The sun., 1919-11-05
President of A. F. of L. Sees
Hope for Honorable"
Settlement.
JUSTIFIES THE STRIKE
Asserts Public Has MiscOn-
ception of 30 Hour
Week by Miners.
U. s. WORKS FOR A TRUCE
Diggers Going Back in Larger
Numbers--Palmer An
swers Critic.
JUSTIFIES THE STRIKE
U. s. WORKS FOR A TRUCE
SYsctsI DsspeteA TO THE Sun.

S7soieI DsspoteA TO THE Sun.
WARRINGTON, Noy. 4. - Samuel
Gompers. president Of the American
Federation of Labor, issued state
ment tonight explaining his version
Of the demands Of the striking coal
miners and declaring that the miners
had no alternative but to strike on
November I.
The Injunction obtained by the Gov
ernment at Indianapolis was char
acterized as mot only q grave WRONG
but a gross blunder." According to
! Mr.. Gompers It bars ofiic1oB OF the
United Mine Workers from attempting
to end the strike.
In the last part Of the statement Mr..
Gompers declares he has ian abiding
faith" that II the injunction is va
Gated "a mutually honorable adjust
ment" can be made and the strike
ended.
Statement by Gompexs.
The statement of Mr.. Gompers was
Issued after his return from New York.
], reads:
Representatives Of newspapers have
asked me for statement regarding the
coal strike and the situation.
In the frst instance II should be
hnown that the demands of the miners,
which upon the surface seem SO radical
and far reaching, are by no means so.
For several years the miners have not
had more than half years work, their
working days averaging from 160 to $50
days per year. intermittent. by days and
by yweeks--empIoyment and then unem-
ployment.
The miners simply ask for regula-
ton OF the working time so that coal
production and employment may be
regular rather than intermittent II the
miners were permitted by the operators
\ 70 work full time the supply OF coal thus
mined would soon force down the price
OF coal on the market and this the
operators are determined not to permit
THE miners case might better be
s,ated by their demanding at least Ave
days Of six hours work per week. which
IS really more than they are permitted
10 work at the present time. An under
shows who are responsible for the pres
eat situation and the cause.
When in 1914 the miners received
sn increase OF twenty cents per ton, the
Operators raised the selling price fiye
collars per ton. Surely, the conditions
and the standards Of life of the miners
have dete&orated by reason Of there
being no practical advance in their
wages and their earning power. while
The cost Of living has scared higher and
higher.
Justines CaIling of strike.
The mandate OF the officers of the
United Mine Workers OF America was
efect from the representatives OF the
men who at the recent convention de-
eesd that unless a substantial improve
'hent In wages and a regulation OF the
Working time were granted the strike
order should be issued to take effect
November /. President Lewis and his
associates therefore had no alternative.
psrteulariy when the mine operators
zen the conference. leAtihs the repre-
sentatiVes Of the miners afone.
Ihe Injunction secured by the Attor-
.ey-General could not prevent the strike.
iof Il was issued after the strike notice
nad already gone forth. The injunction
/ ofc WIOHBg Oul BTOed
olunder. II practically talkes away the
constructive influence OF the officers OF
.He organization and indeed bars them
RON attempting to end the strike.
instead OF conservative leadership
pfeyaiiing II places the whole movement
:" me hands Of local men, who may We
VITA each other and be at variance with
eScA other. II the injunction were
seated and the Department OF Labor
.hViled the operators and the represen-
@tiVes OF the United Mine Workers 10
lurtner conference. / have an abiding
.@ltn that mutually honorably adjust
.lent can be negotiated and effected
whereby the coal strike can be brought
i TO an end"
Aeanwhile Government officiais still
He seeking means of settlement of the
Ilhe and ars hopeful OF results In thls
ufection. but the end is not in sight,
nigh OFFICIAL stated tonight that re-
pof,S giving an inference that the strike
NaS over. broken or was to be called on
we're unfoun led and dangerous, as they
..H'sh' lead to popular misconception OF
Sae extent OF the nations available coal
Efforts BY the Government 70 bring
EsAftSae9 % 1sssssA HagA