Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-25
UNIONS MAY CLOSE
ALL COAL MINES
IN CENTRAL FIELD
Lewis Warns Against Modi-
fication of Interstate
Agreement.
10000 MEN WOULD BE
| AFFECTED BY WALK0UT
Charges Operators Are Robbing
Public by Asking Fabu-
lous Prices.

By the Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS, July 24.-Possibil-
ity OF a general strike of bituminous
coal miners through the central COM
petitive field was revealed in a state
ment given out here tonight by John
L. Lewis. president of the United Mine
strike now in progress in the Illinois
field.
Any settlement Of the Illinois strike
which would modify the basic inter-
state agreement under which the
miners Of the central field are now
national oficers\ to enforce an inn
mediate shutdown of all the bitumi-
nous mines. involving a strike Of
0,000 men, Mr.. Lewis said.
Coal Commission Blundered.
Mr.. Lewis declined to amplify his
statement. declaring that he consid-
cred it self-explanatory. His state
ment follows:
n0is coal fields is directly chargeable
to the lamentable blunder of the
United States. bituminous coal COM
mission. which. in its majority award,
failed to- provide adequate compensa-
ton for certain ciassifications of
mine workers. This award was af-
frmed by President Wilson over the
protest of the national officers of the
United Mine Workers and in violation
of the pledges of the United States
government that justice would be
rendered the miners.
''Since the rendition of the award the
mine workers in most of the coal
producing fields have been employed
but a small percentage of full time.
due to the miserable breakdown of
the nations transportation facilities.
In the meantime the coal operators
are charging unprecedented prices
for coal and are enthusiastically en-
eaging in what one may term the
sun dance of the profteers.
Prices Are Outrageous.
IN CSElafu SSCtiOHS COtl Is SELLING at
the outrageous and indefensible price
of from eleven to twelve dollars per
ton fob. the mines. The American
public is being sandbagged by these
daring commercial vandals who stag
ger beneath their loot.
when the basic wage agreement
between the mirrors and operators was
consummated iarch 81. the repre-
sentatives of mine workers at
that time at ed to secure the
acQuiescence e operators in an
arrangement Wi. II would give justice
to the day workers and monthly men.
Their efforts were repulsed by the
United Mine Workers have in every
way assumed the obligations of the
wage agreement to which the Illinois
coal operators are a party.
The publicly expressed desire OF
the Illinois operators to now amend
the wage agreement has not been
officially transmitted to the officers
Of the national union. which has
supervision over such matters. IL
settlement is made in Illinois, which
modifies the basic interstate agree
ment. prompt action will be taken by
this ONCE to force an immediate
shutdown Of all mines operating in
the central competitive field. involv-
ing some two hundred and ten thou
sand men. until similar notifications
together with other improvements
are arranged for in the other coal
producing states"
Awaits Further Word.
Mr.. Lewis would not discuss the
calling of a general strike, which was
indicated in the last paragraph OF his
statement as a possibility if the
miners of Illinois negotiate a separate
agreement with the operators Of that
state.
He said he was awaiting further
word regarding the attempts made to
settle the Illinois strike. Immediately
following the announcement Of the
agreement between the operators and
miners officials last March, which
agreement was made on the basis of the
coal strike settlement commission, there
were sporadic strikes of company men.
or day men, throughout the central com.
petitive field. These men perform the
labor incidental to the mining OF coal
They declared that they were not given
an increase commensurate with those
granted the other workers in the mines
Go Back to Work." Union
Chief Urges Coal Miners;