Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-04
GOVERNMENT SEEKS BASIS
OF REACHING settlement
WILL SOON BREAK TIEUP?.
Union Miners Still Out
but Lack of Funds MAY
Force Them Back.

Washington, Nov. 4.-Efforts to
reach a basis for possible settle
ment Of the strike of bituminous
coal miners were made today at a
conference here between Federal
Fuel Administrator Garfield and
]. D. Morrow, president of the Ma
tional Coal association, an organ {
ization of the leading coal oper-
ators Of the country.
DR.. Garfield returned early to-
day from a visit to kentucky and
soon afterwards went into confer
ence with Mr.. Morrow, who was an
official of the fuel administration
during the war. What proposals
the fuel administrator had to make
were not disclosed in advance OF
the conference.
+ Early End Expected.
, Developments today were looked
forward to here as likely to afford
an index to the duration of the
coal strike. A spirit of hopeful
ness to end the strike was ex-
pressed.
officials were of the opinion that
the broad powers of the federal
court injunction in shutting off the
strike funds would force the miners
to return to work and bring the
strike to q close. Labor leaders
themselves were said to hold the !
view that the miners could not hold /,
out long for lack of subsistence
caused by the operation Of the in
junction.
Strikers Ranks Unbroken.
Chicago. ILL.,, Nov. Ain the face
of virtually an unbroken front of
approximately $4,000 striking min,
tsrs, whose walkout throughout the
nation at midnight Friday night
has produced almost complete
paralysis of the production OF bi-
luminous coal, dawn of the second
full day Of the strike found gov
ernment officials and coa, mine Of
ficers in an optimistic mood. Ad-
ditional movements of federal and
state troops into various coal fields
were reported over night and
thousands of carloads of fuel in
transit we're coniscated by the fed
eral administration, diminishing
the supply Of private industries
! and municipalities, some of which
already have felt the stopping of
production.
Lack Of Funds Big Factor.
Officials Of the United Mine
Workers of America, whose lips Of
ficially were sealed by the federal
court Injunction, issued at Indian
apolis, remained silent. Attorneys
for the miners continued prepara-
tion today of their side Of the case
preparatory to the hearing next
Saturday in federal court of the in
junction proceedings and Washing
ton officials were of the opinion
that the broad powers of the re-
straining order prohibiting use OF
the strike funds would compel the
miners to resume work.
Military Is Active.
Mckinley and Colfax counties,
New Mexico, today were added to
the districts under military con-
troll by a martial law proclamation
of Governor Larrazola. Federal
soldiers took charge as the strike
is complete in all the mines OF the
state except those of the Gallup
American company at Gallup.
Additional troops for possible
duty in the extensive Pennsylvania
field were under orders today to
be ready to entrain at two hours
notice. They were the 23rd and
9th regiments of infantry at Camp
Travis, San Antonio, Tex.
No Violence.
So far the strike has been re-
markably free of violence.
No actual suffering today had
been reported rs due to the coal
shortage but small communities in
Iowa. Nebraska and Montana had
been compelled to restrict the use
of coal in schools and public util-
tiles.