Arizona republican., 1920-07-25
GENERAL STRIKE IN CENTRAL COAl
 FIELD |S POSSIBLE LEWIS DECLARES
Settlement of Illinois Strike That Would Modify the Interstate Agreement will Bring Complete Shutdown He Says
Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel

Republican A. p. Leased Wlre1 As
 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, July 24.--
 Possibility of a general strike of
 bituminous coal miners through
 the central competitive field was
 revealed in statement given out
 here tonight by John L. Lewis.
 president of the United Mine Work-
 CTS of America regarding the 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 min-@ CTS of the central field are now worz- ing would result in action by the nar- tional officers to enforce an immediate shutdown of all the bituminous mines. involving strike of 21o.000 men, ME4 Lewis said
 Lewis Statement
 MT. Lewis declined to 2mplhy h14 statement, declaring that he considered it self-explanatory- His statemen& follows:
 s.The present situation in the Illinois coal fields is directly chargeable to thG States bituminous coal commission which, in it's majority award, failed tn provide adequate compensation f0r certain classifications of mine workers This award was affirmed by President Wilson over the protest of the national oAA1NCIS VI LIle OIl1L6 l1lo W OGkGI4 0L America and in violation of the pledges of the United States government tha4 justice would be rendered the miners.
 Says Coal Prices indefensihIe
 Since the rendition of the award the mine workers in most of the coal producing fields have been employed but small percentage of full time, owe% ing to the miserable breakdown of th@ nations transportation facilities. In the meantime the coal operators ar@ charging unprecedented prices for coal and are enthusiastically engaging in what one may term the sun dance ok the profiteers- In certain sections coal Is selling at the outrageous and inde< fensible price of from s11 to ZIP peg ton f. O. b. mines. The American pub- lie is being sandbagged by these dzr~- ing commercial vandais who staggee beneath their loot
 1 When the basic wage agreement be- tween the miners and operators was consummated on March S1. the repre- sentatives of the mine workers at that ] time attempted to secure the ac- quiescence of the operators in an ar engagement which would give justice to the day workers and monthly men, Their efforts were repulsed by the coal operators, since which time the United Mine Workers have in every way assumed the obligations of the wage agreement to which the Illinois operators are a party. The publicly expressed desire Of the Illinois oper- ators to now amend the wage agree ment has not been officially trans mitted to the officers of the national union, which has supervision over such matters.
 Would Force Complete Shutdown eff settlement is made in Illinois which modifies the basic interstate | agreement prompt action will be taken by this office to force an immediate shutdown of all mines operating in the central competitive field involving some 210,000 men until similar modin cations together with other improve ments are arranged for in the other coal producing states"
 MT. Lewis would not discuss the call ing of a general strike as possibility | if the miners of Illinois negotiate sep crate agreement with the operators of the state. Immediately following tha | announcement of the agreement be- i tween the operators and miners off, cials last March, which agreement was made on the basis of the coal strike 1 settlement commission, there were spo- radio strikes of company men, or day men throughout the central compett- tive field. These men perform the | labor incidental to mining of coal. They declared that they were not given | increases commensurate with those granted the other workers in the miness
 Urges Men to Resume Work SPRINGFIELD. IL, July 24-"Go back to work" was the advice tele- graphed to miners locals today by Vice President Harry F'ishwick Of the Illinois Miners union. With depart ment of labor conciliators on tha ground waiting to start conciliation eff forts Monday morning, Mir. Fishwfck believes a considerable number Of miners will give heed to his order and return to the mines.