Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-27
ORGANIZED MINERS
CLAIM THEY WANT
TO PREVENT CLASH
Leader Asserts They Are
Willing to Negotiate
New Agreement.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, October 81.
While preparations for the strike OF
the half-million soft-coal miners of
the United States, ordered for next
Saturday, are being continued. it was
said at the international headquarters
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea here today that the miners are
ready and willing to negotiate a new
wage agreement between now and No
vember thatwill avert the strike.
I'VE don't know what the week will
bring FORTH" said Ellis Searles, editor
of the Mine Workers Journal, the
official publication of the organization.
We do know this. that the miners are
ready and willing-and have been
to negotiate new wage agreement
between now and November ]. And
we do know that the operators have
refused. They have rejected proposal
after proposal.
Ask Pressure on Both Sides.
Now. IT the government would use
the same amount of pressure on the
operators that it is using on the
United Mine Workers of America
there would be no trouble in bringing
about a settlement. All pressure, so
far, has been on the miners and none
on the operators. The government
could bring the operators into confer
ence easily, if 1t wanted to.
THE organized miners do not want
to strike-it is last resort. 1t is,
and always has been, the policy of
the mine workers to use all honor
able means to avoid a strike. We hope
the operators yet may be induced to
Ia 3d., Il
ment, which win make the strike
called for next Saturday unnecessary
I'VE want the public to know that
the miners have done everything in
their power to bring about a confer
ence so that new wage agreement
could be negotiated and the strike
avoided. Up to this time our efforts
have been unsuccessful: the opera
tors seem determined to force a strike
on the public in order to maintain the
high price of coal at the mines"
Claims 500, 1000 Affected.
Should the strike go into effect next
Saturday, Mr.. Searies said, every or
ganiZed bituminous coal miner in the
United States would cease the pro-
ductfon of coal and a large number
OF non-organized miners would join
the strike. He estimated that be-
tween 100000 and 100000 men would
walk out, and added that the govern
ment estimated that the shutdown
would cut off so per cent of the BIZ
luminous coal produced in the Unit
ed States.
The strike, according to zlr. Searles,
would AFFECT the partialfy organized
fields of central EEuuSYYTaaia, parts
OF West NFeiliar Excluding the Foca-
hohtss field. which is not organized:
portions of eastern Kentucky and
Tenn ssee, Alabama and Colorado and
all OF the 100 per cent organized
fields, which include Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois. western Kentucky,
Kansas, Oklahoma, Mon
tana and Washington. Bituminous
m iners in Canada will not be affected.
John L. Lewis, acting president OF
the miners. does not expect to return
to Indianapolis until Wednesday, the
date set for the meeting OF the exec
utive board of the United Mine
Workers, at which. it is expected, a
statement in reply to President Will
sorts demand that the strike order be
rescinded will be drafted