Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-05
SAMUEL GOMPERS
SAYS INJUNCTION
WASGRAVE WRONG
Believes Annulment of Pro.
T ceedings Would Bring
Peace Quickly. :
DECLARES NEGOTIATIONS
COULD THEN BE RESUMED
Union Leaders Estimate Mines
Will Be Idle Four - =
Weeks.
GARFIELD READY TO ACT.
Attorney-Gcneral Palmer Believes
Men Will Return il Court Sus.
tains Proceedings. 9
-
DECLARES NEGOTIATIONS
COULD THEN BE RESUMED
GARFIELD READY TO ACT.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.-withdrawsi
o. the injunction obtained by the gov.
ernment VIII open the way for settle
ment of the coal strike, Sanua1
Gompers, president Of the American
Federation of Labor, declared in ;st
statement tonight. ~
Charging that the Injunction was a
grave wrong and gross blunder, MI.
Gompers said that if It were vacated
and miners and operators invited to
further conference by the Department
OF Labor he had "an abiding faitH.
ths,is that mutually honorable adjustment
whereby the coal strike can BE
brought to an end" ~
MT. GomperS statement was issued
after his return here from New York.
and In response to numerous requests
for an expression as to chances of
bringing the strike to speedy end.g.E
The statement follows: v7'js.
Representatives OF newspapers !hayS
asked as me Tor statement regarding
the coal strike and the situation. ~
ExPInIns Demands Of Miners.
:. 'In the first instance 1t should ..bs
known that the demands OF the min
efs which upon the surface seem 20 Z
5radicai ras ca "a and tar-reaehing. are by; no
ers have not had more than q half
years s1p wors1sheir orl 7sh wee9ekinE days aver
,intermittent. by. days and bytwe sks-I
The miners simply ask for a regGias
coal production { and md employmena @ W ena maS laS
be regular rather than intermittent.
II the miners were permitted by the
ply OF coal thus mined would soon
force down the price of coal onk tue
tsaIltes, ntarket, - and this the operators are deg
case might better be stated by 'thefr
demanding at least five days OF + sfxe
mnrs nours WORK per week, which Is really
al the present time. An understan5inasl
or the conditions clearly shows W.
are are responsible for the present situas
Raise Brings Higher Prices.
When in 1914 the miners receivsa
an increase of 20 cents per ton 'tSs
operators raised the selling price ts
Per Per toni ton, Surely the conditions and
have deterlorated by reason Of thers
oeihg no practical advance In their
wages VA and their earning pows-, while
and higher. -
~, The The mandate of the officers Of the
s, United Mine Mine Workers of America was
men, who at the recent convention dss
cided that unless a substantiais I'M
proyement in wages and regulation
strike order should he issued, to taEa
effect November L. President Lewis
and and his associates. therefore. had no
operators left the conference. ieayir}T
the representatives OF the miner1
alone. -1s'ItS.d
Injunction Could Not Operate.
The Injunction secured by the Att
strike, for 1t was issued after the strike
notice had already gone forth. The
Injunction my was not only grave wrong
takes away the. constructive influences
of the officers of the organization, and
indeed bars them from attempting TO
tive leadership prevailing. it placed
the whole movement in the hands OF
the local men. who may vie with EACH
other and be at variance with each
other. If the Injunction were vacated
and the Department Of Labor invite
the operators and the representatives
further, conference. haYe an abiding
faith that a mutually honorable adj
iustment can be negotiated and effects
ed whereby the coal strike can he
brought TO an end"
Despite the spirit of hopefulness I'd
official quarters that the end of tho
for miners and operators declared tor:
,racted Industrial struggle IN ths
Labor leaders, bit more specific
fnan am operators c,, estimated ,n that all
that time in half, but officials. al
though without word OF direct efforts
to bring the two sides together, sttIE
held firmly to the view that the striksS
would not run that long. IA
Nhere was no confidential reports tn
the Department of Justice from ITS
agents in the fields. and reports to
Washington headquarters OF the
operators merely announced that ovefei3
night conditions were unchanged.
Returned here from a trip TO the
West, Administrator Garfield took
active control OF the situation, and
made ready to fix a maximum price.
on anthracite at the first eviience Of Z
attempts TO advance the selling pricgs
Garfield Mt Conference. a
DR.. Garfield took part in 4 numh her
OF conferences during the day, but IL.
was stated officially that he had not
disGussed settlement of the strtkr
with the operators. J.. d. A. .M0rroWS
vice president and executive secretary
OF the National Coal kAssociatfon,S q i'd \
q former member OF the fuel admiDtx-s
tration stan, was among those VINO
saw DR.. Garfield. The meeting caue6xss
Widespread reports that DR.. GaPheid5
had been delegated to act as naa1iatot.
several other members OF the fuel kd,l
minlstratton staff. beaidea Mr.. MoYeSs
row. saw DR.. GARFIELD. rs
Attornoy-Generai Palmer. in fefss IS
1er today to shipouildefs' councH