The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-10-22
Mine OWNERS AND
THEIR EMPLOYEES
y Face DEADLOCK
Government May Be Forced to Step
% in and Prevent Coal Strike
OFFICIALS LOOK UP LAW
Fully Convinced it viii Have to Be
Invoked to Save Country
From Untold Distress

Washington, Oct. 21-Failure of op
orators and miners to settle their diff
ferences after four-hour conference
today with Secretary Wilson may fore
the government to step in and prevent
'the strike of half a million bitumin-
Gus coal miners called for November1.
Although another effort will be
made tomorrow tc bring peace to the
industry, the strike tonight loomed big
and close at hand and leaders of the
two sides, speaking frankly and grave
ly, said there was little hope.
While the full scale committee rep
>resenting miners and operators were
fighting their battles today behind q
closed door, strike storm ragged in
the Senate, and federal agents looked
up the law, fully convinced it would
have to be invoked to save the coun-
try from untold distress and suffer
ing, with mines shut down and less
than months stock on hand to keep
fires burning.
Filing out Of the meeting place, the
miners and operators, nearly one hun
dred of them, went their separate way
to discuss the crisis, the former led
by John L. Lewis president of the
United Mine Workers of America, and
the latter by Thomas r. Brewster head
Of the Coal Operators Association
Leaders and members of both groups
were extremely reticent. Both Lewis
and Brewster refused to discuss the
situation beyond saying there had been
no change in the attitude of either
group.
Strike Order Stands.
Informed of the attack on the un-
ions in the Senate by Senator Frelin-
ghuysen, Of New Jersey, and reports
from many quarters that the govern
ment might intervene, strike leaders
said there was a bare chance of some
encouraging developments tomorrow,
but that the strike order would stand.
Secretary Wilson left the meeting
without giving the least intimation as
to what was in his mind as to hope
of settlement.
The two committees, in separate
groups, filed int the assembly hall of
the Red Cross building and sat down
shortly before noon, while Secretary
Wilson went to the front and without
ceremony announced that they had
been asked to meet and adjust their
grievances. Pleading for immediate
settlement Of the strike the Secretary
showed how it would affett the public
how it would cloes industrial pl9ots
and stop freight and passenger traffic
because of the limited coal stocks held
by the railroads.
Pointing out that the matter was
one of vital concern to the people
Secretary Wilson explained that as
an executive officer Of the government,
entrusted with the function of media
tion in such disputes, he felt that
every possible effort should be made
to induce the miners and operators tt
see the Importance Of early adjust
ment. The Secretary said he gave
full weight to the statement of the
operators regarding contracts and tt
strike order and to withdrawal of de
mands for thirty-hour week, just a:
he gave weight to the statement o
the miners that there must be "a dis
position to really negotiate before i
would be worth while for them to gt
into conference.
President Lewis then spoke for tht
miners. The old wage agreement, III
declared, had expired and the opera
tors, he charged, had refused to con
slider q new one.
The side of the operators was pre-
sented by P. p. Penna, of Terre Haut,
:. Ind, who charged that the miners hat
violated their agreement; that the op
orators had adhered to the principles
and practices of collective bargaining
and that the unions, were at fault
Then without consulting the leaders
Secretary Wilson suggested an ed
iournmcnt until tomorrow as casuall.
as if the conference had planned t,
n run for a week. The Secretary, it wa
.VSsaid, indicated desire TO present th'
views Of the government after eacl
side had been given full hearing.
Because Of the necessary absence o
Secretary Wilson the strike was no
discussed as the regular Cabinet NEE