etc.
The situation in this district has
changed entirely since l was here a
month ago Then the miners appar-
emily were marking time, pending re-
sumption of operation at the mines Now
mining seems to be the furthest thing
in the world from their minds.
Feel Fuel Shortage.
Meanwhile the coal shortage is actu-
ally nipping this city, the hub and CEN
ter of the Georges Creek district. With
the mercury down close to zero, with
natural gas pressure so low that gas
cannot be used, with creeks and rivers
iced over and the ground frozen stone
practically out OF coal, while other
scores are using scanty supplies bought
at little family mines" back in the
hills and brought to town in trucks at
the buyers expense.
The Cumberland Light and Power
Company yesterday received instructions
from L. w. Baldwin. regional fuel di-
rector, to cease furnishing Surrent for
electric signs, Illuminated bulletin boards
and all unnecessary purposes.
Slow in Going Back.
tour of the district. extending as
far as Clarksburg and Fairmont, yes
terday developed these facts:
Fairmont miners who in mass meet
ing last Sunday voted to return to
showing up for work up to yesterday,
and not mine in the Fairmont SUBJ
district except the family" mines be-
ing in operation.
aim m)st alive with representatives OF
two wholly dissimilar forces; agents
of the Department of Justice are all
over the field, and individuals whom
even thicker. The initials stand for
One Big Union and the men are agents
of the l. w. w. There will be more
10 say of the activities of these O.
B. U. men in day or so.
A great deal of mystery surrounds
the closing down of all mines of the
Georges Creek Coal Company last
week. Rumors are plentiful to the
TO discovery of a plot to wreck the
mines. either by dynamite explosions
in the workings or by destruction OF
the power plants.
At the office of John Alexander, su-
nerintendent of the company, in Iona
coming, it was stated that no informa-
ton could be given as to reasons
for the closing order.
"Supt. Alexander has forwarded al
of the facts in the case to Attorne.
General Palmer" it was stated at tn
Homecoming office. and nothln'
further than this can be given ou
herr Perhaps the Attorney General
Office may be ready to make state
lnent." ,
Mine bosses, however, professed t
+aEe little stock in the dynamite ru
nnors. saying that the reason for tn
shutdown was that the men worke
only when they chose. quitting at an
time in the day and laying off a
much as week at a time, until tn
forces were utterly demorallzed an
the properties in danger of seriou
damage.
Summed up, the situation in thi
district seems to be this:
No coal whatever is being produce
in this entire field, from which mos
of the NATIONAL Capitals bituminou
coal is derived.
The shortage is acute. even critica
right here in the heart and distribu
ing center of the Geld.
The miners, by thousands, hav
found other employment, and declar
that, no matter what the outcome G
the strike may be, they will neve
mine coal again. f. G. H..
Operators Welcome Probe;