Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-28
ORDER IS
STILL IN EFFECT
DECLARES CHIEF
OF COAL DIGGERS
John |, Lewis Says WaIkout
VIII Take Place According
to Schedule Unless the Mine
Owners Back Down,
,NpEAL OF PRESIDENT
~ FALLS ON DEAF EARS
e, Regarding Earnings
OF Miners Greatly Exaggef
atedi Average for 1918 Only
S1,228, Says Leader,

Springfield, H., Oct 27--Ready to
leave Springfield early tomorrow
morning for Indianapolis to assume
active charge of the threatened strike
of soft coal miners. beginning Friday
at midnight, John L. Lewis. acting
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America, declared tonight tho
strike order was still in effect and
that the 100000 miners in the bitum-
inous field would walk out to man,
unless the operators relented,
The statement of President Wilson
opposing the strike has thus far had
no results so far as we are concern
ed" Lewis said. No word reached
him. he stated. from government
sources during the day.
Lewis expects to reach indianapolis
at 2;40 D. M, where he Will make
preparations for the meeting Wednes-
day of the international executive
board He said tonight he expected
no developments prior to this confer
ence.
Figures on Miners Earnings.
Branding statements that coal
miners were earning $40 or SIS a day
rs absurd" Mr. Lewis said the aver
age pay of miners in the bituminous
field for the year 1918. which he de-
clarcd was the best twelve months in
mine workers annals, was Sizes a
year. He declined to be drawn into
a statment as to what the maximum
earnings of a miner under favorable
circumstances might be, but said the
earnings of day men" amounted to
between $t.25 and Sc 4 day These in
clude track layers, drivers, mechanics
and lahorers. Coal diggers. lie admit
ted, can make more money than that.
He explained, however, that wages of
miners we've curtailed by the fact that
mines operate on the average OF only
three or four days a week This
condition, he said, made necessary
a shorter day and week in order to
furnish continuous employment as
embraced in wage demands suggested
by miners early in the conference.
Other demands include so per cent in
crease in wages, time and half for
overtime, and elimination of the strike
penalty clause.
Responsibility Put on Operators.
In a statement, issued tonight, he
said, to clear up popular misappre-
tensions about exactly what took
place in the joint conference. Mr..
Lewis again placed responsibility for
the strike on the operators. The
statement follows
"At the biennial convention of the
United Mine Workers of America at
Cleveland, September to 23, attend
ed by 2.046 delegates, a wage pro-
gram and policy was outlined and
scale committees were selected who
were instructed to present demands to
the operators.
"On September 25 at Buffalo, the
miners and operators met in joint
committee. The miners presented
their demands. and were met by a
statement that the Washington agree
ment had not expired because the war
promulgated by the president.
mo counter proposals were sub
mitted by the operators, who seeming
ly were determined on avoiding
making new agreement. This COM
mittee adjourned for week and re-
convened in Philadelphia on October
8, where the same circumstances OBJ
tained and sine die adjournment took
place on October IL.
THE miners insisted at all times
that they were ready to consider the
basis demands from the standpoint of
merit alone. But consideration on
this was denied by the operators.
THE government in conferences
with operators and miners last week
in Washington, endeavored to secure
a re-opening Of negotiations. The
miners consented without reservation.
The operators declined except under
conditions which rendered negotia-
tons impossible"