Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-05
COUNTRY FACING
LONG BATTLE IN
COAL CENTERS IS
D|GGERS' CLAIM
Labor Leaders Specifically Es-
innate That All Union Mines
viii Remain Closed For AT
Least Four Weeks,
FUEL ADMINISTRATOR
GARFIELD ON GROUND
Returns From a Trip to the
West and viii Fix Mini
mum Price on Anthracite to
Halt Selling Price Advance,

tnY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIREl
Washington, Nov 4-Despite the
spirit of hopefulness official quarters
quarters that the end of the coal strike
was near, spokesmen here for miners
and operators declared tonight the
country was in for a protracted in
dustrial struggle in the bituminous
fields
Labor leaders, bit more specific
than operators, estimated that all
union mines would remain closed at
least four weeks. Other estimates cut
that time in half, but officials, all
though without word of direct efforts
to bring the two sides together, still
held firmly to the view that the strike
would not run that long.
There were no confidential reports
to the department Of justice from its
agents in the fields, and reports to
Washington headquarters of the op-
orators merely announced that over
night conditions were unchanged.
Returning here from a trip to the
west Fuel Administrator Garfield took
active control OF the situation and
made ready to fix a maximum on an
thracite at the first evidence of at
tempts to advance the selling price.
Settlement Not Discussed.
DR. Garfield took part in a number
of conferences during the day, but II
was stated officially that he had not
discussed settlement of the strike with
operators j. d, "A, Morrow vice
president and executive secretary Of
the National Coal association and a
former member of the fuel admins
tration staff was among those who
saw DR.. Garfield, The meeting caused
widespread reports that DR.. Garfield
had been delegated to act as media
tor. Several other members of the fuel
administration staff besides Mr.. Nor
row saw DR.. Garfield.
Attorney General Palmer in a let
ter today to shipbuilders' council
which protested against Injunction
proceedings, sounded new note of
hope by declaring his belief that If
the federal court at indianapolis Sat
urday held the strike Illegal, the min
ers, "as law abiding citizens will dis
continue it" This letter was made
public after the attorney generals of
flee had denied u report that the in
junction suit would be withdrawn.
In his reply to the Delaware Ship
buithtIs NOhilSAi ct iliitbN'ibiAAtii w "
Palmer said the fuel control law was
still in force. Touching on his method
of dealing with the strike, he said:
There were only two ways open to
me to enforce the law, one by Grim
ina1 and the other by civil process.
might have instituted criminal pro-
secutions against hundreds of Ameri-
can citizens but | preferred to be-
lieve that in ordering this strike they
were not conscious of the fact that
they were violating the criminal laws
of our country and that it would be
better to have the question adjudicat-
ed by the courts in civil proceeding
/ assume that the miners are law
abiding citizens and that they do not
intend nor desire to disohey the laws
of the United States. You will, of
course, agree with me that the laws
Of the land must be obeyed and that
there is no organization, great or
small, in the United States which IS
superior to the law of the land.
"The issue will be submitted to the
court at Indianapolis next Saturday
and If the court adjudges that the
strike is illegal, | apprehend that the
as law abiding citizens will
it."
No Offers From Either side.
Officers of the concilation depart
ment of the department 'of labor said
no offers had been received from eth
er side to attempt settlement of the
strike through mediation.
Government officials have found the
task of dealing with all sorts of ru-
mors a little more difficult than they
had thought, because of the large
number cropping up from all sides,
Some of the reports today concerned
freight embargoes. which have not
been imposed. The railway admins
tration denied that 40 per cent OF the
railway employees were idle because
of the strike. This report, officials
said, grew out of the fact that 40 per
cent of the country's freight traffic is
coal, and that traffic has fallen off
considerably.
No attempt has been made to con-
ceal the fact, however, that train serv-
ice may be reduced unless the strike
is brought to speedy close. Just now
the big job is to keep coal moving and
to prevent congestion. The question
of curtailment of service will be de-
cided by regional directors.
Vice President Morrow of the Ma
tional Coal association, whose mem
bership produces about two-thirds of
the country's soft coal output took ex-
ception today to protest against in
reference with coal prices sent to the
attorney general by w, A. Marshall,
president CT the wholesale trade asso-
ciatiin, of New York In letter to
Mr.. Palmer. Mr.. Morrow said:
son behalf of the national coal as
ISOLATION l wish to advise you that Mr.
Marshall is not authorized to speak
for the bituminous coal producers of
he United States. To the best of my
knowledge the bituminous coal op-
orators are not in sympathy with the
expressed in Mr.. Marshalls
etter, but are entirely willing and
-eady to conform fully to any program
IF the government which Is deemed
necessary to protect the public in the
present situation.