Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-01
NEXT MOVE IN STRIKE is UP TO
MINERS, ATTITUDE OF u. s.

Continued from PAGE One
of the United Mine Workers from di-
recting the coal strike, acted here with
tho force of an explosion. Labor lead o
ers besiegcd the Office Of a. Mitchell
Palmer, the attorney general. and
throughout the day Mr.. Palmer received
various groups who urged everything
from scttlemcn. of the strike to with =
drawal of tho injunction.
Palmer Remains Firm
At the close of his last conference
in the afternoon, at which he heard the
vehement protests IF Samuel Gompers,
president: Matthew Woii, vice prcsi-
dent, and Frank Morrison. secretary
of the American Federation of Labor,
the attorney general remained firm in
his position that the injunction must
remain in force.
This step does not mean govern
ment by injunction. said Mr.. Pal
mer. II am opposed to government by
injunction. and the present admins
tration is opposed to it, In this mat
ter the government is protecting itself
against paralysis
at is not an employers injunction.
but nm action to save the people OF
the United States from actual calamity.
IT must be that the government is able
to protect itself, but if this govern
ment. which is strong government,
cannot protect itself VIC must find it
out"
Railroad Leaders There
Even of greater significance than the
protests of Samuel Gompcrs was the
visit to the attorney generals office OF
leaders of three of the four great railroad
rotherhoods. not affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor and hav =
ing no official bonds with the miners
unions. Warren S. Stone. of the en-
gineers: Lee Sheppard, of the conduct
ors. and Il. ]. Mcnamara. of the fire
men. led the delegation which included
officials of other railroad unions which
are n part of the A. f. Of l.. w. G,
Lee, of the trainmen. it is understood,
declined to accompany the party on the
grounds that the mine unions had not
asked the railroad brotherhoods to take
hand in the situation.
According to Mr.. Palmer the brother
hood representatives rendered the aid
of their organizations to bring about q
settlement of the coal strike. No formal
protest of the Indianapolis injunction
was submitted such as was laid before
the attorney general by Mr.. Gompcrs,
but it was learned that the injunction
! anu llS IOSslplf fHf'NS WI lHt CAUSE VI
union labor were discussed.
| That is the PLAN intimation OF the
statement issued and signed by Samuel
| Gompers. Matthew VOL and Frank
/ Morrison.
The Leaders Statement
The statement follows
Throughout the period of the wal
/ and during the nations time of stress
/ the miners of America labored patiently
| ratrioticaly and arduously in order
that the principles of freedom and de
mocracy might triumph over the forces
of arbitrary authority, dictatorship and
dcspotism.
when armed hostilities ceased last
/ November the miners found Themselves
in the paradoXical position when theiI
intensive labors were being used to fur
ther enrich the owners of coal mines
and merchants dealing in coal by The
immediate reduction of the mining OF
coal. OF course. the mine owners
readily conceived that an overabundance
OF mined coal would seriously disturb
the high prices of coal and endanger
their large margin of profits.
''On the other hand, the miners
found that with the constantly rising
cost of necessities of life and with
their income reduced more than 80 pei
cent because of idlencsS they had
reached the limit of human endurance
Orderly and approved processes were
invoked to negotiate a new understand
| ing with the mine owners ana which
would enable the miners TO work al
least five days during each week
/ throughout the entire year and allow
] them a wage sufficient TO enable them tt