The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-10-29
EMERGENCY PLANS
ARE kept SECRET
Secretary Wilson Believes Miners
May BE Shown in Making
Reply.
CONFERENCE OPENS TODAY
Lewis and Associates Resent President
Wilson's Statement That
Coal Strike Would
Be Illegai.

Washington, Oct. 28.-How to deal
with the soft coal strike IN event the
miners, ignoring President Wilson's
command to stay on the job, walk out
Friday night, was definitely agreed
upon today at two-hour meeting of
the cabinet.
The plan of action was not disclosed
bit it is known that the cabinet stood
as one man for protection of the rights
o. the public, which would suffer with
the closing of the mines, in which
ordinarily more than half a million
members of the United Mine Workers
of America are employed.
Secretary Lansing, who presided,
brought word from the meeting that
the situation was not hopeless. All
day the belief had grown that the in
ternational executive board, at it's
meeting tomorrow at indianapolis,
would postpone the strike, at least.
Hope was expressed in some quarters
that the strike would be called off by
the men who had called it, but officials
declined to say whether this was
based upon information purporting to
convey some idea as to the attitude of
the unions.
Delay Thought Probable.
Mr.. Lansing would not say if any
facts had been laid before the meet
ing to justify hope Of averting the
strike.
Secretary of Labor Wilson familiar
with the way Of miners through long
service as an officer of their national
organization, said it might be several
days before decision was reached by
the executive board at indianapolis.
1--WE still lhave the function of q
mediator to perform" he said, in an
nouncing that no new strike develop
mcnts had been brought TO his atten-
ton.
Most officials had thought that John
l.. Lewis president Of the United Mine,
Workers, who had summoned his full
scale committee to the meeting to-
morrow, would make immediate an
nouncement of the reply Of his men
to President Wilson's letter. Accord
ing to the view held by Mr. Wilson,
however, there may be no answer until
the very last moment. An eleventh
hour decision to postpone or cancel
the strike would not be surprising, it
was said. But there was some doubt
here as to whether word could be sent
TO the men in time to keep them at
work.
Moving Coal Quickly.
The railroad administration, it was
learned today, is putting forth every
effort to move the coal already mined
to districts where present stocks are
running dangerously low. Meantime
government agents were taking a
quick census and trying to find out
how long the stocks on hand might
last. In the absence of an authorita-
tive statement, stock reports were con
fiictlng, but it was said that union es-
Inmates of enough to supply demands
for thirty days was not far wrong.
1.-THE government is ready for the
worst, but it is hoping the worst will
not happen, firm in the belief that the
miners will respond patriotically to
the Presidents appeal and keep the
mines running while negotiating a
new wage agreement" was the sum-
ming up tonight Of a government Of
fetal in touch with the situation.
Everything depends on what is done
at Indianapolis"