The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-11-06
Momentous Hour in the Strug-
gle Comes Saturday at In
dianapoIis Before Federal
Judge Anderson Renew
ed Assurances of Protection
to Working Miners


WASHINGTON Nov. 5.--brCaniZ' 4
lahnr's uropoSal r"r cuAlng tn coal
strike through withdrawal Of njunr-
tinn proc-cdin@S against officers Of III"
United Mine WurkcrS Of .tu'rlc1. vas
bluntIy rejected today by the depart
m"nt IF Justice.
The governments answer 10 the union
suggestion advanced by Samuel comp
crs, president of the American F"d"rR-
tion of Labor was given by Assistant
Attorney General Am"s, who declared
the strike in itself wa a violation OF
law and that as long as ii continued
the only place to tight il out was m
court.
Labor lad"rs visihly disturbed by this
refusal agreed with the operators on
one important p0int--that tn" STAT
ment of the governments position swept
away all hope Of immcdiat" settlement
Of the strike Involving NOR" than 400
OQO soft coal miners in twcnty-clSht
states.
May Order Strike Off.
The restraining order issued by Fed
eral Judge Anderson a. indianapolis
last week was made rcturnablc SATURDAY.
Counsel for the miners Will go INT
court that day and ask for dismissal
Of all proceedings. one OF tw" thInSi
will happen: The court, according I"
officials here either Will grant Ih' plea
Of the miners or continue the temporary
injunction until later dat" 10 r'I nnhI
hearing and put INTO eject a mandatory
order to John L. Lewis. acting prrsid'"-
of the miners organization, I" call "i-
the strike.
Crisis Of the Strike.
T.
expected to be the next important mo-"
bearing on the question OF settling tn
strike.
Representatives Of the miners anl
other labor leaders emphasized today
that withdrawal Of court proceedings
would bring peace TO the coal fields
within forty-ciGht hours. Lewis state
ment that the miners would be willing
/ TO negotiate new wage agreement
, without reservations. meant tho
. said, that the slate would be wiped clean
and demands for = five day week and a
six hour day. together with sixty per
cent wage increase withdrawn. But laboI
/ leaders declared there was no hope OF
miners returning TO work III body uniiI
the new wage agreement had been rat4'
fled.
President Wilson. sick in bed. yc'
mindful of the serious conditions con
! fronting the country with protracteC
strike, issued orders giving Fuel Nd
ministrator Garfield authority 10 rcBu
, late price. distribution and shipment o1
! all fuel, including anthracite. This ac
! ton restored all powers vested in DR.
! Garfield during the war. The fuel ad
I ministrator was in conference contInu
! ally today. checking up on the coal sup
ply and arranging with Director Genera
Hines. of the railroad administration
for its distribution where most needed.
situation Unchanged.
As was the case yesterday. there were
| few reports to the department of justice
from its agents in the field, and genera
| ally the strike situation was described
as unchanged. Reports to the Washing
| ton headquarters of the operators from
agents in West Virginia. said that thir
/ ty-one union mines had resumed opera
! tions in various fields Of the state. mos
Of these having opened today.
With colder weather over most Of tn
| country, and the big decrease in produc
ton, a few disquieting reports CAM
from different sections where available
I coal stock was limited. The fuel admin
istrator OF Iowa sounded an alarm in ;
! telegram to Director General Hines II
which he contcnded that tho people o
his state should have coal for thor
homes ahead Of that assigned to locomo
tiyes hauling Luxurious trains" across
the continent.
Made Their Own Rules.
Tn some cities local authorities mad
their own rules for distribution OF coal
and In a number Of instances the rail-
road administration released big ship
! nents for local use. The questions "
curtailment Of train service and placini
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