The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-30

nave the effect OF establishing maxi
mum prices.
.un naAmg the order the iuel ad
miulsurator VIII lake such acnon ~
may Do necessary W protect consul
me4s both as " price and alsulpuliuA
| OF IueI.'
May Fix Coal Prices.
| WASHINGTON, OCT. SGT was
expected that a proclamation setting
maximum coal prAces on fepfuaty
the cate when iuel adminlslrdiion VI
GERS expired, would come OUT u W
days cabinet meeting.
various ca,otnet members attending
the meeting Indicated Their uepail
mants were ready TO do their part ~
the emergency.
Secretary Baker said the war depart
ment's function in connection Wkb e-Ie
coal strike is not PRIMARY ona 4he
war department is always ready 10
act when need arises, sad Baker.
Attorney General Palmer said en-
forcement OF maximum prices lof
coal when they We're promulgated by
the president will rest with the de-
partment of justice. When Palmer
attention was called TO q statement
from union Officials -clSiclzing Uhe
attitude of the administration he SAID
the miners have no better friends
than the administration II they wouiu
only realize this. But they nave an
extremely weak position, sala
Palmer. They would have the ad-
ministration and the people pehlno
them if they were right"
Consideration Of the coal strike was
begun shortly after the senate met TO-
day when the Thomas resolution oHer-
ing support of the senate to any steps
the administration may take was cali
ed up.
Senator Borah, Idaho. following a
conference with miners, announced
he would speak on the miners side OF
the controversy which he believes Is
misunderstood.
Strike Is Illegal.
WASHINGTON, Oct 30-The posi-
ton of the government in the impend-
ing coal strike was announced last
night by Attorney General Palmer, as
follows:
There can be no doubt that the gov
eminent has the power in the PUBIC
interest, under the law, to deal with
the projected strike Of the bituminous
coal miners, without infringing upon
the recognized right OF men In any
line of industry to work when they
please and quit work when they please.
The illegality of this strike can and
will be established without in any way
impairing the general right to strike,
and the general right to strike is not
in issue in any sense whatever in the
present situation This is true because
the circumstances differentiate this
case from the case of any other strike
that has ever taken place in the coun-
try. 1t does not follow that every
strike is lawful merely because the
right to strike is recognized TO exist.
Every case must stand upon its own
bottom and be governed by its own
facts. Therefore, when the president
said In his statement last Saturday
that such strike in such circum-
stances Is not only unjustifiable, but
unlawful" reference was had only
to the conditions in the impending
situation.
The proposed strike was ordered in
a manner for purpose and with a
necessary effect, which. taken to-
gether. put ii outside the pale of the
law. After the war began the produc-
ton of fuel was regarded as one OF
the subjects of such peculiar public
importance as to justify a special sta
tutory enactment. The fuel admins
tration was created to supervise the
subject and matters Of wages as well
as prices were considered and sane
toned by the fuel administration.
After the cessation Of hostilities the
fuel administration suspended certain
of it's orders, but did not terminate
them, and they are subject to rein
statement at any time upon the presi-
dents order and the statute under
which the orders were made is still in
force.
With this situation existing, the
convention of the United Mine Work
ers at Cleveland, last September, de-
cided to annul all wage contracts on
November ], and took the unprece
dented step of deciding in advance or
any opportunity for consultation,
either with the government or with
the coal operators, TO strike on Noyem-
Der /. unless satisfactory new arrange
ments should be made.
Without any expression from the
workers themselves. the organization
promulgated a demand for a 60 per
cent increase in wages, six-hour
day and a fiye-day vyeek and authorized
a strike. to be effective November l,
before the demands were even pre-.
scented to the operators. The demand
for a new wage agreement covered
only q part of the coal fields, but the
strike order was sent broadcast to
workers in other fields, where opera
tors had been given no opportunity to
even consider demands for increased
wages or decreased hours. All THIS
has been done while the miners IN
every field, through their right of col
lective bargaining, had entered into a
solemn contract with the operators.
fixing wages and hours for a definite
period which has not yet expired. The
operators, upon the insistence of the
president, indicated their willingness
to negotiate and arbitrate, providing
= he G., &c ,-I;o