Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-17
JURY IS after
EVIDENCE COAL
LIMIT WAS SET

LuIyJI UnO OIL
Inquisltion Starts ut Indianapolis
On Schedule and win be
Nation. Wide.
Indianapolis, Ind. Dec. H.
Members of the special grand jury
summoned by United States Dis
trict Judge A. B. Anderson during
the coal miners strike, today re-
ported to the court to begin their
investigation Of alleged violations
Of the antitrust laws and the
Lever act by the miners, operators
and dealers. Several witnesses have
been subpoenaed, and it was stat
ed the inquiry will be pushed as
rapidly as possible.
Charge Limiting Production.
Determination to conduct the in
Quiry resulted from the charges
that the operators had entered a
conspiracy to limit the production
Of coal and that they were Joined
in similar conspiracy by some Of
miners.
Attorneys for the government
have stated that the grand jury's
investigation will not be confined
to Indiana, but will be nationwide
in its scope. It was pointed out
that in conspiracy cases witnesses
may be summoned from any Sec
tion Of the country without regard
to federal court districts.
Go to the Bottom.
Judge Anderson's charge to the
jury was lengthy and in conclud-
ing. he said:
Let your investigation in all
these matters be thorough and
searching and let your conclusions
be full answer to q question
which has been uppermost- in the
minds of our citizens for the past
few weeks: That is,, whether the
government of the United States or
group Of men shall rule this
country and whether we shall be
governed by law or force"
Judge Anderson instructed the
jury to investigate charges that the
mine owners not only conspired
among themselves to limit the pro-
duction Of coal but that they CON-
spired with the miners themselves.
Refers to Injunctisn.
Stress wxs inid On the failure of
the miners to return to work when
the order calling the strike Of MN
ers was rescinded by international
officers of the United Mine workers
by direction of the court. Judge
Anderson declared that the courts
, order to cancel the strike was COM
piled with lin form only" and. that
| for a month the injunction was
ignored and defied"
= Judge Anderson called attention
to the system on effect in prac-
(, tically all mines whereby the min
ers' union dues are held from theil
pay and turned over to the union by
ithe operators, He also pointed tc
/ charges that since the passage oi
| the Lever act the mine owners have
made enough profits and that these
profits have been made by handling
the business in certain particulars
| in violation Of the Lever law.
Quotes from Speeches.
The charge quotes from speech
made in the house of represents
tives on Oct. 20, in which it was
declared that union miners, by
Joint conferences with operators
(, had reached an agreement that the
! usual methods of organized labor
be utilized to destroy nonuni0r
competition. The same speech, he
said, quoted John H. Lewis, acting
president of the United Mine Work
ers. when attending one Of the
Joint conferences. as saying that as
he understood the purpose of the
meeting. it was to wipe out compe.
tition between US, as miners first
next. for the purpose Of wiping ou,
competition as between operators
in these four states Indiana, Ohio
Illinois and western. Pennsylvania)
and then. II l understand the rea
purpose of this movement, it is thai
we will jointly declare war on ev
cry man outside this competitive
feld who will do anything in any
way endangering the peace tha
exists between us"
Admission on its Face.
"On the face OF It," Judge Ander
son declared. this is a direct ad
mission by Mr.. Lewis that th'
charge Of an unlawful combination
between the mine workers and thu
mine operators is true"
Several witnesses. among then
coal mine Operators, had alread!
been summoned to appear and in
dications were that the operator!
would be the first Of the two mair
groups Of alleged violators undel
investigation. Government attor
neys have stated that they expec
to have the grand jury inquire alst
into methods Of dealers and other'
not classed with the operators o.
miners.
| Discuss Higher Price.
| Cleveland, Ohio, Dec. 17.-PrOba
bility Of coal prices increasing. aft
er the commission to be appointes
by President Wilson to investigat,
the coal situation makes its deci
sion on the bituminous coal miners
demands, was discussed. today b.
the scale committee Of the centra