The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-18
PROBE ALLEGED
PLOT To LIMIT
COAL PRODUCT
VIGOROUS CHARGE TO
FEDERAL GRAND JURY
Judge Anderson Rakes the
u. M. W. Officials For
defiant Attitude"

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. Dec. IA fed
oral grand jury summoned by United
states District Judge 4. Il. Anderson
today began an investigation of charges
Of conspiracy on III" part Of coal miners
and operators TO limit tn" production OF
coal. The charges brought by the gov
crnment alleged violation Of the Lever
fuel control act. \ war time measure
and of the antitrust laws which have
been in force FOR years.
The grand jury was cmpanellcd by
Judge Anderson this morning and re
ce!ved instructions from the court TO let
It's conclusion be an answer 10 the Ques-
tion whether the government ot tue
I'uItcd States or group of men shall
rule this country and whether We shall
b" governed by law or force.
Tn" grand jury was in session most
.. Ih,. day. Th"re was nothing tonight
to lndlcat" what progress had been
mad. although it is known that wit
nrss,s called included min" operators.
Charge to Grand Jury
Judge AndcTSon'S charE" l" me July
was lengthy and IN concluding hr SAID
Let your investigation IN all these
matters bc thorough and searching ana
let your conclusions d" fuil answer
t. Il question which has been uprcrmost
in tho mlndS Of our citizens for the past
few wccks--that is whether the govern
, mrnt of the United States, or whether
group Of men shall rule this country.
, and whether We shall be governed by
Law or force.
Judge Anderson asked the jury TO in
yestigatc charges that the mine owners
not only CUrSpircd among themselves 10
limit thu production OF coal. but that
| they conspIred with the miners them
selves.
Stress was laid on the failure OF The
miners |" return to work when the order
| calling the strike Of miners was re-
! scinded by international Officers OF 'hc
| IL h,f Id hAN nv
| th- court. Judge Anderson declared
/ that the courts order to cancel the
strike was complied with in form only
and that for u month the Injunction was
ignored and fss ssiiesi ch.cs-on
Judge Anderson called attention 10
| the system in effect in practically all
mines whereby the miners union dues
are held from their pay and turned over
| to the union by the operators. He nlso
| pointed TO charges that since the pas
| sage of the Lever acts the mine owners
! have made enormous profits and that
! these profits have been made by hand
| ling the business in certain particulars
| IN violation OF the Lever law.
| The charge quotes from speech
| made in the house OF representatives. on
October 80 and in which IL was declared
: tina, union miners, by joint conferences
with operators. had reached an agree
! ment that the usual methods of organ
! lied labor be utilized to destroy nom
! union corporations. inc same SpccCh
he said quoted John. l.. Lewis. acting
president of the Unified Mine Workers,
when attending ono OF the joint confer
! enccs as saying that as he understood
| the purpose of the meeting. it. was 10
wipe ou competition between US as min
| ers hrst; next. for tn" purpOS" of wip-
| ing out competition az between opera
| tors in these four states. (lndiana. Ohio.
| Illinois and Western PennSylNania)
"and then II l understand tho real
| nuroOSC of this movement II is that we
| will Jointly dcClar" war on every man
| inside this competitive" field who will
| do anything in any way cndang"ring the
/ peace that exists between us"
| ION tho face Of it Judge Anderson
| declared this is a direct admission by
Mr.. Lewis that tn" charE" Of an unlaw-
| full combination between tho min" work
| Crs and tho mIuc operators is true"