The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-10-30
COAL STRIKE
rs CERTAIN
CONTINUED from r~ge a.


basis, coal produced by miners who
will stay at work VIII amount to
100,000,000 tons for railroads., 10000
600 tons for domestic use and $4,000
900 for public utilities.
''The big problem" Lane SAID is
to take care of the industries. Much
coal is in storage. but we do not
know it's exact location and cannot
tell how soon or how extensively In
dustries Will suffer"
There are 1000 unron and 2Oo,-
600 non-union miners, Lane estl-
mated and said there was a possi-
bility the strike might spread to non
union men.
Surplus coal will be distributed
among the industries in the order OF
their Importance, it was indicated.
The effect on the food supply de-
ponds on how much TIE transporta-
ton system is erected by the strike.
Miners Stand Firm.
+ lBy ]. L. O'Sullivan, United Press
j Staff Correspondent
\ INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 80. - Coal
miners stand firm on their determine
ton to strike. John L. Lewis, president
of the United Mine Workers Of Amer
lea wired Secretary Of Labor Wilson
today.
! Lewis telegram was in reply to
message received from the secretary
of labor by the conference OF union
heads yesterday in which Wilson
made certain suggestions" to aid in
settling the difficulty between the
miners and operators.
Wilson's message was not given out
I here and it was not stated what the
i suggestions were.
/ The message to Wilson declared:
/ at is indeed a sad commentary
upon principles of square dealing
when the president of the United
States and his cabinet by unanimous
vtte ally themselves with sinister
financial interests which seek to deny
justice to labor and precipitate our
country into industrial turmoil"
/ Lewis in his message, bitterly at
tackled the appeal made by President
Wilson, that the strike call be res
| ended
| He said:
/ Unprecedented and unwarranted
action of the cabinet and president OF
| the United States in issuing state
ments Saturday last has done more to
! prevent satisfactory settlement OF
| impending strike and working out of
1 wage agreement than any other ele-
ment which has entered into the situa.
| ton"
He characterized the presidents
statement as a bitterly partisan"
document.
cit attacks the Intentions of the
workers without even suggesting that
mine operators may have brought
about the unhappy situation" Lewis
said.
"Tnreat Is made to exercise full
force Of government to prevent stop
page of work without any corresponds.
ing threat to exert full force Of gov
eminent to enforce fair working con-
ditions and living wages.
Lewis claimed the miners, when in
conference with operators and Secre-
| tary Wilson, at Washington, were
willing and anxious to open joint nego-
tiations without reservation.
Our position remains the same
today" he continued. 1--WE shall hold
ourselves in readiness to attend any
+, joint conference which may be ar
ranged by you upon fair basis and
stand ready to convene international
convention of our organization when
ever our scale committee has received
honorable proposition for presenta-
tin to such convention"
Thirty Day Supply.
CHICAGO, Oct. 30.-All railroads
have at least thirty days supply
Of coal on hand, and in event of
serious shortage some OF this may
be divided with householders and es-
sential Industries. according to a
statement issued today from the Of
flee OF Regional Director r. II. Ash
ton, of the railroad administration.
Denial is made by the railroad adj
ninistration that the seizure of coal
by a railroad in Colorado is anything
but local measure"
No extension of communicating is
contemplated at present, they said.
No Conference Of Governors.
DES MONIES, Iowa, Oct. 90
There will be no conference of gov
errors of soft coal states to discuss
the coal situation, Governor w. u
Harding, OF Iowa, sponsor for such
a meeting, today predicted. Nothine
could be gained by calling such con-
ference now, since the government
has taken charge of the situation, he
said.
In Iowa, Governor Harding said,
the state will cooperate with the adj
ministration in its efforts to allevi,
ate suffering, should the miners strike