The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-05
FIGHT TO FINISH


fContinued from Page One.l
L Lewis, acting president of the q.
M w. A, said that he had no COM
ment to make.
MY statement last night covers the
situation" Nh Lewis said.
Ask Protection in Kentucky.
Washington, Nov. 5.-Request for
federal troops to guard the coal mines
was made today. by Kentucky opera
tors who conferred with Fuel Admin
istrator Garfield. Threats made against
the continuance. of operations necessi-
tated protection to insure continued
production of coal, it was stated.
Speed Non-Union Production.
Pittsburgh, Pa, Nov. -5.-With the
first real winter weather of the season
today came announcement of inde-
pendent operators that production rec
ords were being shattered in the Fay
te-Westmoreland county, district,
the claim that forces of union strikersI
were being increased deaily by men
from unorganized fields.
Two hundred United States troops
remained stationed in South Browns
vile as a precaution against interfer-
ence with non union workers. Order
was reported in all districts.
- Railroad Men Laid Off.
The coal strike is already beginning
to affect other classes of workers, ac-
cording tow. c. Lee. head of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen.
Lee said today:
Many hundreds of railroad work
ers have been laid off or are on part
time as result of the strike. One
railroad has cut down it's schedules to
the barest minimum of dead weight
freight and is carrying only perish
ables and necessities"
Must Dissolve Injunction,
Springfield, ILL.,, Nov. 5.-Reiterating
that the operators are to blame for
the present strike of bituminouS coal
miners, Frank harrington, president of
the Illinois miners organization, de-
clared the federal injunction must be
dissolved~before wage negotiations can
proceed.
Harrington made the statement
when told of the announcement of
Samuel Gempers. president of the
American Federation of Labor. rela-
tive to the impossibility of settling the
strike until the injunction is with
drawn.
I'VE have always been willing to
meet the operators in joint conference
without any reservations to negotiate
the situation Harrington declared
THE Issuance of the injunction led the
operators to believe they could depend
upon the government to make the
fight for them and thus merely com
plicated the situation"
All of the Illinois fields were re-
ported quiet today with no mines oper-
ating and no men offering to return
to work.
Two-Thirds Production.
Washington. Nov, 5. The coal
strike has reduced by two-thirds the
nations fuel, according to report re-
ceived here today.
Vice President Morrow of the Ma
tional Coal association. estimated that
bituminous production now totals ap-
proximately 100000 tons a week in
spite of the walkout of 425,0Oo miners.
This. he said, is about one-third of
the nations normal production.
In for a Long Struggle.
Chicago, Nov. 5.-Gonfronted by
statements of both miners and oper-
ators that the country was in for
long struggle in the bituminous coal
field where production virtually has
been at a standstilI since the nation
wide strike of miners went into effect
at midnight Friday night, government
circles today still apparently were per-
vaded by an undercurrent of optimism
regarding an early settlement of the
big walkout. Indications were that
the mine workers leaders and the
coal mine operators were sparring for
an opening that might lead to-an
amicable settlement of the dispute
Statements or Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor that dissolYing of the federal
| injunction which has sealed the lips
and stopped the activities of the mine
leaders in forwarding the strike might