Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-11
ORDER RESEMBLING
SOFT COAL STRIKE
[Continued from First Pagc.I

tween the miners and the operators,
as the operators have announced
that they would be ready to consider
a new wage agreement at any time
the strike order was withdrawn. 1t
is also understood that the question
of arbitration entered largely into
the discussion in the final stages of
the meeting, but the miners posi-
ton on this subject was not an
nounced.
Many Will Obey
The question of just how many of
the coal diggers would obey the or
der resembling the strike was prob
lematical early to-day. In some dis
tricts it was considered that the re-
sumption of work, would be general
tial and in some, 1t was said, the re-
turn would be very slow.
Most MOmentouS
The meeting was probably the
most momentous ever held by the
miners organization, if not the most
weighty ever conducted by a labor
organization in this country, for, in
view of labor leaders, it was to de-
termine whether an organization
would be forced by governmental
pressure through the courts to dis
continue a strike, when apparently
all the members of the union were
behind the walkout, which was be-
ing conducted without any form of
violence or damage to property.
Backed by A. +. of L.
Labor in general, as represented
by the executive committee of the
American Federation of Labor, had
offered its unqualified support to
the miners in their strike, while
obedience or disobedience of q Fed
eral court order hung in the bal
ance. and this fact gave miners rep
resentatives who favored holding out
an argument which weighed heavily
with some of their colleagues.
No Limit ON Debate
On the other hand, the Presidents
designation of the strike as unlawful,
placed the coal workers in the posi-
ton of defying the government of
the United States, if they refused
to call off the strike, and, aside from
the consequences attaching. to dis
obedience of the Federal court order,
many were adverse to considering
anything which could be construed
as lack of Americanism.
There was no limit on the debate
in the conference and many of the
delegates spoke at length and some
more than once on various subjects.
Demands of Miners
The original demands of the Unit
ed Mine Workers, which brought
about the strike of approximately
425,OO0 bituminous coal miners of
the United States were drafted by
the scale committee of the Cleve-
land convention of the organization,
held last September, which also
| adopted the following resolutions:
I'VE recommend that in event a
satisfactory wage agreement is not
secured for the central competitive
field, (Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and
Western Pennsylvania), before Mo-
vember 1, 1919, to replace the one
now in effect, the international of
ficials be authorized and are here
by instructed to call a general
strike of all bituminous miners
and mine workers throughout the
United States. the same to become
effective November l. 1919."
Sixty Per Cent. Increase
The main points of the miners
demands included a sixty per cent.
increase in wages, a six-hour day
from bank to bank, five-day week,
and time and half for overtime e
and, on Sundays and legal holidays.
The Joint wage conference of the
operators and mine workers met in
Philadelphia October and ad-
journed October IL. failing to reach
an agreement. The call for the
strike at midnight October 81 was
| issued from the international head
quarters of the union here October
is.
Refused to Withdraw
Then followed unsuccessful efforts
of Secretary of Labor Wilson to
bring about a settlement of the con-
| troversy and later the statement OF
| President Wilson that the strike was
| unlawful. The strike call remained
| in effect and a general committee OF
the mine workers officials-the
same which this morning agreed to
comply with the mandate of Judge
Anderson and rescind the strike or
| der-refused to withdraw it, con-
tending it had not the authority to
do so.
On the same day, October 81, the
government took hand in the con-
troversy and obtained an order from
United States District Judge Ander-
son restraining officials of the
miners from directing or encourage
ing the strike, which automatically
became effective at midnight that
night and ives responded to by ap-
rrnvi,,ofaIu 000 ,.ninp