The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-12-11
Coal Shortage Becoming Acute
and People Demand That
the Strike Be Ended.
MIDDLE WEST IN DISTRESS
Miners officials Cited for Contempt Of
Court-Diplomatl Relations With
Mexico Likely to Be Severed
Soon Supreme Council
Calls German Bluff.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

"Give US coal, and quickly" was the
imperative demand Of great part Of
the American public last week. So
serious had the fuel situation become
that II seemed a settlement OF the dis
pute between the operators and min
ers must be forced by dire necessity,
In the northwestern and middle West
states the condition was aggravated
by n severe cold wave. aud the people
Of that part of the country especially,
actually became alarmed by the pros
pect Of freezing 10 death. Plans for
ending the strike at least temporarily
were as numerous ms the planners
but almost the only steps really TAX
en- were for the conservation of the
existing supplies Of fuel. II is true
that In some Of the western states the
operation OF the mines was taken over
by the state government and volun-
tecr miners were put at work under
protection Of the state troops. This
was most cOmmenduble In principle,
but naturally the concrete results I'm
the way Of coal 10 burn were not eX-
tensive Chicago. ana Illinois general
ly. felt The pinch more acutely than
most regions and prominent men
gathered and devised regulations to
curtnil the use Of coal The state
public utilities issued these regula-
tlons formally, and Governor Lowden
proclaimed them, and also planned to
ask the federal government to adopt
the same rules for the entire country.
They cut the working day of stores
and factories 10 six and half hours
and materially reduced the heating
and lighting service everywhere Al
ready the regional coal committee had
cut or all new supplies from nones-
sentIal Industries. These rules prom.
ised, within a very snort time, to
throw out Of employment many thou,
sands OF men and women.
New York city was not suffering
from the soft coal strike, because the
law permits It to burn only anthracite,
but n was worried by rumore that the
hard coal miners also might strike
soon. In general the Atlantic const
states had enough fuel, and Director
General Hines was shipping hundreds
OF carloads from there to the dis
tresscd middle West
The federal government got into
action again by filing In the district
court at indianapolis, information
charging criminal contempt Of court
against - international and district
officers OF The miners union These
leaders, who include Acting President
Lewis and Secretary Green. were sum.
moned Ia appear ln court Tuesday aud
answer the charges. or course such
proceedings mny result I'm the punish
ment Of the accused men. but VIII
they get coal for the wOuld-be con.
sumeri That II what the latter is In
terested In iust now, and that only.
He is thoroughly Disguised with the
whole wrangle and IS no more IN sym
pathy with greedy operators than with
greedy miners. In his view, both sides
are crlmInaIly inconslderate Of the
public needs. and he demands that
they be forced into u compromise. The
suffering and financial loss to the PEG.
pie already have been immense and
cannot now be checked entirely ever
If coal mining II resumed at once. But
the people do insist that they be KEPT
warm from now on.
Toward the end Of the week hopt
arose that the warrllg operators ant
miners might reach an agreement A
number Of the largest operators form