Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1919-10-31
FRIDAY. OCT, 81. 1911"
THE coal MINERS

lOnlSHt ! IudN d' Iliiiii-h'
is the time set for 4OO,OOO cua'
miners to go OH strike. II the
strike is really called the min
ers will be placed in tn" pecul-
lar position of fighting agains
the United States Government,
for the operators present
agreement with the miners ex
pires when peace is declared
ard Secretary Wilson has told
President Lewis of the miners
that the Government is a part
to the present agreement ana
assumes Il position of handling
the strike since the order OF
suspension November first has
gone forth Secretary WILSON
will act until the GOVernncn,
arranges for commission.
which i'm all probability will CAL
DIR. Garfield. who was tn" chief
agent for the Government ana
who drafted the present agree
ment binding cmplovcr and en-
DlOyep for the period OF the war
an agreement which is in fore :
until peace is formally d"clar-
ed. and which renders the coat
operators themselves absolut~
ely devoid of power 10 act o.
the demands of the men.
The operators contend that
the demands of the men are
not just. \ 80 hour week is
demanded. which. they say,
with pay for time going and
coming TO work would reduce
il to a 25 hour week, for which
$40 is asked. The operators
also say miners have receiv-
ed several increases and are
better paid than in most indus
tries
The public is confronted with
the statement by the miners
that. granting the correctness
of what the operators say. the
sought. will be but $l60 an
hour. and that this amount is
not unreasonable. owing to haZ.
ard of occupation and high cost
of living. And IA large part oi
the public will agree with th'
miners: but will likely be in
iluenced considerably by th'
raise i'm price of coal the strike
will bring. as we'll at the diff
Guilty in obtaining fuel
Undoubtedly. the coal miners
have the strongest labor organ
iZatiOn i'm the country Th.
strike will be a reSretlahlr on
if for no other reason. that thu
men and the operators have
worked SO long together har
mOniOuslI. and even happily
Since 1897 more progress ha
been made for the safety IN,
welfare OF the miners Than 10
any other working class. am
their employers thought the'
deserved it all
A rather odd feature of th
situation is that perhaps ON
man can do more than all 9th
crs to make or break the strike
That man is Chairman NJ II
Taylor. of the Board OF Direct
OrS of the PIT Sbur4h Coal Com
pany. who has always been tn
miners friend and been yer
liberal i'm his dealings wit
them The miners themSrlve
have always regarded Mr. Ia!
lor as just and their fricnt
His life has been spent in IN
coal industry he is Il practic;
coal man he knows the 60;
miner and he has always seen
cd to know what demands {
theirs were reasonable What
more. the public has come
look upon Mr. Taylor as tn
man ALWAYS i'm control of bot
sides. and the remarkab
= rength of the coal miners Ol
ganiZation is chiefly due To I'll
encouragement and liberalty {
Chairman Taylor.
An appeal by Mr. Taylor I
the public will 90 a long way
in arousing public sentimeI
against the miners in their al
peal for a raise on November
when their contract has bee
expiring on April ! for twenI
years.
At the eleventh hour il
moro thau nrohable that II