El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-27

WITH 10000 OF more steel workers on strikes with
10000 coal miners under orders to strike November
and with the hundreds Of thousands Of railroad workers
threatening, strike unless their wage demands
granted the Unea States faces crisis in its labor sit
nation.
And it might as wen come to showdown, hard as that
statement sounds in view Of all the vast suffering it
tails
There is something radically wrong IN this country
when millions Of workers led TO drop their tools and
spread misery throughout the land What IT. Is II
roo-hgh cost Of living the big employers Of the
country nhuane and oppressive the labor leaders
who already have vast power, using this 10 Try to
obtain complete control Of the country2
Whatever it is that is wrong, settlement has to come
1Here must be nghtng Of wrongs, Strengthening out
Of conditions that the country get down normal
work without continual threats Of paralysis periodic
psnsie q vital activities and an ever growing apprehen
The steel workers refused to withhold their strike IN
IL after The industrial conference had had chance to
meet and outline policy Of relations between employer
and employe Labor leaders said It impossible to
delay without weakening the hold CT Organized
lent agtatons Of " W and other 1ed fsggeTs But #
It had been possible hold of chat strike the fact that
Il impending might have made labor and capital more
ernehatoy toward each other IN the industrial confer
Each side would have been hestant to pre-
cptate the strike By failure accomplish anything def
mite As il the labor group felt obliged to take
Incorporating attitude in order 20 avoid show Of weak
while the employers group, under the Influence Of
Of the Judge Gary type, felt that only frness
necessary to Wiz the strike and that any concessions were
alike unnecessary and undesirable.
The coal miners strike is imminent However
Just may be the demands Of me mners FOR higher pay
the hgeTent and unreasonable attitude Of their repre-
sentzYes IN conference with secretary Of labor " B.
wilson cannot but be condemned
Representatives CT operators and miners met with the
secretary Of Labor after the strike had been ordered They
heard letter from president Wilson asking that both
sides Try to negotiate agreement; that II negotiations
1a they submit the dispute 70 arolIralon and that n
re meantime operations at the coal mines Be continued
The president reminded them that winter coming
and that paralysis Of the coal mining industry IN the
country would cause great suffering
o uTe
miners representatives. refused unless assured in advance
that any negotiations entered into would be successful for
their side IN other words they demanded advance
ance Of getting what they wanted If that were gwen
obviously any discussion arbitration would be the
est fasca. Naturally It could not be given.
II the meantime secretary Wilson bad outlined terms
Of settlement which he thought would be fair to both sides
His proposal that the pick mining price be advanced
Is cents tor; that machine mining, garbage lightweight
ok Be eight hours from baa hank and that there be
Z Saturday hslf holiday. It was turned down BY the
representatives left the conference that the strike would
begin ordered The operators reiterated that they
willing 70 arbitrate and assured the public there would
be nc increase il the pce OF coal as result Of the ste
And comes Timothy Shea Ct tie fremen's brother
hood notifying the railroad administration that the rail-
road workers VII fight for general increases in pay be-
fore government Teirquzbes control Of the railroads
The right is not all either side IN the general labor
controversy Is the wrong. Americans are generally
quite wei ordered citizens regarfu Of law and order and
Of the rights Of others. When millions Of them line up
On one side OF another dispute there pretty
sound in their minds for doing And this IN
austat crisis the Americans are the active agents The
foreign intsrizturs important hut ezeTts decisive
influence.
It looks though events shaping themselves for
lest Of strength determine first what is wrong with
5uT Industrial scheme; whether wages continually must
advance the cost Of living Be Brought down. whether
he basis Of Organization is wrong and workers must be
aken into partnership to share above their wages, in the
lros Of the industries By which they employed and
Theher Ultimately workers TO exercise unhamperec
hss IN Bargaining with their employers Individually OF
y groups whether all industrial labor is to be taken
big union, BY choice coercion big union Of
uch tremendous strength 10 held the country By the
hroat and. under ev1 leadership to threaten the exist
snoe Ct the government itself.