Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-10-28
SUMMONS STATE LEADERS FOR CONFERENCE Union President Acts After First Issuing Defiant
 Statement. WILSON'S ACTION IS CHASED AS "UNLAWFUL" President Incorrectly Informed When He Says Men Do Not Sanction Strike, He Says-Executive
 Meeting Called.

Springfield, H., Oct. 27.--
 Confronted by the demand of
 President Wilson, that the strike
 call, which would stop produce
 ton of soft coal in the United
 States be rescinded, John l..
 Lewis, acting president of the
 United Mine Workers of Amer.
 ica, tonight by telegraph invited
 25 district presidents of coal producing states and members of
 the members scale committee to 1 meet with the international
 executive board at 10 a. m. We'd
 nesday to confront the strike is- sue.
 The action of Mr. Lewis, he stated, was prompted by a desire to move with full deliberation in situation, the seriousness of which cannot be gainsaid.
 l Thirty-two members constitute the full scale committee of the central competitive field, which comprises the states of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Western Pennsylvania.
 "District presidents and members of the scale committee are being called in," President Lewis said. "to council with the executive board, by reason of the presidents statement. What final action will be taken I cannot presume to forecast"
 Mr. Lewis said the strike order still was in effect and would be op- erative Friday at midnight, unless something happened meanwhile to alter the situation. The executive board would have authority. he stated, to postpone or suspend the strike order, subject to the will of the membership of the union. Springfield, H., Oct. 27.-Pre- pairing to leave early tomorrow for Indianapolis to assume charge of the threatened strike of soft coal miners, beginning Friday at midnight. John L. Lewis. acting president of the United Mine Workers of America, declared tonight the strike order was still in effect and that the 5OO,000, miners in the bituminous field would walk out to man unless the opera tors made concessions.
 "The statement of President Will son opposing the strike has thus far had no results. so far as we are con- cerned" Mir. Lewis said. No word reached him, he stated, from gov- ernment sources during the day. At Indianapolis, he will make prepara- tions for the meeting Wednesday of the international executive board. He said tonight he expected no develop ments prior to this conference.
 Branding statements that coal miners are earning $1O or $15 day l Col hc,,rIV Mr. r cosl khn age pay of miners in the bituminous clared was the best 12 months ;E year. He declined to be drawn into statement as to what the maximum earnings of miner under favorable circumstances may be. but said the earnings of "day men" amounted to between $4.25 and $5 a day. These include track layers. drivers, mech anics and laborers. Coal diggers. he admitted. can make more money than that. He explained, however. that wage of miners were curtailed by the fact that mines operate on the average of only three or four days a week.
 1 In statement issued tonight, he SdlO, CO cledF up populdI MlSdpPIc- hensions about exactly what took place in the joint conference, MT. Lewis placed responsibility for the strike again on the operators. The statement follows:
 At the biennial convention of the United Mine Workers at Cleveland, September 9 to 23, attended by 2,046 delegates. wage program and policy was outlined and scale committees were selected who were instructed to present demands to the operators.
 Reviews Case.
 "September 25, at Buffalo, the miners and operators met in joint lcommittee. The miners presented ltheir demands, and were met by a Ihlunt statement that the Washing tton agreement had not expired, be- icaS&e the war was not ended and l pe1 e had not been promulgated by tlfh president. x -<~ ~~ al~pf