Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-30
SAY COAL BARONS
ARE RESPONSIBLE
Issue Statement Declaring They
Are Ready to Negotiate All
Demands.
PAY SAME AS TWO YEARS AGO
Leaders Urge That Only Object
in View Is to Secure Work
ing Agreement.
PAY SAME AS TWO YEARS AGO
IBv Assnclatcd Press. l

1NDIANAPOLIS. Oct. 2o.-After pro-
n2uncinE strike OF bituminous coal
mne1s for and blaming the
may involve 100000 men directly, tho
conference here. OF officials of the
wound up it's business tonight and nd
dissolved. District presidents and
members me ,ma OF the scale committee left
In the strike, which is to become effec-
tive at midnight Friday.
place the one, which they claim ex-
phasizing that a call from the mine
owners c, for joint meeting will find
on any or all Of the demands for
mulated at the Cleveland convention
Of the union.
Statement Gives Miners View.
niies Ihese and other points in the unions
ference and adopted by u unanimons ane nous
as the "hnai word! from union sorces
and John l.. Lewis, acting president
and other officials referred questioners
thing that could be said and as an
sWering all rumors as to motives
actuating the union.
corn Inc statement brought out that no
the national dmlpistration. and tbnt
the union had knowledge OF President
onl, miisoh,s ihso,,nS attitude toward the strike
moatted the Presidents claim that
ne strike was illegal. by asserting
had had been bee rignh Gnh59 to strike or quit work
that IN leaving their Jobs the men viii
exercise a constitutional preroEative.
deaworins 81 that s shs miners,-s'r en-
tS 'oil lhs 10 force; nationaliza ton OF
the mines were Indignantly denied and nj
aEa'n Ia, me language of the statement
nnratod an or the demands are incor-
porated In the wage proposal" was
responsibility On Coal Barons.
Flnaliy. emphasis was laid on tho
fatn fast sentence Of the statement. as
iir in mus, must be settled upon the field Of
Industrial rao, battle, the responsibiIitv
barona "iItS nIo ana squarely upon the coal
The word .'if" was. explained az .,r
1ihihnt Whiia coro OF The readiness to negotiate.
WAY wa ~ of nreveating the STRIKE a tho he
arr annons Spokesman. ELLIS Searias Lme
essGed effsut III that with the strike in i actuai
strike strike order be Withdrawn as mat y c6n ohe
aition ami precedent to negotiation VII WI
Au":WVmatffS11'ly "We fS1Iyy .h.ai wined out. was
1e settled as all difficulties in the SooIo 10
thhiInine industry have been scttiad ioair a.
between nSfthbrsMSy tbe o1ys,d direct negotiations
SAD. sa When that point will he -. ne
striwe ,,.p, uo not attempt to say. But tha
reachinr 'ii e{Ssc,s oe SO big and have such far
l,ese cs, IT can last very long o hn3o n41 pc
Crisis is reached "s oerore a
~, Text of Statement.
Ihe !n statement follows:
Workers nrerence cnne OF United Mine
International executive bonrG or the
distrIn.lee or the central comno,itG,.o JtHie
Uniied' Nine ana ,Vnrl ,he district presidents.
statement of the PresidentN ~ ~ me
nnhifc hiiea states, states, which appeared in the the
mpendins sSs s,rse fsseeoflg of relative 70 the
SCI SCI lot November 1. No commmnca nrHcaS
6 .i9n was received by the internatinna1
negIs Hmeris, or the the United Mine Workers s OF
ernment 'e Peuerai gov
shows CANVASS thaa Of s,.if the entire situation
miners n cannot BE- s'r.xe axe,dea Of btsmnons
constituted convention OF rcnresnntay
.iVeS OF the United Mine Workers held
rdereG eTe.ahd, 2hio. on September %,
workers to become effective Novemhar
IN the event n wage scale was nor
neso,,ated nsi amthar, before that time The high
ectoa aauiinority IN OF the organization has
acaea In this manner, and no repre-
sentatives of the organization have
authority To set such action aside Tba
,hori,i ,5 are mat The same supreme au-
slrike is the same which approved the
contract which has now expired.
wages Stationary Two Yenrs.
Ihe responsibility for the strike
rests win the coal operators. They
agreement. Notwithstanding the fact
the mine workers representatives have
mrsed and beseeched them to do 80
The fundamental causes which prompt
ed the mine workers to take this dras-
TIC action are deep-seated. For two
tionary.
Federal fuel administrator. Dir. Gar
field. and from him to the President
OF the United States, for an increase
In wages sufficient to meet the In.
of life. Their appeal was rejected and
their request refused. Notwithstanding
this they continued mining coal until
are determined that their grievances
must be adjusted in n reasonably satis-
factory manner.
1.-The courts havo held that workmen
have right to strike and may quit
work either singly or collectively for
the purpose OF redressinE grievances
and rlghtins wrongs. The Constitu-
ernment give men the right to work or
quit work individually or collectively.
ExercisfnE Constitutional Right.
"The mine workers therefore are but
exercising the right guaranteed by the
Constitutions which cannot be taken
away by the representatives of govern
ment when they quit work or when
they refuse to work until their griev-
ances are adjusted. Tho mine workers
representatives are ready, willing and
anxious to meet the coal operators for
the purpose OF negotiating an agree.
ment and bringing about a settlement
lContinued on Second Page.)