The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-28
|RAILROADERS TO
BACK MINERS
Chief : Trainmen Says the
II e. / to Use Soldiers
Is Foolish.

\ we : gton, Oct. 2s-U. N. S.)-
T"Ths. ernment cannot force miners
to oal or men to move trains.
not WIN all the soldiers in the world"
declared w. G. Lee, president of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
today. "If 1t can, then men are In a
condition of involuntary servitude. 1t
would mean that no man could quit
his Job If his employer were powerful
enough to secure government inter-
vention," Lee said.
y The coal miners have been pledged
the support of the four big railroad
brotherhoods, should their threat to
strike be carried out and the gov
ernment attempt to work the mines,
it became known today, although Mr..
Lee refused to make definite state
ment.
When asked what effect the presi-
dents letter would have on the strike
plans Of the railroad men, who, as
the International News Service al
ready announced, are united in a
movement for a general strike should
the railway administration fail to
answer satisfactorily the demands OF
all the various railroad organizations
Lee said.
involuntary Slavery.
"The railroad administration gives
it's answer to the railway trainmen
and I do not wish to discuss its pos
sible effect until / hear what 1t is
1t would not be fair to the director
of railroads. One thing I will say
however, that the government can
not force the miners to dig coal OF
men to move trains, not with all the
soldiers in the world. If it can, then
men are in a condition of involun-
tary servitude. 1t would mean that
no man could quit his job II his en-
ployer were powerful enough to Sc
cure government Intervention. We
abolished black slavery in this coun'
try some years ago."
"Civilized countries abolished Whit
slavery centuries ago. We snoule
bear in mind that we are living II
the year 1919 and in what we arr
proud to call the greatest democrac!
on earth. The workers did well theil
part in the late war in keeping de-
| mocracy safe and they now merl
words of praise instead of threats.
Threat is Foolish.
"The threat to have soldiers worl
the mines is foolish--just as foolisf
as II the government threatened t.
have soldiers operate the trains. L
requires skilled men to do either, ant
There are laws which prohibit theun
}rAille6k from working in mines or OF
the railroads"
At q meeting held before John L
Lewis, acting president of the United
Mine Workers of America, left Wash
ington, in which he and other Off
| GERS Of the miners and representa-
tives of the four brotherhoods tool
part, the railroad men gave the min
ers assurances of 'all possible as
sistance."
Railroad men not under contrac
| will refuse to handle cars carrying
"scab" coal in event of a strike
There are enough not under contract
it is claimed, to cripple the move
| ment Of coal.
Combination Effective,
The conference between the Off
! cials of the miners organization ant
/ the brotherhoods was called to out
line plans for an alliance which, l
carried to its ultimate goal, woult
gige the miners and railroad men alb
solute control of industry in th
United States. The purpose of tn
alliance, 1t is stated, is for Join
action in economic affairs" and If tn
coal strike is not averted, the miner
and railroad men look upon 1t as al
| opportunity to demonstrate the eff
! fectiveness of such combination
Another conference between repre-
sentatives of the miners and brother
hoods is scheduled for Thursda
night, when the plans for '.joint eco
nomic action" will be more fully dis
cussed.