The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-09-22
JOAQUIN VALLEY
RULED BY UNIONS.
Charged Workers Aim to Bring
About U. S. Intervention.
STRIKERS GUARD HIGHWAYS
oil Producers at San Francisco Issue
Statement Saying Vehicles Are
Stopped by Armed Men--Bar-
riers Have Been Erected.

San Francisco, Sept. 20.-A lawless
condition exists in the San Joaquin
valley oil fields and leaders in the
4 strike of oil field workers there seek
4 objects which mean specialization Of
s the industry, says statement MADE
n public by the Oil Producers associ-
alton this morning.
The statement declares the purpose
of the strike to be ito bring pressure
on the government to interfere and
assume obligations of mediation and
arbitration which they (the workers
leaders) intend shall develop into con-
troll of the industry" 1t continues:
Armed Strikers Guard Roads.
"The highways are guarded by
strikers, vehicles using them are
stopped and passengers permitted TO
pass only by permission of the strik-
ers. Constables in these districts
have deputlzed several hundred strik-
! ers, thus permitting them to carry
weapons openly.
Guards Turned Back.
AT night barbados have been
erected across highways. Men who
attempted to remain at work have
been obliged to quit. Guards sent
TO protect the companies properties
against depredations have been turned
back. A trainload of such guards was
derailed. Officers of the companies
have been shot at"
The statement adds that a super
government has been set up by Ger
tain strikers in the oil districts" and
declares that many of the workers
are badly misinfOrmed."
Miners Bar State Board.
Walsenburg, Colo, Sept. 20.-Min-
ers of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company will not submit the question
of wages to the state industrial COM
mission, which is scheduled to re-
sumo its hearing in the wage con-
troversy here this week, John Z. Nc
Lehman, district president of the Uni
ted Mine Workers, stated.
Formal announcement of this posi-
ton will be made to the commission
at the opening of the session by Ro-
milly E. Foote, attorney for the min
ers, it was said
Not Binding on Miners.
This position means, in the opinion
of Mr.. McLennan, that any decision
the commission may make in regard
to wages will not be binding upon
the miners. The state industrial law
provides, he said, that any decision of
the commission affecting wages, in
order to be binding, must be agreed
to by both parties to the dispute.
Officials of the United Mine Work
ers take the position that the only
question before the commission is
whether or not the state industrial
law was violated by the Colorado Fuel
and Iron company when it put in eff
feet wage reductions in several of its
mines, ranging from % to 33 per
cent They hold that the justice or
Injustice of the proposed new wage
scale is not before the commission. as
the commission was never notified of
any reduction, as required by the in
dustrial law.
Strike Is Threatened.
The sentiment of officials of the
United Mine Workers is that a de-
cison Of the commission awarding a
reduced scale will precipitate a strike.
They contend they are working I'M
der a federal award guaranteeing the
present scale until April l, 1922, and
have announced that any attempt to
change this scale will be resisted with
every means available to the organi-
cation.