The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-08-04
E::......E2SCANFL GOD
M4RKETWITRCOAL
Not Responsible For Shortage,
Union Officer Says.
LACK OF CARS IS BLAMED
Federation of Labor Official Declares
There is No Such Thing as "Open
Shop" in This Country.

Shop" in This Country.
Atlantic City, Aug. 4. - William
Green, international secretary OF the
United Mine Workers, in conference
with the executive council of the
American Federation of Labor, alb
solved the miners Of the country from
any responsibility whatsoever for a
fuel shortage during the coming win
ter
III there is to be a shortage the
fault must be placed elsewhere than at
the door of the miners" Green de-
clared.
The trouble is cars" he continued.
THAT is where the blame rests.
Whether it is up to the railroads or
the operators, or to both, we are not
prepared to say; but we do assert in
unqualified terms that it certainly is
not tie miners.
Give US the cars and we will give
the country all the coal it possibly can
use. We have the men to flood the
market with coal if the cars are
brought to the mines so that we can
) load them.
Our position is not a pleasant one.
Our men want work; the country
wants and must have coal. Somebody's
duty it certainly is to produce the cars
at the mines so that we can load them
and the people will be guaranteed
against actual suffering and the sus-
pension of plants through lack of
fuel
With Samuel Gompers in the chair,
the executive council of the American
Federation sat to hear a jurisdictional
dispute between the plumbers, the
sheet metal workers and the machin-
lists, referred from the Montreal con
vention to Atlantic City. No decision
was reached.
Absence from the meeting of John
Lewis, president of the Mine Work
ers, is said to indicate the miners will
not bring the wage question before the
present session.
James Duncan, of Quincy, Mass,
one of the most powerful men next to
GomperS and Morrison in the A. F. of
L., declared there was no such thing
in the country as the open shop" so
far as labor is concerned.
"All this talk about Il drive for an
open shop in industry is weariSome, -"
the Massachusetts leader declared.
The phrase is miS,ea ling. There is
and cannot he, so far ;gS labor is con-
cerned, an open shop. Under labOr's
point of view there are but TWO kinds
of shops, the union and the non-union
shop"
Labor is prepared TO go along with
President Gompers, Secretary Morri-
son and other federation chiefs in
their proposal that labor, as a bust
ness proposition, shall support its
friends and vote against candidates
believed to be antagonistic to the aims
of the national organization.
1t is firmly established conviction
in high labor circles that the Wilson
administration has been successful,
but they are not ready TO be delivered
bodily to a Democratic national ticket
OE plSuSel u support MI. w IlSOu :
party in its state fights through graft
tude.
Nothing is asked of any man on
the score of either religion or politics
when he goes into a labor uniOn," a
man high in the councils of the build
ing trades said. He is asked only to
be a union man and to vote for the
best interests of labor regardless of
the politics of the candidate he eS-
pouses or opposes
The executive council standing by
Mr.. Gompers in his uncompromising
contention that there can be no reduc,
ton in wage scales until the high cost
of living is reduced first. Resentment
is strong over the alleged favoritism
shown TO the farmer by congress and
threats of farmers organizations in
the west to sand the high cost of farm
products still higher.