New-York tribune., 1920-08-27
YOUR WINTERS COAL

Have you taken thought of your win
ter's coal?
1t is still under ground awaiting the
activities of the men about the mines to
bring it to the surface, load it on the cars
and start it toward your bin.
The activities of the men at the mines,
here and elsewhere, have been suspended
by order of the United Mine Workers.
We profess to be nothing more than
spectators of what is going on in the coal
fields of Illinois and Kansas, but the pro-
ceedlngs there have such bearing upon our
condition in the Williamson field that we
are constrained briefly to bring them to
notice.
The strikers there are under solemn
contract, guaranteed by the officers of the
United Mine Workers, to perform certain
service at stated rate of wages for
given term of years. In spite of this con-
tract to which miners operators and the
government of the United States were
parties, the miners, under sanction and
protection of the United Mine Workers,
laid down their tools and quit their work
So fragrant was the violation of contract
in Illinois that the President of the United
States, when asked to provide a way of
settlement, rebuked the United Mine
Workers. organization for its repeated
violations of contract. He said:
"It is with feeling of profound regret and
that l learned that many of the men,
bers of YOUR organization, particularly in the
state of Illinois, have engaged in strike in
violation of the award of the btuminous coal
commission, and your agreement with the gov
ernment that the findings of the commission
would be accepted by you as final and binding
I am distressed not only because your action in
refusing to mine coal upon the terms which you
had accepted may result in great suffering in
many households during the coming winter
and interfere with the continuation Of indus
trial and agricultural activity, which is the
basis of the prosperity which you in common
with the balance of our people have been en-
joying. but also, and what rs of far more i'm
portance, because the violation of the terms of
your solemn obligation mpairs your good name,
destroys the confidence which is the basis of
all mutual agreements and threatens the very
foundation of fair industrial relations No gov
ernment, no employer, person having any
reputation to protect afford to enter into
contractural relations with any organization
which Systematically repeatedly violates it's
contracts"
In Kansas, the contention has not been
for higher wages, as in Illinois, but for the
acceptance of five day week and a six
hour day,
The contract in Kansas provides that:
"pending final settlement of anv dispute
the mine shall continue in operation and
all miners, mine laborers and parties in
volved shall remain at work, except dis
charged EMPLOYEES"
The interest of the Williamson field
operators in these STRIKES as we'll as the
705 other strikes called and maintained bv
the miNers in Kansas during forty-ive
months, is the evidence that the United
Mine Workers do not keep their contracts.
This fact has been observed by us. lust the
same as by the President of the United
States, who made it the subject of sting
ing rebuke.
The cessation of work in the Williamson
coal field is due to a contest over the or
ganization of this field by the United Mine
Workers.
The Williamson field operators find
themselves influenced by many valid OBJ
Jectlons to the control of the miners of this
field by the United Mine Workers. We
might, safely and easily rest our case
with the public upon the charge lodged bv
the President of the United States and JUS
tilted by multitude of circumstances that
they do not value and enforce the contracts
that they make. No business concern will.
voluntarily, or under pressure that it can