The Washington times., 1919-11-06
MINERS WILL DEFY
|. .ANT|-STR|KE ORDER
Continued from First Rage.)


diana. and Illinois, asking sufficient
coal for storage and packing plants.
John l.. Lewis, acting president of
the United Mine Workers, has sent
two additional ernissaries to Wash
ington to make final representations
to the Government. Their exact mis-
sion has not been disclosed. Walter
l.. James. who has represented the
organization here for several weeks,
left last night for his home in Hills
boro, Illinois, and will give an account
of the Washington situation to Lewis
and the United Mine Workers lead.
ers
Injunction Bars Treaty.
Aside from the injunction. the lab
orites are willing to resume negotia-
tions with the operators Immediately.
The operators believe they have a
duty to the Government to perform in
refusing to treat with the strike lead
ers until the strike has been called
off. 1t is pointed out, however. that
Judge Ames' statement, denying Mr..
Gompers' request-for a withdrawal of
the injunction, contained a tacit in
vitation to the operators and strikers
to get together, saying that the Gov
ernment had nothing to do with the
issue of negotiations between the two
forces. -e. .r
Secretary of Labor Wilson is stili
working on plans to effect settle
ment of the strike, although the min
ers are absolutely opposed to any
move in the direction of arbitration.
The American Federation of Labor
may be represented in the injunction
proceedings at Indianapolis Saturday,
inasmuch as the issue is one in which
all labor thinks a vital interest is at
stake.
Labor Ready to Appeal.
The labor lawyers think that II Is
foregone conclusion that a perma-
nent injunction will be granted by
Judge Anderson, If the Department of
Justice asks for it; but are prepared
to appeal the question to the United
| States Supreme Court for the sake of
an exact determination of what their
rights are in the matter. They point
| out, however, that the appeal to the
| highest court will be a matter of
; months, IL not of years, and that a
| victory in the Supreme Court for the
United Mine Workers will have no
practical effect on the present situa-
| ton.
Demands for immediate delivery of
| coal poured into the Railroad Admin
| istrstion offices here from schools,
factories. governors, mayors. and local
! officials in all parts of the country.
I Railroads were reported cutting
down their train service to the mini
mum.
Most Government officials again to-
day predicted the strike would con-
tinue for long time. 9.
Few miners are returning to work,
according to reports to both the Gov
ernment and the operators organiza-
tion here. Although the operators,
late yesterday, claimed thirty-one
| mines were in operation in West vir-
| ginia. the Justice Department failed
| to verify the report. The only report
| made public by the Justice Depart
ment showed that 80 per cent more
mines are running today than yester-
day in two Colorado counties
The Senate Labor Committee, which
has been investigating the steel
strike, is ready to make its report and
take up investigation of the coal
strike, Chairman Kenyon said today.
The coal probe will not be started
until after the Injunction hearing
Saturday at Indianapolis.