The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-07-31
MINERS STRIKE
/. INF AIR To NATION
SAYS PRESIDENT
Urges Them to Resume Work in
Bituminous Field
MUST ABIDE BY CONTRACT
In Case for Continued ldleness Scale
Committee viii Not Be Called
to Adjust Wages.

Washington, July 3O.-President
Wilson, through the united mine
workers of America, tonight appealed
to striking nine laborers in Illinois
and Indiana to return to work. In
equalities in the existing wage scale
held by the strike leaders to be the
cause of the walkout which has closed
most of the bituminous mines in the
| two states-may exist, the president
said. He added that he could not
recommend correction on any inequa.-
it es until the strikers returned to
their jobs, but that when they did so
he would invite the joint scale COM
mittee of operators and miners to meet
for the purpose Of adjusting any such
I inequalities.
| President Lewis of the united mine
workers, it was announced at miners
headquarters in Indianapolis tonight,
will issue a mandatory order that the
strikers return Immediately to work.
| The announcement was made after a
conference had reported favorably on
the presidents telegram.
THE united mine workers of Amer
4 lea is the largest single labor or
ganzation in the United States, II not
in the world, but no organization can
I long endure that sets up its own
strength as being superior to its
| p lighted faith or its duty to society in
large It has in the past built up an
enviable reputation for abiding by its
contracts, which has been one of its
most valuable assets in making wage
: agreements. II may now make tenn
porary gains by taking advantage of
the dire necessities of the balance OF
the people through the violation OF
these contracts, but what of the fu-
ture2 How can It expect wage con-
tracts with the employers to be con-
tinued, in the face of such violations,
when normal conditions have beenrre-
stored and the country is free from the
immediate shortage of coal2 How will
t be able to resist the Gains oftthe
operators in the future to take adYan-
tage of the precedent which the min
ers have established, ~ and deeTeafe
wage rates in the, middle Ola wage
contract under the plea that they are
unable to sell the coal at the then ex-
listing cost Of production? A mere
statement of these questions ought to
be sufficient to awaken the mine work
ers to the dangerous course they are
pursuing and the injuries they are in
ficting upon themselves and the coun'
try at large by the adoption of these
unwarranted strike pol cies
In the consideration of the nation
wide wage scale involving many dif.
terant classes of labor by the bitumi'
nous coal commission in the limited
time at its disposal, some inequalities
may have developed in the award that
ought to be corrected. ! cannot, how
ever, recommend any consideration of
such inequalities as long as the mine
workers continue to strike in viola
tion of the terms of the award, which
they had accepted as their wage agree
ment for definite length of time.
must therefore, insist that the strik-
ing mine workers return to work.
thereby demonstrating their good faith
in keeping their contract. When |
have learned that they have thus re-
turned to work will invite in the
scale committee of the operators and
miners for the purpose of adjust
ing any such inequalities as they may
mutually agree shou d be adjusted