Evening star., 1919-10-05
MINERS DEMANDS STIR
SENATE'S INDIGNATION
Conoress Aroused to Realization That Some
thing Must Be Done to Protect
the Public.
By n. O. MESSENGER.

reading Of the amazing details OF the
demands Of the United Mine Work
ers Of this country for a six-hour
work day. five days week; an in
crease Of go per cent in wages, and a
few other unconsidered trif1es in the
way of betterments; failing in. the
receipt Of which they propose to in
augurate a national strike of bitumi-
nous coal miners November 1 next.
The fact that they are working un-
der an agreement with the fuel ad-
ministration, running until April 1
next. unless war Is declared over.
would not deter the pressing of
the ultimatum. The anthracite min
ers have continued their wage scale
Then. having disposed of that little
detail. TOR the Immediate present. the
bituminous miners convention went
on record for the future as demand
ing the purchase Of all mine prop
erty by the government: the partici-
patton Of the miners in the operation
Of the mines and Joining hands with
the advocates of the Plumb pan for
naturalization Of the railroads.
This action of the United Mine
Workers should evoke. as feel
sure it will
CALLS ON PEOPLE TO evoke, an
DEFEAT CONSPIRACY. outburst of
fndi1nation
on the part Of an outraged public"
declared Senator Frelinghuysen. in
laying before the Senate the corre-
spondence between the miners and
their employers. ~Only man Of inn
paired intellect will fail to see that
Affects the coal operators and their
employees. Over q hundred millions
Of people who have never been near
q coal mine ana never owned a dollar
of stock will have q billion dollars
nlched from their pockets by this in
crease Here we are on the thresh-
old Of winter. There is. comparative
1y speaking. but . scant supply in the
nations coal bins. II these men have
their way. a famine will be precipi-
tated upon those. sections dependent
? upon bituminous coal. Distress and
hunger VIII affect all classes. The
poor, Of course. win be the chief VIC
tins. The shame Of this. the crime
Of this. win rest upon the heads of
these omcials Of the United Mine
Workers Of America who have refused
to abide by existing contracts and
have demanded greatly reduced work
ing hours and greatly increased
w1ges-
"A greater despotism menaces
America" continued Senator Freling-
kuysen. ''than. before or during the
war with the imperial German
government: chiefly because it
Is at our very doors. We are
at the crossroads Of our national
destiny. The issue is, shall this con-
tinue to be q democracy, government
by the people as q whole, or shall a
faction. . class. an organisation Of
any sort. DEFY public opinion. ignore
the needs. the necessities Of the
t common people. and set itself above
the fEw and above the public welfare!
That u bolshevism pure and simple
f; stand in this solemn place and is
sue this solemn warning to the
American people. II you would re-
main . free people. rise in your
majesty and defeat this conspiracy
Against law, order and the common
veal"
mo answer Of the coal operators to
The demands were put into the Kec-
ord. and as
MMERs' DEMANDS they have not
HELD IMPOSSIBLE. been published
in full hereto
fbre. may be interesting reading.
since It appears likely that following
the big steel strike. a. coal strike may
occupy public attention Here Is the
arswer In part:
Your acting president, Mr.. Lewis.
has transmitted to us. and moved the
acceptance of, q list of demands.
These demands are radically extrava-
CANT and manifestly impossible of ac-
C0pL8uCoS III dQ0laOu " WHICH luCy
indicate a. a disregard by the United
Mine Workers Of America Of their OBJ
legations under an existing contract
solemnly entered into and still in
force; (2) q complete lack Of author
ity on your part to negotiate as pro-
vided and intended by the call: and
(3) include an autocratic notice that
unless we accept these demands you
are instructed to call a general strike
of all bituminous coal miners and
mine workers Of the United States on
November !.
Passing for the moment the arbi-
trary and wholly un-Amerfcan way in
which we are asked to act without re-
gard to our contract rights or to pub
lie welfare. and with the unqualified
strike order as an implied threat, let
us review briefly the more important
Of your demands.
"(1) In place Of the existing eight
hour day, six-day week. you demand a
six-hour day from bank to bank five
twenty-five hours or less of actual
work per week, and which. with no
double shifting Of working places or
productive machinery, as also demand
ed. would be q reduction of possible
productive effort to practically one
half Of present and altogether rea-
eonable standards, with resulting in
crease in costs. Such a demand can
not be entertained. National necessity
demands the greatest possible produc-
tion of essential commodities.
"(4) You demand a so per cent in
crease in wage scale. time and one
half for overtime, and double time
for legal holidays and Sundays. Ac-
ceptance Of these demands. with the
indirect increases inherent to other
items Of your demands. would more
o. -