Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-10
PRESIDENT HURLS
CHALLENGE BACK
T0C0AL MINERS
Wires Refusal to Reconvene
Scale Committee in Face
of Strike.


day to representatives of the anthracite
mine workers in Pennsylvania, refused
to grant their request to reconvene the
Joint scale committee of operators and
miners for the purpose of considering a
Iew wage award.
The President declared that when
BODY of men collectively refrained
from working by mutual understand
ihS' however arrived at, it was a strike.
ITO matter what name was given it. A
majority of the anthracite miners had
retrained from work under the guiSe
VI taxing a vacation, the President
Sald. and he told the committee that
Mnlie ne appreciated its efforts to get
the men to return to work and COM
mended its stand in support of con-
tract obligations, he declared his un-
Wllingness to reopen the wage ques-
tion.
Text Of Message.
Ihe Presidents telegram was sent
TO Philip Murray, John Collins,
Inomas Kennedy and c. ]. Golden, at
scranton, Pa, and read:
am in receipt of your telegram
OF september 3, informing me that
you nave written the award of the
anthracite coal commission into an
agreement with the anthracite oper-
ators, despite the fact that you are
convinced that the award in itself
does not provide that measure of JUS
tice 10 which you believe your people
are entitled. I sincerely thank YOU
Tor the promptness with which you
nave acted, Notwithstanding your dis
appointment 1t is a policy of that
klnd. carried into effect by the rank
ana ME OF the workers, that has made
Tor the steady Improvement of the
conditions of the anthracite miners in
recent years and which lays the
foundation for still further progress.
lou ask me to- convene the joint
scale committee OF anthracite oper-
ators and miners for the purpose of
adjusting certain inequalities which
you assert exist in the award of the
anthracite coal commission. In that
connection your attention is called
to a telegram which 1 sent to Enoch
gram I received from them stating
that the anthracite miners would re-
frain from working unless set aside
the award of the anthracite coal COM
mission on or before September l."
The President quoted from his mes
the communication was intended as a
threat the miners could rest assured
the challenge would be accepted.
VIII Accept Challenge.
Notwithstanding the plain warning
contained in that telegram which was
given wide publicity" the President g
message continued. "the majority of
the anthracite coal miners, following
the leadership Of these men. have re-
Trained from work under the guise of
taking vacation. In doing SO they
have not deceived any one. not even
themselves. ~
when body of men collectively
refrain from working by mutual un-
derstanding, however arrived at, it
be given to it. Our people have fought
a great war and made untold sacri-
fees to insure among other things
that a solemn agreement shall not
be considered as mere scrap of
paper. We have declined to enter into
friendly relations with governments
that boast of their readiness to vio-
late treaties whenever it suits their
own convenience, and under these
world in the face or justify our ac-
tions to our own people and our own
conscience If; we yielded one iota to
the men in the anthracite coal fields
who are violating the contract so re-
Gently entered into between them
selves, the coal operators, and the
government Of the United States.
II appreciate the earnestness of
your efforts to get the men to return
to work and commend your stand in
support of the obligations of your
contracts, which all men must honor
but for the reasons stated above
regret that I cannot grant your re-
quest to reconvene the joint scale
committee of operators and miners.
Sincerely yours.