Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-06
TRY TO Mine coal
IOWA OPERATORS TO MAKE e..
FORT TO REaumE WORK.
Miners Invited 20 Return Monday
Otherwise Volunteers Will Be Used
Provided Competent Mon Can 30
obtained--opsrators Pass Lie to
District President lssis-


Iowa Coal Operators Association
II Getting here Friday afternoon dectt ed
t. attempt - reopen the mines mex.
Tuesday with any qualified labor which
presents itself, and further dsterm'n-
ed 10 throw open the books Of oil Goa!
companies mining coal IN Iowa 20 n
public Investigation, IN order 10 deter
mine whether or not there has been
prcf!teering IN the Iowa field.
Action OF the operators was taken
following meeting which lasted sew
eral hours and which was attended 10y
representative mine owners from all
PARTS OF the state.
The mines are ready for opera
ton, the operators declare, and will be
ready for action In case union minors
Cesire TO return Monday.
II tho mine workers do not report
for duty on Monday. however. volun-
teers will DO asked FOR and the mines
thrown open to am qualified labor
which presents Itself.
II is probable that efforts will be
conferred on few mines at first, and
others pu. into operation as fast as
enough workers appear.
Invite lnves. CATION.
4 complete investigation IS asked
by any committee OF any duly ac-
credited organization oc business men,
and the operators association offers to
place at their disposal complete rec
ords Of all the companies which are
members OF the association.
\ reply was drafted 20 Il statement
issued yesterday by President J. G.
Lewis. OF the mine workers, in which
President Gushing, OF the operators,
charges that Lewis Is deliberately mis-
representing facts. and places rcspon-
s!bility for the continuation OF the
strike upon him as head Of the mine
workers.
The telegram sent Mr.. Lewis last
night upon order OF the OPERATOR
reads as follows:
Up to Lewis.
MI. J, c. Lewis. President District
-, Z. ". ". A.. Abba. Ia.-Your let.
ter Of the fourth inst lie received. In
the opening paragraph of your letter
you say that you are at g loss to know
why l addressed you with an appeal
that the miners Of Iowa be requested to
go TO work upon terms laid down By
our government. In reply I can only
say that believed and was credibly
informed. and still believe, that the
vast majority of the miners Of Iowa
VIII go to work when you tell them to.
You are the duly constituted head OF
the miners In Iowa and submit to
You that you are the proper person to
address in this crisis when the crying
need Of the people Of Iowa Is for coal,
and the question Is whether the miners
OF Iowa are going to accept the deci.
sion Of their government and rssurn
to work or continue to d:sreSard the
decision of our government by rsfus-
Ing to produce coal and theerby cause
the tremendous suffering which II now
beginning to be so keenly felt.
You state In your letter that at the
conference OF miners and operators in
Washington, held at the request OF
Secretary OF Labor Wilson, Secretary
Wilson asked the representatives OF
the Iowa operators II they would abide
by any decision made by the operators
and miners at that conference, and
that the representatives Of Iowa op-
orators refused to agree to abide by
that decision.
Says Operators Willing.
II beg to inform you that you are in
error and that then sent a formal
letter to Secretary Of Labor Wilson In
which the Iowa operators agreed to
abide by any decision made in that
conference at Washington. Tho letter
IS now in the possession Of Secretary
Wilson.
Il notice in your statement regard
Ing the profit between the '99h cents
per ton the miners receive for digging
the coal and the 81 per ton the con-
sumers pay for the same Many peo-
pie who are not informed regarding
the coal industry are making that
statement and are making It honestly
but you. who are informed regarding
the coal-m!ning industry, cannot make
j, honestly.
From you 1t can only be malicious
You know the sS11 cents q ton Is con
siderabiy less than half the labor cost
only of getting the coal to the surfac
Of tho ground, and that the selling
price of coal at the mine 10 consider
ably less than half Of tho ~ that you
mention.
Records Are Open.
Regarding the general charge !r
your letter that the coal operators o!
Iowa are prohteers, beg to say that
in the Office OF tho Iowa Coal Opera
tors Association are the records as te
cost OF production OF IS per cent OF
tina coal mined in Iowa, and that these
records are open to examination BY
any committee OF any duly accredited
organization Of business men. In Or
der that the truth concerning your in
sincere statement may be known, on
behalf Of the coal operators ! invite
such an investigation OF our records
and l desire that this b done prompt
!y for the information Of tho public
Many honest people, for lack Of infor-
nation. believe that the coal OPERATOR
! OF Iowa have been getting too mIol
for their coal, and tina operators viii
welcome an opportunity to have the
public learn the truth. d. r. Cushing
President Iowa Coal Operators ALSO
Citation"