The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-11-29
COVE ERNMENT
WILL PROSECUTE
DEF|E RS Of LAW
Blunt Notice Served On Coal
Miners and Operators
PROTECTION FOR MINERS
Operators Are Trying to Resume Coal
Production BY Offering ID Per
Cent Increase

Washington, Nov. 2S.-The govern
ment served blunt notice on soft coal
miners and operators tonight that in
terference with coal production would
not be tolerated
Warning that legal prosecution
would be employed to thwart conspira
cies by either side and troops sent
wherever necessary to protect min
ers willing to work. came from the
department of justice after members
of the cabinet had considered every
phase of the fuel situation, admitted
ly critical, in view of the abrupt
breaking off of negotiations.
1t is not the intention of the gov
ernment to let the mines remain idle
with half Of he country in he tgrip of
cold wather and the coal stocks rapid
ly diminishing.
The administration, it was said by
those in a position to know, had fully
expected the miners to reject the
fourteen per cent wage increase Of
fered by Fuel Administrator Garfield
Anticipating this. plans had been con-
sidered for augmenting the present
output of bituminous mines, officially
figured at better than forty per cent
OF normal.
A statement by Assistant District
Attorney General Ames. issued late
in the day, gave assurance to all min
ers that they would be afforded
ample protection if they returned to
work, even if troops had to be called
out. This was the only definite state
ment of policy from the government
In official circles it was said that the
federal authorities were determined
to force resumption of operations on
the terms laid down by the fuel ad-
ministratoF.
The department of justice state
ment called attention to the fact that
strucions here by the war department
in connection with the possible use Of
troops in coal field regions still were
in effect and that department com
manders stood ready to guard the
fields the instant their aid was re-
qnested by the state authorities.
Operators tonight set out to re-.
sume production, so far as that was
possible under the muddled conditions
by telegraphing notice for posting at
mines everywhere offering an in
crease of fourteen per cent for all
men willing to work
There were few expressions as to
how this information might be re-
ceived, but representatives of the
miners here still declared it would be
no incentive, and that it would be
ignored, especially in the central com.
petitive fields, embracing the states
of Ohio. Illinois, Indiana and Western
Pennsylvania. Operators, however,
believed that it would draw large
to the mines and that next
week would see a big increase in the
daily soft coal output
DR. Garfield had explained earlier
in the day that he regarded fourteen
per cent just and sufficient wage
advance for mine workers and that
mine owners who did not cooperate
with the government would find their
properties taken over and operated
by the fuel administration.
John l.. Lewis, acting president of
the United Mine Workers of America,
who had borne the brunt of the wage
negotiation fighting, went home to.
night worn out by the long wrangle.
Before leaving for indianapolis, Lewis
saw Secretary of Labor Wilson and
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor He
did not have much to say about the
and explained that he had
with Gompers to have the
federation's lawyers assist counsel
for the miners in perfecting their ap-
peal from the ruling OF Federal Judge
Anderson ordering the coal strike or
der cancelled