New Britain herald., 1919-10-31
ON THE EVE or THE STRIKE.

le threatened strike Of coal miners lay be averted by increasing the ages of the workers, providing the perators are so disposed. Labor has id open a path to cancellation by that it will abandon it's emand for a siX-hour day, but it has pt given in on the wage proposition. here was as much objection, if not lore, by the operators to the thirty bur week as to the higher wages; bnsequently, there is a possibility iners, although, with the weight Of elblic support back of them, the lwners may continue to refuse 70 kgotiate and proceed with the plans Rr meeting the wall1out
 This eleventh-hour effort at concil- 2tion by the miners is undoubtedly H confession by them that they con- Sder their cause lost; that the coln- &ned weight of government troops { Hld public action is to be too much &r them. They have been blutfing, e assume, and their bluff has beHn &1led. So much for the miners. The $rike already shows signs of going &e way of the steel strike. InasmuHh $ the trouble makers were not ready
 conciliate, not ready to agree to #bitration, until it became evident lat they could not win, we believe at the operators will now leave the Ssue up to them to settle. Labor has cked out a ''Big Stick for it's pre- mptuous fight; let it wield it with hat effect it may. The weapon may # be of the proportions that it was st thought to be.
 While we do not concede that the Forts of the government in protect s#g the miners who wish to remain at brk from their fellows will be en- Wely successful, that we will never ow that there was a strike, we be- we that it has adopted the reason # lie and equitable method of adjustV #ent. There will be no riots, if the &lited States troops can help it, nor Ell there be an attempt to make re- &bnstrants remain al work. Police V ty will be undertaken by the troops, # at is all, and it appears that it will # sufficient that there will be enough ake it possible for the country to III enough coal to keep it's most im- %rtant industries at work. It will Ben be but a matter of time until mines are again filled with the rmal mum Der of workers. The esent attitude of the miners con- ces one of this.
 BIt appears, also-statements of Inn l.. Lewis to the contrary not t thstanding-that there is power H m ewhere, to mediate this strike. Il S but a day or so ago that the
 ing-president announced that a con- 1tion of all miners had met, formu- ' led demands and voted to strike if sv were not satisfied. Hence, said M with a shrug of his shoulders:
 sWhat can I do? It is not for mo
 act contrary to the vote of the ions"
 # #U1timatum was served; the miners IN cd pat Now, when it looks as il ,y would not be able to tie up tn:
 1ntry and bring it quickly to it's
 lees before the shrine of the Mine
 orkers, labor in the mines has lei
 leak out that it might conside bdifyin,g it's demands for the thirty Eur week and possibly reduce the
 ty Der cent. advance in wages i &l asked for. Of course, this is no #sal; but it comes immediately prio
 a meeting of the operators to b'
 tomorrow evening. Peculiar
 -ticularly as there has been nc
 
 As interesting sidelights in the bis
 air, we have many small occur
 ees, chief among which is the atti
 e adopted by the farmers of tn
 lntry who are holding a nationa
 ference in Hagerstown, Maryland \ title town not far from Washing
 These men, whom labor hat
 fred to win to it's cause in a join
 ference in Decem ber, have com,
 with a resolution which classa
 king labor with profteers, deplore
 kes and advocates a longer work
 day. True it is that they hay
 dlged themselves to the aid of al
 bnest" organized labor, but the
 re made a statement at the sam