New-York tribune., 1919-11-01
Federation and Railway
Unions Heads Decline
to Help Avert Tie-Up;
Criticize Court Order
New Disturbances
By Labor Predicted
War Priority Rules on
Coal Shipments Are Re-
vived by Government
N>w York Tribune
U'dshtpUt0r Rur,nit

HNHINN lON, oct. 3l.-OrGanlZed
labor of the United States virtually
decided tonight not to use it's good
Offices 10 avert the bituminous coal
strike set for midnight, or to induce
the striking miners to submit their
differences with the operators to ~rb-
tration through a Presidential COM
mission.
This became apparent after confer
ences at the Department Of Justice to-
day between Attorney General A.
Mitchell Palmer and Warren s. Stone
Of the Brotherhood Of Locomotive
Engineers. and other leaders Of the
railroad employees and between Mr.
Palmer and Samuel Gompers and other
officials Of the American Federation
Of Labor
Late to-day Mr.. Stone and MS COY
leagues and Mr.. Gompers and other
officials OF the federation who saw Mr..
Palmer talked over the situation for
two hours, discussing the Attorney
Generals suggestion that these labor
issue by advising the miners to ca]i off
the strike.
Critici2es Injunction
After the conference Mr.. Gompers
issued d statement in which he showed
clearly the federa5ion's sympathy for
the miners, made no reference to call
ing off the strike and predicted that the
injunction granted to-day by a Federal
court in Indianapolis against the lead
ers Of the mine workers "can only re-
suit in creating new and more disturb
ing issues, which may not be confined
solely to the miners"
Mr.. Stone refused to say whether he
and his colleagues indorsed the Com
pers statement, but when asked if he
had tried or would try to get the
strike, he sad
II do not believe we will
Although the details of the confer
ence between the labor leaders were not
disclosed, it was believed tonight that
for the present there is no great
danger Of a general strike, or of one
involving the brotherhoods. How far
this feeling may change if the strike be-
comes bitter warfare and the govern
ment is forced to use drastic means to
protect itself and the people of the
country, no official here would predict.
precaution Decided Upon
me IAlluTc OF lNe most important
branches of organized labor, however.
to Try to stop the strike lett Official
Washington convinced that about all Z.
can now hope for is to take every pos
sble precautionary measure to pro-
tect the nation from protiteering, dis
tribute available coal and see that all
miners who want to work are protected
in so doing.
The other principal developments to-
day were:
Director General Hines of the rail
road adm inistration issued an order
10 his regional directors providing
FOR the distribution of bitu,ninous
coal to the railroads and other indus
trles III detailed order of precedence
Pres dent Wilson issued an execu-
tive order recstablishing price fixing
and control regulations governing
bituminous coal.
Fuel Administrator Harry A. Gar
field signed an order reviving the dis
tribution and diversion orders under
which the old list Of priorlties goes
back into effect Immediately. He in
tlmated anthracite coal would be in
cluded if any attempt at profiteering
were observed.
The House By heavy vote adopted
the Senate resolution pledging sup
port to the Administration i'll the eff
forts TO meet "the present industrial
emergency"
Injunction Is Criticized
The conferences at the Department
of Justice between the railroad broth
erhood officials and Mr.. Palmer. and
between those of the American Fedora
tion and the same officials, continued
most or the afternoon. There was no
disposition on the part of any of the
labor leaders to threaten the Attorney
General with strike by the brother
hoods or by the organizations mem
bers OF the Federation, but labor plain |
ly stated its views of the seriousness
of the crisis, and there was some talk.
at least on the part of the brother |
hood chiefs, about the possibility of
their not being able to hold their men
If the strike goes into effect and the
government resorts to drastic measures
to break it.
Both the brotherhood chiefs and
those from the federation criticized
The use of the injunction in the miners
case, h@t Mr. Palmer made it clear
that he regards it as an exceptional !
case and entirely different from one
IN which an employer of labor uses
this process OF the courts to prevent |
a strike
In the railroad brotherhood confer
ence besides M. Stone and the Attor- |
ney General were l.. f. Shepperd, Of
the conductors; Bert NJ Jewell of the |
shopmen; j. J. Forester. Of the rail- |
road clerks; l.. ]. Ross, of the railway |
telegraphers, and T. J. Mcnamara, Of |
the fremen With Mr.. Gompers were |
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