The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-24
Only Eight Kansas Mines Not
Working Today.
Union Men Ready to End Strike
on Word From Chief.
GOVERNMENT WATCHES HOWAT
Federal Officials Will See That
He Keeps Agreement.
Kansas Executive Board Called
to Meet on Friday.

Pittsburg, Kan. Dec. 24.-All Kan
sas miners striking in protest against
the sending to Jail of their president,
Alexander Howau, were ordered to re-
turn to work by district officials this
afternoon. The order went out by di-
rection of Howat, who communicated
with his office by telephone.
Howat notified his office that the
central and other local strikes would
be taken up by the district board here
Friday.
One thousand miners still were on
strike today, in six mines not work.
ing.
When Alexander Howat. president
of the Kansas United Mine Workers.
returns from Indianapolis today. the
miners involved in the strike for
Howat" will be down in the mines.
They were ready to go back the min
ute word reached here of Howats s
release from the Indianapolis Jail
Fifteen hundred miners employed
by the Central Coal and Coke com
pany on strike since last July. also
will have returned to work, or be pre-
pairing to do so.
Thousand Not Working.
Later reports did not increase the
number of idle mines The idle mines
are: Nos. 15-16-18-19 Western; No.
9, Girard Fuel; No 8, Pittsburg North
ern. Approximately 1000 miners are
not working.
August Dorchy. district vice-presi-
dent, and Thomas Harvey, district Sec
retary- treasurer, are in Kansas City
today for a meeting of the union Off
cials of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri
and Arkansas. Thomas Cunningham,
travelling auditor, in charge of the
union headquarters, was attempting to
establish communication with Alexan-
der Howat, who was expected to be in
Kansas City also for the meeting. No
order for the meeting of the district
executive board has yet been issued, it
was understood. "A dispatch from In
dianapolis last night said that Howat
had telegraphed a call for the meet
ing of the executive board AS the
board has only six members. it will not
be hard to get a meeting of the board
on short notice.
Court Watches Howat.
indianapolis. Ind, Dec. 24.-Gov-
ernmeut officials in Indianapolis to-
day awaited developments in the Kan
sas coal fields before determining
their future course in court action
against Alexander Howat of Pitts
burg, Kan, president of District No.
ii of the L. NJ. w. A. Howat was
released from jail yesterday, where
he had been sent as the result of
charges of contempt of court for al
legged violation of the injunction is
/
A. B. Anderson against furtherance
of the coal strike.
His release and subsequent depar-
ture for his home was effected by
agreement on his part to cooperate
with international union officials in
ending a strike of 1000 employees of
the Central Coal & Coke company. the
continuation of which formed the
basis for court action against him. 1t
was indicated today that if the local
strike is ended, hearing on the charges
of contempt. set for next Monday,
probably will be continued indefi-
nitely.
Howat's agreement to use his in
fluence in ending the tieup in Kansas
came during a. session of the federal
court yesterday and followed prom
Use by William Green. international
secretary-treasurer of the mine work
ers. to send a telegram to the Kansas
district ordering the men to retur~
to work. This message was sent and
before leaving for Kansas, Howat
wired a call for a meeting of the ex-
ecutive board of the district on Friday,
at which steps will be taken to end
the strike.