The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-11-07
UNION Labor Confronted With
Great Conflict With the U. S.
Government.
Mine STRIKE Brings CRISIS
president Wilson Declares Il IL Tn.
justihable and illegal and Must Be
Called Off-lndustriaI Confer.
enee Breaks Up Without
Accomplishing Any.
thing.
BY EDWARD w. PickARp.

Chioh idoor IN America faces the Sc
Verest test to which it has ever sub
mitted itself. The bituminous coal
miners have been ordered out on strike
on November l. President Wilson and
his cabinet have declared that if the
order Is obeyed the government will
use every means within it's power to
Illustrate the strike and to keep the
mines in operation; that strike
IN the existing circumstances will
be not only unjustifiable but illegal
aDd that the leaders will be arrested
and prosecuted for violation of the
wartime food and fuel act. Congress
has shown itself in the mood to sup
port the administration fully In this
course.
Congress is in process of enacting
railway legislation which will include
clauses forbidding strikes by the rail
way workers. Timothy Shea, acting
president of the Brotherhood of Lo-
connective Firemen and EngiEemen, as
serts that the railway employees will
not observe any such anti-strike law.
Thus at least two great bodies of
union labor may soon find themselves
in direct conflict with the government.
and it may well be that many other Of
it's organizations will be drawn into
the fight The coal trouble is the more
imminent of the two. Last week every
effort of Secretary of Labor Wilson to
bring about even tentative agreement
between the operators and the miners
called, and he submitted the matter
to the cabinet After long deliberation
and conference with President Wilson,
the attitude of the government was de-
termined, and the president thereup-
on issued a forcible statement setting
forth the circumstances urging the
miners to reconsider their action and
warning them that if they persist In
their course the law will be enforced
and means found ito protect the in
terests of the nation in any emergency
that may arise out of this unhappy
business" II was made perfectly
plain by President Wilson and by
many others in authority. including
the governors of the soft coal produc-
ing states, that the union miners VIII
not be permitted to cut of the nations
supply of fuel and shut down Its IN
d,fstries. The contention of the gov
eminent and the operators, that con
tracts in the btuminous field do not
expire until peace is formally declared
or until April /, 1920, will be main
tanned with every means at the com
mand of the government. when III
cludes its armed forces.
Officials in Washington expressed
confidence that the miners wouid
WELD but at this writing the only ex-
pression that has come from their
leaders Is the statement OF Acting
President Lewis that -tbe status quo
prevails"
After two weeks Of discussion ana
negotiation. the industrial conference
at Washington was disrupted "eu'
nesday by the withdrawal OF .he
labor delegation. Mr.. Gompers LED
his hloc out of the conference because
Its resolution on collective bargaining
was rejected. As he departed ne de-
clared the employers group was
adop,tng exactly the position assumed
nv the /. W. What workers shPnio
no, enter into agreements with EN-
that he had nothing FUR
ther 10 submit. You have defeaiea
labor in IFS declaration here. he aoo-
al abut we will meet you again N
conference. and when we do meet you
=, -, will he glad 70 talk collec'