Milford chronicle., 1919-11-14
UNCLE TED'S
BED TIME STORIES
Current Events for the Children
and Grown-Ups, Too
THE STRIKERS WHO
DIDN'T FIGHT

DADN twill
Fred Jones is the stingiest boy
ever saw" said Jack as he met his
Uncle coming up the walk.
And what is Fred so stingy about?'
replied Uncle Ted.
We'll. you see, we've been playing
Indian because we can have smoke
fires from the leaves for signals.
was to gather all the leaves for my
fire and Fred was to get some matches
to light it because Mother put ours
away where / couldn't find them. WheE
/ was ready l told Fred to bring the
matches and he said he wouldn't bring
the matches until / gave him enough
leaves for his smoke fire. So won't
you let me have match, Uncle Ted r.
Fred has sort of gone on strike,
hasn't he, JackY answered his Uncle
with a big broad smile. Now I'll tell
you, Jack, the wind is blowing so
hard that I'm afraid it is a bit danger
Gus for little boys to be playing with
bonfires. Suppose you get your sis
ter and we will go up to the house
and sit in front of the big fireplace
while tell you story. How's that?'
"Thatll be fine" said Jack as he
pulled his Uncle Ted by the sleeve in
a hurry to get in the house.
After the trio were seated by the
fire, which was cracking and sput-
tering, Uncle Ted said;
Last week 1 told you kiddies some
thing about the strikes that are go
ing on in our country and how Ger
many may get ahead Of US if we don't
all get to work and produce Just as
I
going to tell you something about the
men who are striking, who during the
war didn't have to go and fight because
the government felt their work was
almost as important as fighting. You
see, children, the coal miners have
quit work and our country may have
to go without coal in a short time If
they don't go back to work. If we
don't have coal, we can't run our
trains, and if we can't run our trains
we can't ship food. So it is a very
serious matter. President Wilson told
the miners that their act in striking
was unlawful and our Congress in
Washington has said the same. 1t has
been necessary to bring about almost
military law in the various coal re-
gions. That is, the government is
keeping soldiers at these places to !
see that the property and lives of the I
people are protected from any acts I
of violence"
How many strikers are thereg
asked Jack.
Before 1 answer that, Jack, you
must know that besides the miners
who are on strike the railroad men
also threaten to strike. In these two
classes there are about 100000 men.
The point is that these million men
during the war were protected by the
government from going to fight and
received the best pay they had ever
been given. In contrast to that the
other millions of men were at the front
in France fighting, risking their lives
and receiving $50 month. Our Con-
gress is determined that the selfish
interest Of this one million men shall
not come before the interest of the
other 100000 The records of these
men, who are now fighting for higher
pay, which leaders in Congress have
been investigating, Show that they are ]
the very ones who received the highest
pay during the war and fought at
home. Even though the government
said their work here during the war
was important, there were other l
classes just as important, but who are
loyal now and are working and pro-
ducing. The farmers who produce our
food are the best examples of this.
General Crowder, who had charge
of the work in selecting the men for 9
military service during the war has
records which show the number of
coal mine operatives and railroad men I
There were 706,012 coal mine opera
tiYes of all ages and $4,000 engineers,
fremen, brakemen and conductors
This makes the total of 100000 who
are attempting to stop all industry by y
striking while we have in contrast to /
that 43,206,912 men in all kinds of \
work Then there is another class,
the men who work in the steel mills. a
These men have been striking as 1 u
told you last week. The men in this
work are mostly foreigners. A great Il
number of these did not have to go
10 war because they were aliens. That v
Is they were citizens of other coun-
.ries. Some of them had their first V
papers which would have b
ater made them citizens of the United
States. A rule was made that the Il
aliens who had taken out their first A
lapers were liable to be called for SER h
rice in the United States Army, so a o.
ot Of them withdrew their papers
10 as to be sure they wouldn't have to .-tc
light. Then they could go right on
working and earning their high wages 81
nd at the same time be safe at home,
ar from the fighting front. The same hi
hing is about true Of the coal miners NJ
| large number of them are foreign
RS who send most Of their money II
ack home" dl
y don't think il is Iair of these men
o stop work and put our country in al
anger when they were so well pro-
ected during the war" said Jack.
1T is very wrong, Jack" answered
is Uncle. 1T is wrong whether their
rork was important or not during the Nj
Tar because of the unsettled condition lei
our country now. We must have at
pal and our trains must be run, or
e will be in a much worse condition da
ian we were during the war. 1t is wi
ertainly not fair for these men to
ldanger the lives of the people, es- It'll
scially when you learn that out of w,
le $4,000 bituminous coal miners
lly per cent were taken into the Mr.
'rvice under the draft law, and that Ed
of those taken from the ]
lrious branches Of the railroad en- ant
oyees was in most cases even less. ED
other words, very few of the coal ser
iners at least actually helped to fight j
e war with Germany. And it seems boz
lrd to understand why the miners ant
e striking for higher pay when we I
arm from kilograms received by Re hor
lblican Leader Frank w. Mondell, I
the House OF Representatives in Bel
that some Of the miners left