Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-13
Miners Ask Only That
Wages Be Made Steady,
w ord Of c. Mace owan

Charles F. MACEDONIAN, former
president Of the Tri-City Federation
Of Labor, and now an international
organizer for the boilermakers' or
ganization, visited in Rock Island
today. He has been active in the
recent labor negotiations in Wash
ington. where his headquarters are
situated. and has . store Of knowl-
edge about the national situation
between labor, capital and the gov
eminent. In the present coal crisis.
A new light Ii thrown upon the
miners side of the controversy in
the statement Mr.. MacGowan made
this morning to reporter for TIE
Argus. He contended that the in
junction which "ended the strike"
is a serious mistake from several
points Of view, explaining about
t the stand taken by the men in the
matter Of wage increases and the
fixing Of a certain amount Of time
to be put in each week.
1.-THE facts in the case are these, =
he said, "the injunction issued by
Judge Anderson iy particularly
hateful to the miners and to or
ganized labor for the reason that If
the government had used the power
granted It under the same law-the
Lever act-it could have taken
over ard operated the mines while
negotiations between the men and
the employers went on.
Could Stgl Produce.
''The same wage scale could have
been paid by the government as
that in vogue at the time Of the
strike order. Out of the proceeds
obtained by the government from
this source 1t could have made the
raise granted by the employers
retroactive to the date on which
the mines changed hands. In the
meantime. while the mines we're
being operated by the government,
coal production and delivery could
/ go on at q normal rate. When an
agreement had been threshed out
by the employers and employees the
mines could then be returned to
their owners. the wage raise put in
effect and made retroactive to
,, Nov. l.
This was the logical course, and
was and Is acceptable to the min
ers. 1t would entail to employers
only the loss of earnings during
the period when the mines were
Communicated. It would keep the
source Of coal running and prevent
any shortages of coal.
Neither the labor movement or
the miners themselves wanted to
bring about conditions in the coun-
try such as to paralyze industry
and to cause starvation and coal
famines. It wasn't mere wanton
misuse Of power. That is where
the thing is misunderstood. II the
government had taken the action OF
taking over the mines and operat-
ing them, no hardships would have
been imposed on anyone"
Unions Hate Injunction.
According to Mr.. MacGowan, an
other phase Of the situation aside
from the fact that the injunction
has not settled and cannot settle
the strike is, that it has made the
miners and all of the trades unions
dissatisfied, because the injunction
power has been the black beast Of
labor all during its existence. He
said the injunction has only sue.
ceeded in making the task increas.
ing}y difficult for the leaders, who
wanted the arbitration to proceed
In an orderly manner. The injunc.
ton, he argued, in "being SO mani
testify unfair to organized labor
has increased the tendency Of some
circles toward a more pronounced
stand in the fight against capital
out and out anarchy, or bolshesism
Another phase OF labors stand.
he continued, IFS the fact tina
shortly after the armistice wa,
signed. the United States govern
men, through the agency Of the fue
administration. told operators tina
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