The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-10-30

The contemplated strike of the coal
miners on November first and the fact
that the miners have definitely decid-
ed to go ahead with that strike has
brought forth a statement from Pres
ident Wilson that is forceful in Ian
guage and is good American talk:
The president says that the people will
be protected from the most vicious
strike yet contemplated in this coun-
try. From the way Mr.. Wilson talks
he is going to see that every agency
that the government has to prevent
this unjust strike will be put into
play to stop it. There is no excuse
or license for this strike because the
demands of these miners are unrea-
sonable, unjust and coming at this
time when the country is in sore need
of fuel is cruel to say the least. The
demand for five day week schedule
and six hours day as a working day
are unjust. AS to the wages paid we
are not in a position to argue that
point but the strike should be sup
pressed on the two former demands
and in humanity's sake. The north
west today is in the grip of zero
weather three weeks ahead of the reg
ular schedule and with shortage of
fuel and a shortage of cars to haul
fuel means much suffering to people
all over the land. The president has
come out in the vigorous language
that we have expected of him and we
have good reason to think that he will
use ali the agencies at his command
to see that the strike is stopped. The
miners will be asked to recede from
their position and call the strike off.
If they do not do this then govern
ment troops perhaps will put stop to
such strikes as this one contemplated
and take action to prevent similar ones
in the future the better it will be for
the whole country at large. The right
of the men to secure wages common
surate with their labor is not denied
but at the same time they have no
right to place innocent people in
jeopardy by striking. There should
be some common grounds where the
laboring man can get his just dues
from capital so that strikes should not
be necessary. In the steel strike we
rather think that Mr.. Gary has shown
a poor spirit as we'll as very arbi-
trary one when he absolutely refuses
to talk over the situation with the
men, A real heart to heart talk with
the men might result in much good and
if the two parties cannot come to
terms then the proper way is to SUBJ
NIT it to arbitration, but Mr.. Gary is
not willing to do either and it is the
attitude of this man and others in the
capitalistic class that is responsible
for much Of the unrest and many of
the strikes that now confront the
country. Profteering and the AFRO
gsnce of capital are to blame for most
of the ills of the present time. Here
it is a year after the war and yet in
stead of living cost coming down it is
constantly increasing and you can say
what you want or offer whatever ex-
cuse you can for this condition we
maintain that if the big manufacture
ers and profteers would do the right
thing, the hoarders cut out their hoard
ing, then the price Of things that you
have to eat and wear would come
down. We are already informed that
clothing, shoes and other wearables
are to go still higher next year. There
is no sane reason for this we think.
Things must break in downward
tendency very soon or something is
going to happen in this country. The
average laboring man with the wage
he is getting cannot keep up with the
shooting up of things he has to buy to
eat and wear.