Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-30
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
. |NVOKES LEVER ACT
F.. AGAINST WALK0UT
Says Coal Strike Violates
War Measure in Tit#e
ing Productitu.
GENERAL RIGHT TO QUIT
WORK Is NOT AN ISSUE
Department of Justice Head Says
Circumstances Different in
Present Case.
WILL PROTECT ALL WHO WORK
government Will Exert Full Power
to Assure Safety of Miners Who
Continue ut Tasks.
WILL PROTECT ALL WHO WORK
fBv Associated Press

iBV Associated Press1
" ARLINGTON, Oct. 29-The govern
ment moved swiftly tonight to meet
Saturday. ~
Refusal of the miners organization
at Indianapolis to withdraw the ordar
calling out 100000 men brought In
slant announcement that drastic action
would be taken TO keep the mines In
AS to those miners who go on strike,
nna anod thereby mel, eurtail production, the
1000 ana fuel control law with IT'S
ceecentiy added criminal penalties OF
hne and Imprisonment, will be enforced
ttude of eGasd the to This at
General Palmer made clear. does NOT
aIect a the right of workers to strike
where no violation Of the law is in
volved.
VIII Use Every Necessary Power.
Every resource of the government,
mer, will be used to prevent the ma
tional disaster certain to follow the
stoppaEe of work. %'sf
troops as last rcsort, If necessary.
will be given those men desiring to
remain remain at work Reports from gov.
of the miners ordered to quit work
want to stay, on the job:
through Seyival Of prisc .'e control p'p1ua reeu.
lations, suspended when the fuel ad-
ministrat ton went out of existence Feb
| IudiS i. HIS HleaNS Qn carly uTOp
in the price of soft coal and gives
assurance against protiteering. 3
| Does Not Mince Words.
Mr.. Palmer's announcement of the
governments plans. made after consul
General Hines, Assistant Attorney
General Ames, in charge of the prose.
law; Assistant Attorney General Gar
van. directing criminal prosecutions
and Investigations Of the Department
| sentinE the President. and DR.. II. A.
Garfield former fuel administrator. did
not mince words In dealing with the
..The proposed strike" the announce
ment declared. would be more deadly
attack on the nation than an inVading
army The facts present situation
which challenges the supremacy OF the
law" . ,,.s
government. declared that the impend-
ing coal strike was ordered in a
meeensary maensa eff Effect. 9hieh taken together
nut it outside the pale of the law
Will Act Under Lever Law. M
The government will act In the
strike under the provisions o, nnns,eG OF al .he
war Wal . measure. but still in force.
The position Of the E0vernment Ef,,s inner an
nounced tonight by the Attorney
General as follows:
There can be no doubt that the
with the projected strike of the
| fringing upon the recognized right OF
men in any line of industry to work
when they please and quit when they
"rhe nlegality of this strike can and
Will be established without in any
way impairing the general right to
strike and the general right TO strike
| is not in issue in any sense whatever
in the present situation. This is true
because the circumstances differentiate
strike that has ever taken place In
the country.
| Not Every Strike Lawful.
TT does not follow that every strike
to strike is recognized to exist. Every
case must stand upon its own bottom
Therefore, when the President said in
his statement last Saturday, that such
strike, in s. such ei eircums5anoes' is not
ence was had only to the conditions
in the impending situation.
The proposed strike was ordered in
manner. for purpose and with
necessary effect. which taken together
put 1t outside the pale OF the law.
fuel fhs was Sega se ion
subjects or sucn peculiar public i'm
portance as to justify a special statu-
tory enactment. The fuel administra-
ton was created to supervise the SUBJ
ject and matters of wages as we'll as
prices were considered and sanctioned
by the fuel administration. After the
cessation of hostilit!es. tho fuel ad-,
ministration suspended certain OF its
orders. but did not terminate them
ana they are subject to reinstatement
az any time upon the Presidents
order and tho statute under which the
orders were made is still in full force.
Decide In Advance to Strike.
With this situation existing, the
convention OF United Mine Workers at.
CLEVELAND. last September. decided to
annul all wage contracts on November
]. and took the unprecedented step Of
deciding in advance OF an opportunity
FOR consultation, either with the COWS
ernment or the coal operators to strike
on November /. unless satisfactory s
new arrangements should be made -@
without any expression from ths
workers themselves, The organization
promulgated demand for nm increa so @
or 90 per cent in wages. q six hour
day. and tive-day week, and author-
lZed strike to be effective Noyembef5
l. BEFORE the demands were even pre-SN
sented to the operators. Tho demand "
Tor new wage aEreemAnt covered
only part OF the coal fields, hut thct
ar r. "a Il y