The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-16
Both Sides in Dispute to Meet
With Secretary of Labor
Who Hopes for Agree
1nent.
MINERS HAVE ORDERS
Cabinet Member is Acting as Mediator
Without Invitation, But with
|. Legal Right to Do
So

iGUnited Press Leased Wire Service ]
/ WASHINGTON, Oct. 16.-Deter-
mined to prevent the threatened coal
/ strike by bringing about an agree
ment between the miners and opera
tors, Secretary of Labor Wilson to-
/ day prepared plan of settlement
for submission to the representatives
| of both sides in the dispute when
/. they meet him tomorrow.
( John l.. Lewis, acting president OF
THE United Mine Workers of Amer
sica, is on his way to Washington
| and is expected here late this after
noon. Lewis has just called a strike
tof approximately 100000 coal miners
for Noyem Der l. The labor secre-
ltary. Lewis and Thomas T. Brew
ister, president of the Coal Operators
association will confer Friday in an
effort to reach a basis of settlement.
Secretary Wilson has been inform
ed that Lewis believes only a def
mite agreement between the employ
ers and workers can prevent the
strike going into effect as sched-
| uled Should an agreement be reach
T. ed at Washington through Secretary
Wilson's mediation and signed by
representatives of botn sides the
strike will besheld off until miners
convention can be called to ratify or
reject the settlement, according to
| the understanding here today.
| Secretary Wilson Us acting as
mediator in the threatened strike
without invitation Of either side.
He has a legal right to do this,
however, if he believes the interests
of industrial peace make it neces-
isary.
NO plans have been made by the
labor department for the use of troops
to aid in operating the coal mines ii
the miners carry out their threat to
strike November l." said Hugh L..
Kerwin, director of conciliation to-
day
"Were going ahead with plans 10
discuss the strike tomorrow with
John L. Lewis, acting president of the
United Mine Workers of America.
Until this conference occurs the
labor department will make no plans
to meet the strike Our first Job is to
trv TO avert the strike through med
iation'
Iowa Coal Miners.
DIES MONIES, Iowa, Oct. l6.-Rep-
resentatives OF $4,000 Iowa coal MIN
ers meeting in Des Moines Saturday,
will receive instructions for strife
in connection with the national walk
out ordered November /, j. G. Lewis,
president of the Iowa United Mine
! Workers, announced today.
Lewis declared central western min
ers were financially prepared for
long, hard struggle and said the strike
was unavoidable.
Decentralization of industry and
cities in darkness will result from a
twenty day mine tie-up in Iowa, mine
officials declared. Railroads, they
said, will be unable to stand the siege
| longer than nine or ten days, while
most electric light plants, factories
and hotels in the state buy fuel from
week to week, dealers said. Officials
estimated most state institutions to-
day had thirty day supply on hand.
x,
Fuel Famine Expected.
| MILWAUKEE, Wis, Oct. 16.-Coal
CONSUMERS here had not awakened TO
i the peril Of the impending soft coal
strike, it was apparent today, but
dealers said the strike would cause
| a fuel famine here.
Coal supplies are inadequate for
this winter Most of the coal is ship
med here on the lakes from Cleveland,
Toledo and Erie, but the shipping sea
! son closes Deyember five. Rail ship
iments would fill only fraction of the
demand
Dealers Boost Prices.
/ OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla, Oct. 16.-
Faced with prospects of miners
strike, November l, Oklahoma deal
iers today began boosting prices. Sub
stantial increases over night were re