The sun., 1919-10-30
MINERS WILL QUIT
TOMORROW NIGHT


meeting to be productive OF immediate
results.
There is nothing that we can do
said Mr.. Batty tonight. IT imagine
they are called together simply to meet
any emergency that may arise"
Nowhere here is there an talk of Gov
ernment taking over the mines Both
operators and miners seem to think
that such step is futile. II Washing
ton has plans. as has been Indicated in
me press dispatches. nobody here can
imagine what plans would solve the
situation.
Union officials make the assertion that
they VIII shut of 75 per cent. of the
bituminous coal production. In this
Will be included the most important OF
all the fields. The other 25 per cent.
they say is In local fields in the West
and Far West, which produce almost
exclusively for local domestic trade.
The supply of the railroads, of the
manufacturing centres and of the public
utilities of the East practically will be
strangled. In the most important OF
all. the Pennsylvania field, the union
men admit that they are only so per
cent. organized, but insist that the un-
organized miners will quit with them,
Estimates here differ as to the amount
OF coal now actually above ground.
Railroads Holding Coal.
Operators believe that when the strike
has gone a single week the shortage
Of coal will be acutely felt. For the last
two weeks, II was learned to-day, the
railroads have been refusing to move
coal mined in this district They have
let II accumulate In the cars When
their present short supplies of their own
stations are exhausted they will exercise
their right to commander this recently
mined coal while technically in their
possession in transit
The situation has been aggravated
greatly by the fact that despite the les
sons OF last year and the year before
the summer purchase Of coal for winter
stocks actually has been below normal.
Howard Elliott was quoted as saying
that public utilities. had accumulated a
ninety day supply of coal. The state
| ment was discredited generally both
among the union men and the operators
In two weeks It is predicted that the
railroads will have to reduce service to
mere shadow. Beyond that time no
me here. on either side. processes to see
| anything but disaster.
Despite the fact that both sides ad
| init the gravity of the sitpation ther,
IS suspicious unanimity of hopefulness
| among both This has given rise onc'
| moro to the talk among business mel
that tho strike Is a frameup--that opei
| utors and miners have staged the pattl,
10 scare the public into paying hig!
prices. whereupon they expect to bring
bout a settlement. Oficially this is
| vigorously denied In both quarters. The
nIners continue to insist that they are
| suffering from very real grievances: the
perators In a statement made tonight
| by p. II. Penna, their spokesman in
Cerre Haute, insist that the strike Is a
crime" to be laid solely to the impos-
sible demands Of the miners union.
stiIl Ready to Negotiate.
The union officials counter this with
| the assertion that they are ready now
and always have been to submit all OF
their demands to negotiation and tina,
they are ready to give and take. which
they say the operators are not and never
have been.
THE mine workers representatives
says their statement tonight. ''are
ready, they are willing and anxious &c
meet the coal operators for the purpose
Of negotiating an agreement and bring
| ing about q settlement of the presen,
unhappy situation. They will respond al
any time to a call for such a meeting
and will honestly endeavor to work out
| q wage agreement upon fair ant
equitable basis. Such agreement alon'
| will put the mines in operation ant
guarantee the nation an adequate sup
ply Of fuel"
The miners thus admit that theil
| strike strikes at the nation, though II
| the next sentence they endeavor to shif
the responsibility for 1t to the operators
incidentally they repudiate in the state
ment any inference that they are aiming
at Government control of the mines.
Nothing to It," said Ellis Searles
editor of the miners union organ ant
frequently their spokesman. You can
say we seek Government ownership o
anything else except what's In the state
ment.
I'VE asserted" he quoted. that tn
mine workers have no other purpose 4
yiew-other than to secure a workin
wage agreement. All of their demand
are Incorporated in the wage propose
submitted to the coal operators. and eac
and all are subject to negotiation"
Advance Assurance Demanded.
Nothing better indicated { irm al
titude Of the miners than IL .bject G
the afternoon meeting. 1t " - devote
almost exclusively to an amendmer
which took out of the passage quote
above the word action referring TO
meeting with the operators which Nigh
end the strike. and the substitutio
therefor Of the word agreement"
other words II will take more than
mere beginning of negotiations to en-
, the strike. The miners are going to de
mand definite assurance that they wi
get some OF the things for which the
are going on strike before they ca
the strike of.
Possibility of a short strike was see
In the concluding phrase of Mr.. Penna'
statement in Terrs Haute tonight.
I'VE are holding ourselves In read
ness" he said, ito resume negotiation
with the miners or to submit all of ou
matters to arbitration. conditioned onl
| on the request that the strIke ordar n