Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-03
Back-to-the-Mines
Idea Is Now Growing
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Idea Is Now Growing
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Attorney General Palmer a few
hours after the injunction was is.
sued at indianapolis. Members Of
the delegation said at the time they
merely wanted to offer their good
offices to the government" and Mr.
Stone personally declined to discuss
the strike, saying the brotherhood's
attitude would be made known later
Today's statement was the first for
NAL one to come from any member
of the railroad delegation since the
conference.
Chicago. Nov. IA crucial test OF
strength in the great strike of soft
coal miners, which already has made
idle more than 425,0M men, accord
ing to union leaders claims. was
awaited tonight by both operators
and miners to develop tomorrow
morning when the mine whistles
sounded the call to work. &
Although the strike went into ef-
feet at midnight Friday night, both
sides to the controversy have agreed
that Monday would prove the power
or lack of it on the part Of the
United Mine Workers Of America to
stop production of bituminous coal.
In some sections, notably western
Kentucky, union miners have con-
tinued to work under an agreement
entered into several weeks ago.
Tomorrow also will put to the
test, in part at least, the power of
the United States government as
expressed through the injunction,
issued Friday by Federal Judge An
derson at Indianapolis restraining
union officials from issuing further
strike orders or encouraging the
miners to join in the strike. Most
union chiefs gave immediate obed-
fence to the government order but
their men in most instances left
the mines Friday and refrained yes
terday from returning to work.
Strike Very Effective. n
Union leaders in announcing that
more than 100000 had quit work
declared the strike was virtually 100
per cent effective.
Coal operators did not wholly
concede the union mems claims.
The operators pointed to practi-
cally normal production in the huge
nonunion mine fields of West Vir-
ginia and Pennsylvania, there being
about 100000 nonunion miners in
those two states. West Virginia
operators maintained that in that
state soft coal production was at 50
per cent normal. About so per cent
of Kentucky's' 10000 union miners
were also at work yesterday under
contracts.
In Alabama, where the miners
chiefs said $4,000 of the 10000 min,
ers had walked out, operators, while
not denying the figures, pointed to
some of the larger mines of that
state as still in operation.
In North Dakota most of the l,500
Ignite miners remained at work.
In Utah the majority of miners
remained at work, it was reported,
because of conflicting statements
that the strike was off and that it
was not off. At least 1000, how
ever, had struck, it appeared.
Five Mines Operate.
Colrado's mining districts were
largely closed down, although the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company re-
ported five mines in operation.
Yesterdays reports said only 800
of the 1880 miners in New Mexico
had struck.
Elsewhere, especially in the great
bituminous fields Of Pennsylvania.
West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois. the strike apparently was
fully effective.
The full effect of the governments
action in the strike. including the
rehabilitation of the fuel administra-
ton and the seizure of coal in transit
by the railroads for redistribution
by regional committees has not been
indicated. The War department, it
became known yesterday, had or
dered the O'Gara mine, near Spring
field, ILL.,, which supplies Camp
Grant at Rockford, ILL.,, with coal, to
continue operation. The company
was unable to comply as the miners
remained away from the mine.
Coal operators in many regions
have expressed themselves as ready
% operate if possible under govern
ment orders and protection. Union
leaders generally have asserted not
even the government could compel
the miners to work.
C,,~J,,, Dos.~~ Nat AZ,