Norwich bulletin., 1919-12-11

miners strike is ended
 With but one dissenting vote the | general committee of the United Mine | workers of America in session here | this afternoon voted 10 accept I'resi- ! dent Wilson's proposal for immediate l return 10 work pending final settle fncnt Of their wage controversy with | operators by commission to be ap i pointed by him. Tclcgrams were sent out tonight to i the four thousand locals of the union !! by international officials of the mine I workers instructins the men 10 return | 10 work immediately. Full instructions with regard to the agreement will be | sent out tomorrow morning. Operators tonight predicted full re- sumption of operations Friday and | shipment of coal from the mines be- s.nning Monday morning.
 Miners operators and government officials alike were highly gratified l ote. the settlement tonight and all | s.des appeared confident of d final | satisfactory settlement of the fight by tEe commission. The action today ends a tie-up of | the coal industry of more than five weeks duration and one which was more far reaching in it's effects than any other in the history of the coun- i fry. As resuls of the strike the country was fast approaching com plete shutdown of industry and wide spread suffering among its 100000, 900 inhabitants.
 Radicals Strenueusly Objected. The decision of the miners came af- ter many hours of debate in which the radical element in the general committee nna6e incendiary speeches Esainst operators and others interest Cd in settlement of the strike and for a time threatened to defeat efforts to settle the strike at this time. The ' conservative element, led by Acting President John L. Lewis and Secre- tary-Treasurer William Green. gained control Of the situation this morning and susceeded in putting down prac tically an opsosition by the time the question came to a svote .. ., .s,-E
 O5s concession was made, to the radicals. the convention agreed to the calling of a. convention of the min ITS at "a future date at which time the action oS and reasons for the general committee will be fully explained. The opponents of acceptance of the spresi dents plan made their fight principal ly on the theory that, only a general convention of the mine workers had power to. call on the strike.
 Members .of the general. committee tonight steadfastiy refused to make public the name Of the delegate who cast the' one dissenting .xote.
 Two Statements by Palmer.
 Two statements were given out fol- lowing adjournment of the conference by Attorney General A. Mitchell Pal fncr. who first submitted the presi- dents proposal to Acting President Lewis and Secretary Treasurer Green at a conference tn Washington last Saturday and came to Indianapolis on Monday to await the outcome of con sideratiou of the plan. by the general committee.
 Mr Pslmers first statement ex- pressed his qualification at the decis- ion Of tho United Mine Workers and commended Mir. Lewis and Mir. Green for "their wise and patriotic action"
 supplemental statement issued to- night said. .ts4
 "Thc miners at their meeting this afternoon accepted the presidents proposal exactly as written. and it is understood the committed announced their acceptance of it. It provides for inc immediate, general resumption of operations in all districts upon the ba sis which obtained on October 3i. 1919, except as 10 wages, which are to be IA per ceN higher than at that date. This means that the men shall be taken back % work in all mines in the positions and upon the terms of their contracts Of employment then exist ing: and lt is confidently expected that the mine owners will accede to the governments earnest request that the status quo Of October 31 be promptly re-estbalished in order that peaceful relations between employer and em- ployes in all parts of the mining field may be immediately resumed. I am asking the governors of all coal min Ing states. to cooperate in the effort to bring this about"
 Statement by Local Operators.
 Expressing qualification that the strike was ended, 8 statement was given out here tonight by local oper- ators, with the announcement that it had been obtained by long distance telephone from the executive commit tee of the National Bituminous Coal Operators Association in Washington. The statement follows:
 "We are pleased that the miners have voted Go return to work and that Inc public can, be promptly supplied Fith coal. Realizing the- imperative public need of coal in large quantities. the operators stand ready now as in the past, to bend and all efforts toward 10 a maximum production, beginning at once"
 Two statements were given out by international officials of the miners, one of them having been prepared during this afternoon to announce the decision. The other statement was dictated to newspaper men by Acting President Lewis.
 Mir. Lewis statement declared that the action Of the general committee was taken with consciousness of the responsibilities Of the miners to the ration during this acute Industrial crisis and firm in the conviction that the word of the president of the Unit ed States will secure for the miners just consideration of their merited claims" He stated that the irterna- fionsl convention,of of the miners would be reconvened in Indianapolis and a suppiementsl explanation. given the delegates from all of the four thous- and locals. .,s -..
 Mr. Lewis declared that the action taken today should demonstrate to the people of our country that the United Mine Workers of America are loyal.to our country. and believe in the perpetuily of our democratic institu- lions No, greater demonstration of such facts could be given than our ac .