Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-28
5000 IDLE WHEN
| STEEL MILLS QUIT
FOR LACK OF COAL
Mine Official Calls for Con-
ference With Bituminous
Operators.

| BY the ASsociat ted Press.
GARY, Ind. July 2S.-As a result of
| the fuel shortage 5000 men here are
/ IDLE, it was reported today. The
American sheet and tin mill, one of
! the largest of its kind. was out of
| commission. The big bessemers in the
Gary works were operating only in
| termittently. the plant being seriously
crippled. Twelve of the big blast
| furnaces were cold.
i 1t was announced that in order to
/ continue partial operations the Gary
| works will hereafter use oil as fuel
! in many of their departments.
| Urges Orderly Process.
| INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, July 2S.-Ofii-
| Gals of the United Mine Workers of
! America are awaiting reply from
\ The Coal Operators Association to
| telegram sent late Yesterday request.
/ ing an Immediate joint conference of
miners and operators of the central
: competitive field.
! The telegram sent by John l..
! Lewis, president of the miners orr
/ yaniza tion, to Thomas T. Brewster of
I St. Louis, chairman of the operators
| executive committee. urged the con-
! ference be held to restore normal
! conditions and bring to an end the
! strikes that have broken out in the
| Indiana and Illinois fields. Mr.. Lewis
| said II was his profound conviction
| that any remedies which must be ap-
| piled should be done by orderly pro-
| cess through the instrumentality of
existing machinery within the indus
| try"
Violation of Contract.
! The strike of coal miners, according
| to miners officials, is in violation of
the contract made by the joint scale
committee of operators and miners to
carry out the report of the coal COM
mission. appointed by President Will
son. The strike. it was said. grew out
| of dissatisfaction of the day workers
and monthly men. who did not get as
large an increase in wages as the
machine and pick miners.
Lewis telegram to Mr.. Brewster fol-
/ lows:
The present disturbed situation in
the coal industry is a matter of grave
Importance and of tremendous public
concern. The commercial and social
equilibrium of our country will be in
creasinsiy disturbed unless prompt
remedial adjustments are made by
those elements charged with such re-
sponsibility. 1t is my profound con-
Nlctlon that any remedies which must
be applied should be done so by
orderly processes and through the in
strum entalty of the existing ma
chinery within the coal industry. ! am
accordingly, herewith, making an Off
cial request that you join in call
for the immediate assembling of
joint conference of operators and
miners of the central competitive field
for the purpose of giving considera-
ton to the confusion now existing in
the coal industry and the national
emergency which has thus been Great
ed, and for the further purpose of ap-
plying practical measures designed to
restore normal conditions Please ad-
wise me at the earliest possible hour
of your action.
Lewis Attacks harrington.
Lewis supplemented his telegram to
Mr. Brewster with statement in
which he declared that plans for set
Element of the dissatisfaction of the
day men were upset by the strikes in
progress now in Illinois and Indiana
In part the statement said
THE foolish attempts of the Illi-
nois operators and Frank harrington
TO make a local settlement of the
questions at issue in the coal industry
have quite naturally come to a disas-
trous failure. The surreptitiouS and
nocturnal activities of harrington are
meeting with an almost universal
condemnation of the members of the
United Mine Workers and the public
at large. | am advised that protests
against his action are being filed by
the local unions in Illinois,"
Brewster Gets Wire.
ST. LOUIS. July 2S.-The request of
John l.. Lewis. president of the
United Mine Workers of America, for
"a conference of miners and operators
to consider the strike situation. has
been communicated to the latter with
out any recommendation. Thomas T.
Brewster. chairman of the coal oper-
ators' scale committee. in the central
competitive field, announced here last
night.