New-York tribune., 1919-11-20
Open Shop and Law
Limiting Strikes Are
Urged at Congress
Edwin Ludlow Says Whole
Nation Should Applaud
Judge Gary; Radical I'm.
ion Policies Assailed

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 19.-Adoption of
the open shop principle and legislation
making labor unions responsible for
contracts undertaken were urged upon
the American mining congress here to-
day by Edwin Ludlow, consulting min
ing engineer Of New York City
Judge Gary has received the COM
mendation of the whole country for
Shis fearless stand for the open shop"
Mr.. Ludlow said, "and when the miners
again ask the operators to meet them
at the conference table l sincerely
hope that two things will be demanded
before negotiations are opened: First.
that no agreement shall be entered in
to that does not guarantee the open
shop, and, second, that before any
agreement for whole industry it
must prove its responsibility by law
for the carrying out of it's contracts"
Price Regulations Defended
Touching on the conditions of
radicalism, the speaker declared
present emergency warrants a price
should be considered that the coal
cannot be produced as cheaply under
conditions of a nationwide strike as
when operations are normal.
Expenses have to be met in such
emergencies that would not ordinarily
arise" he asserted, land it would be
only fair to those operators, who b.
maintaining the great American prin-
ciple of the open shop are able to keep
the railroads and industries alive, that
they should receive fair remuneration,
as without them we would be at the
mercy of the Bolshevik, who are try
ing to turn this government into a
Russian Soviet t. ranny.
I'VE are facing serious times that
must be met b. united people or we
will find this country in the grip of
that German invention, the Soviet rule,
that delivered Russia into their hands
and by which they are now trying to
sap the industrial life of the Allies
who defeated them on the battlefield" :"
Union Policy Condemned
Mr.. Ludlow advocated that the min
ing congress prove its Americanism
by stamping in the strongest terms it's
disapproval of the present rule or ruin
policy of the labor unions"
A resolution presented called for a
Federal law prohibiting strikes. Many
strikes, the resolution asserted, were
called precipitately before any at
tempts were made to conciliate differ
eences, and said such law would bene-
fit workmen more than by striking,
as it would prevent the suffering Incl
dent to strikes"
1t was suggested in the resolution
that Federal commission be appointed
to determine when strike legally
could be called under the proposed law
Section meetings Of the national war
minerals conference, national gold con-
ference, national oil shale conference
and national conference of schools of
mines were held.
Speakers at the gold conference de-
clared the nation could not prosper
unless gold production increased, and
ass erted heavy taxes, increased cost of
materials and labor demands had forced
the mines to reduce production virtual
ly to minimum.
OiI shaIe mining as source Of the
worlds future oil supply was the topic
discussed at the oil shale conference
Oil shale, it was explained by speak
ers, is a consolidated mud or clay de-
posit from which petroleum is obtained d
by distillation. Speakers asserted they
considered the shale question of vast
Importance because consumption Of
petroleum is increasing far more
rapidly than domestic production.
In the gold mining section of the
congress DR.. A. T. Roos, of Deadwood
S. D., told the convention the mining
congress should adopt resolution
contending that unless the government
grants bonus of at least $40 an ounce
gold mining in this country will soon
be thing of the past. DR.. Roos stated
the cost of producing gold now is so
high that the more of the ore one
extracts from the earth the more
likely he is to go bankrupt