New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-10-31
MINERS CONSIDER
PRESIDENTS PLEA
LEWIS CALLS MEETING TO CON-
FER ON PoSTPoNEMENT
OF STRIKE.
DRY Law IS VETOED
HOUSE IMMEDIATELY REPASSES
1T BY A VOTE OF 176
TO SIS.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Springfield, H., Oct. 27.-Confronted
by the demand of President Wilson
that thes trike call, which would stop
production of soft coal in h United
States be rescinded, John l.. Lewis,
acting president of the United Mine
Workers of America, tonight by tele-
graph invited twenty-five district pres
idents of coal producing states and
members of the miners scale commit
tee to meet with the international eX-
ecutive board 10 confront the strike is
sue.
The action of Mr.. Lewis, he stated,
was prompted by a desire To nov
with full deliberatiOn in "A situation
the seriousness Of which mo be
gainsaid.
Thirty-twO members constitute the
full scale committee of the central
competitive field, which comprises the
states of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and
western Pennsylvania.
District presidents and members of
the wage scale committee are being
called in," President Lewis said, to
counsel with the executive board by
reason of the Presidents statement.
What final action will be taken ] an
not promise to forecast"
Mr.. Lewis said the strike order was
In effect and would be operative mt
midnight Friday unless something
happened meanwhile to alter the sit
uation.
The executive board would have au-
thority, he stated, to postpone or sus-
pend the strike order, subject to the
will of the membership of the union
He declared, however, that the 5OO.-
600 miners in the bituminous field
would walk Out to II man unless the
operators made concessions.
''The statement of President Wilson
opposing the strike has lhus far had
no results SO far as we are concerned"
Lewis said. No word reached him, he
stated. from government sources dur
ing the day.
Lewis brands statements that coal
miners were earning $40 to SIS a day
as absurd" He said the average pay
Of miners in the bituminous field for
the year 1918, which he declared was
the best twelve months In mine work
ers' annals, WAS SIPS n year.
lie declined Ia make a statement AS
to what the maximum earnings Of a
miner under favorable circumstances
might be, but said the earnings of
'day men" amounted to between Si.25
and 81 a day. These include track
drivers, mechanics and labor
ers.
Coal diggers. he admitted, n make
more money than that. lie explained,
however, that wages of miners were
curtailed by the fact that mines OPP
crate on the average only three or
four days n week.
This condition. he said. made neces-
sary a shorter day and week In order
To furnish continuous employment. as
embraced in wage demands suggested
BY miners early in the conferences.
Other demands include 90 per cent in
crease In wages, time and n half for
overtime and elimination of the strike
penalty clause.
Washington, Oct. 21.-President VIII
son Unexpectedly vetoed the prohibit
ton enforcement bill today, and with
In three hours the House had repassed
II over his veto by n vote of lI6 10 80.
The total vote was barely more than u
majority of the entire membership.
The four Colorado congressman voted
to override the veto. Dry leaders In
the Senate immediately began laying
plans 10 reI,ass the bill there. They ex-
pect to ask unanimous consent for its
consideration tomorrow, claiming
enough votes to put 1t through. They
expect Il act on II by Wednesday NJ
the latest.
II would not be difficult. the Presi-
lent held, for Congress Ia deal sepa-
with the two issues.
The veto hit Congress like a crack
NJ lightning. The House. getting on
It's feet again. deserted its leaders,
who wanted to defer consideration
until Thursday 81 as TO round up all
the dry members. But the drys swept
into the chamber and showed there
was an overwhelming sentiment among
them to- give the government ample
weapons for dealing with the liquor
now ouilawed throughout the