New Britain herald., 1919-11-03


 of the tie-up that has been brought about by refusal Of larse mum bers of workers to remain at their posts. There is a possibility that a state ment, giving pertinent figures will be received in this office for publication upon one of our late pages.
 Morning news bulletins define the government as being confident that the backbone of the strike will be broken in very few days, possibly Tt once. There is an opinion that the strikers will heed the government ac- tion taken against the leaders ana 20 back to production. The lack or or ganizers who have been oflclally re- strained. may have d decided effect. It might have been ventured at the start that organizers were reSpohslole for inc seemingly lar5c estimate Of tho ,,un,l,cr of men who did not go to work last Saturday. However, We n,ust abandon precedent in contenl- n,ating this strike. Unlike the steel strike, there will probably be no con- nictinc statements as to the mum Der of men out and tho production at the mines. Labor heads will not be able to magnify their case, as the govern ment has taken action against them and they will have to watch their ac- tions very closely. Probably the abuse of President Wilson by Acting President Lewis, of the miners, was the last public statement he will make, excepting under oath in court, unless he is quoted upon a settlement. However, the operators arc not in- clined to minimize the extent of the walkout. They chcerfully acknoWl- edge that a large number of men arc not working There is nothing for them to gain in pretending that the mines are not crippled; in fact, they have an indirect benefit in giving it out that they are. Public sentiment is lined up with the minc workers much more than it was with the steel strikers, and friends may be made by making the conditions at the mines appear very bad; at least, enemies may be made for the fighters opposed to "capitaI' in the person of the operators.
 So we may expect to have d sum- narzation of the situation each day which VIC may be sure to be reason ably accurate. There is some reason in the statement that there might have been many more men out of the mines last Saturday than would ordi- narily have been the case. It has hard to ascertain just how many had actually quit and how many were simply taking d weekend vacation. The real test is to come today after a count of noses. After today the progress of the strike will be marked by the daily count, and we may soon see whether the tendency of the la boring man is away from or back to the> mines.
 The ight~that has been threatened l has simply come to pass, that is all l If the operators and the government ] win, it may be the turning point in l the High Cost -of-Living circle; it may ] mean that wages are no longer 10 continue upward. If the coal strikers ] win their demands, coal will cost 1 moro quite naturally. If coal costs l more, the articles that coal helps to ! mans costs of living will go up and 1 he will give another punch to the l balloon of prices by asking for more l wages, which again will eventually 1 react against those who depend upon 1 what he produces; they will want 1 more and so forth without cessati tion. l But-sure as fate--if the strikers lose ! this; time we will have another class ] of workmen to deal With before very long. If they lose, another will crop l, up. It is the duty of the American l people to see that each man gets what i he honestly earns, that the fruits of ] labor are not entirely diverted into 1 the hands or capital and, finally that |, the labor prolitecr is as firmly dealt l with as the capitalistic proiitcer. l Then, and then only, will we have in l rdustral peace, if it may ever be 1 brought about.