Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-31
ORDERS STRIKING
mine laborers in Illinois and Indiana to
rof,,rp In work

Inequalities IN the existing wage schlc
held by the strike leaders to be the canse
Of the walkout which has closed most OF
the luminous mines IN the two States -
may exist, the President said.
He added that he could not recommend
correction of any inequalities until the
strikers returned To their jobs but that
when they did so he would invite the
Joint scale committee OF operators and
miners to meet for the purpose OF adjust
ing any siich inequalities.
The President issued his appeal in the
form OF a telegram addressed To the United
Mine Workers of America after he bad
studied report on the coal situation sub
mitted by Secretary of Labor Wilson.
President Wilson's telegram follows:
IL ia with feeling Of profound regret
and sorrow that have learned that many
OF the members of your organization, par
ticularly IN the State of Illinois, have en-
gagged in a strike in violation Of the terms
OF the awAu OF the Bituminous Coal
Commission and your agreement with the
government that the findings OF the COM
mission would be accepted by You na ftnai
and binding | am distressed not only
because your action in refusing To mine
coal upon the terms which You had &C
repted NAV result in great suffering IN
many households during the coming
winter and interfere with the continuation
of industrial and agricultural activity,
which il the basis of the prosperity
which YOU in common with the balance
of our people have been enjoying, but
also. and what is of far more Importance,
because the violation Of the terms OF
your solemn obligation inpairE your good
name, destroys tho confidence which "
the basis of all mutual agreement and
threatens the very foundation Of fair in
d,lstrial relations No government, no
employe, no person having any reputa-
tion 10 protect can afford 10 cnter into
con,ract,ial relations with any organisa-
ton which systematically or repeatedly
violates ita contracts.
The United Mine Workers of America
is the largest single labor organization IN
the United States, If not IN the world, but
no organization can long endure That sets
up ita own strength "a being superior
10 it's plighted faith or its duty 70 society
at large. II has in the past built mp an
enviablc reputation for abiding by it's con
tracts, which has been one vt its most
valuable assets in making wage agree
ments II may now make temporary gnlns
by taking advantage Of the dire necessl-
ties Of the balance Of the people through
the violation Of these contracts, hut
what Of the futureP How can u expect
wage contracts with the employers 10
he continued in the face of such viola
lions when normal conditions have been
restored and the country IL free from tho
immediate shortapr Of rnalf How will il
be able 20 reHisi the claims nf the operators
IN the future 10 take advantage Of the pre-
Iu. hi eh Qft
and decrease wage rates in the middle of
n wage contract under the plea that they
are unable 10 cell the coal at the then
existing coat Of production A mere state
ment az these questions ought to be
sufficient to awaken the mine workers 70
tho dangerous course they are pursuing
and the injuries they arc infiirtinr upon
themselves and the country at large hy
the adoption Of these unwartsntad strike
policies.
In the consideration of the nationwide
wage scale involving many different class
os of labor hy the BituminouH Coal Conn
mission in the limited time AT its disposal
romc inequalities may have developed IN
lis award that ought to be corrected.
! cannot. however recommend any con
sidcration of such inequalities a. long as
the mine workers continue tn strike IN
violation of the terms of the award which
they had accepted ~ their wage agree
ment for definite length of time. J must,
therefore, insist that the striking mine
workers return 20 work, thereby dem
onstrating their good faith in keeping their
contract. When | have learned that
they have thus returned to work | VIII in
vito in the scale committee Of the operators
and miners for the purpose OF adjusting any
sufA inequalities as they may mutually
agree should be adjusted.
Indianapolis. Julv 3i.-Iohn L. Lewis.
president Of the United Mine Workers of
America, in announcing today that he
would direct all striking miners IN the
Illinois and Indiana coal fields to return
10 work in compliance with telegram
from President Wilson, said that the sug-
gest,ons OF the President would be APP
proved bv every right thinking and
loval member Of the United Mine
Workers and would be considered n
singing rebuke TO men Of the type Of
Frank Harrington who have maliclousiy
melted men TO disregard their contract
obligations
The telegram of President Lewis said.
fIn consideration of the request of the
President, | herewith direct all members
of our organization who may be idle or on
strike contrary TO the provisions of tho
interstate joint agreement TO Immediately
return TO their employment and permit
the normal operation of the mines, Meet
ings of your local unions should be inn
mediately convened and action taken TO
comply with this order without delay.
The Presidents Telegram emphasizes the
grave responsibility which devolves upon
every member of our organization TO con-
form to proper procedure within our union
and TO discharge their obligations TO
organized society"
Springfield, H., July 31-"President
Lewis attack on me is not going to count
anything toward getting the Illinois
miners back to work" said Frank Far
rington, president of the Illinois mine
workers today. II was active in teaching
men obedience to their contractual obli-
cations before ever Mr.. Lewis became
an officer OF the miners union"
Eighty thousand striking miners IN
Illinois drew two weeks pay yesterday
Some of them were penalized as much as
sl4 apiece because of the strike, but a
majority of them were told the penalty
would not be imposed until the next pay.
Topeka, Kansas, July 3l.-Officers OF
the Kansas court of Industrial Relations
on orders of Governor Allen today began
an investigation OF the strike of Kansas
coal miners which, according to State
officials, reduced coal production of the
district about one third. The report Of
4. :.