The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-23
Institutions WILL
SUFFER IF MINERS
STOP WORK SMITH

Every public institution in the state
will suffer severely If the prediction Of
coal miners and operators of the cen
trail field, indicted by federal grand
jury at Indianapolis recently, come
true.
This statement was made Tuesday
morning by DR.. s. E. Smith, superin.
tendent of Easthaven. Dr. Smith is a
member of the state purchasing board,
which buys coal and other supplies for
all state institutions.
Of1cials of miners and operators or
ganizations predicted that under the
indictment of the federal grand Jury,
1t would be impossible to sit in a wage
scale conference on April 1, and that
If no scale were made, miners would
stop work and production cease.
"Easthaven has not only two or
three weeks supply of coal on hand"
DR.. Smith declared, "and other institu.
ttons Of the state are in even worse
condition. The board has made futile
efforts to purchase coal on the open
market, but it is impossible to find free
coal.
1.-THE situation throughout the state Is
really serious, and state institutions
are facing greater shortage than they
did last November during the coal
strike. Members of the board sent
men to the mines in an effort to dis
cover the cause for the fuel shortage,
but so far the whole affair cannot be
solved.
Why are Cars Lacking?
Operators claim that the shortage
Is due to lack of cars for transporting
the production, and that the men are
forced into idleness through lack Of
transportation. The men sent to the
mines found no cars, but why the cars
are lacking is a mystery"
Indiana university, the penal institu-
tions and hospitals of the state will be
affected alike by stoppage of produc-
ton, DR.. Smith said. He declared that
all of these institutions were barely
keeping enough coal on hand
The city light plant will not be great
ly effected by the threatened stoppage,
| according to Superintendent Dillon, un-
| less federal control of fuel is resumed,
and the coal confiscated by the rail
roads.
Domestic Consumers Safe.
I'VE are receiving coal every day al
the light plant" Dillon said Tuesday
LAS far as ! can see now, we will not
be greatly affected by a stoppage such
as is threatened"
City coal dealers have for some time
had only enough coal to supply the
city's normal needs, but all have SAID
they would pull through safely Domes
tic consumers are safe until warm
weather comes for good.
NEW YORK, March 23.-The gener
al scale committee representing the
anthracite mine workers met here to
day to decide whether the hard Goa
diggers will remain at work on Apri
I, pending the negotiation of a new
wage agreement. The operators have
asked the mine workers to remain il
the mines after March 81, when the
present contract expires.
Union leaders predicted before goin.
into session that the men would no
remain at work unless the mine own
ers agreed to make any wage increase
retroactive to the expiration date o
the present contract. The OPERATOR
are understood to oppose any such ar
rangement on the grounds that an!
wage advances will have to be mad'
up by raising the price of coal. The,
contend that coal prices cannot b.
made retroactive and they would suffe