Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-02-25

ton to said miners, and also that ad-
Yances in the wage Of day labOrers at
said mines should be increase and that
said agreement was reduced to writing
and coptained the provisions that the
agreement would become effective only
on the condition that the selling price
Of coal should be advanced by the United
states Government sufficient to cover the
increased cost in the different districts
affected and the increase was to become
effective on the pay day following the
order advancing the increased prices,
Also, 1t is charged. the agreement con-
tanned further clause that the contract
would become effective subject to the
approval OF the next biennial convention
Of the United Mine Workers of America,
the Nine Workers representatives agree
ing that the wage then in effect continue
during the period of and not to exceed
two years from April l, 1918.
This agreement. it is charged, was
ratified and approved by a convention Of
the international Union. United Mine
Workers of America, and is generally
known and understood as the Wash
ington wage agreement" Also that at
during the continuance Of the war, was
held a meeting of the International
Union United Mine Workers Of America,
at which time the defendants attended
and participated. 1t is charged that John
L. Lewis, acting president of the inter-
national union, read the report, in which
he recommended that the Washington
wage agreement terminated at a date
not later than Nov. 1, 1919. and that un-
less another agreement was effective by
Nov /, 1919. there should be a complete
cessation Of mining operations by all
OF the members OF the United Mine
Workers of America, including the de-
PENDANTS named in the Indictment and
designated miners, and that pec1al
scale committee, also made defendants,
submitted a report to the convention
Ah1< > n Tsa1
the Washington wage agreement should
he declared to expire Nov. l, 1919, ana
that If a satisfactory wage agreemeng
was not reached between the operators
and miners for the central competCVe
field (meaning the miners OF Ilnnols, 1n-
diana Ohio and western PennsylyanldD
before Nov. 1, 1919. to replace the Wasn-
ingtOn wage agreement, the lnternauohA
officers be authorized to and were the9
and there instructed to call q geneFA
strike of all bituminous coal miners
and mine workers throughout the
United States, the same being effective
Nov. 1, 1919.
1919, a scale committee met in joint
wage conference at Buffalo, n. Y, and
that the defendants named in the indlct-
ment attended, but no action was taken
looking to the calling Of strike or
changes made in the wages then being
paid the miners under the Washington
wage scale.
On Oct. Is or 16, 1919, it is charged,
in Indianapolis, under authority con-
ferred upon them, the officers Of the
International Union, United Mine Work
ers Of America, issued certain strike
orders to the various local unions and
members of local unions to cease all WORK
in the mining Of bituminous coal at mid
night on Friday. Oct. 81, 1919, and unt1l
further notice and that the unions and
members thereof make all arrangements
So nd AnTnrpf0p
order and that the strike did occur on
the date named throughout the various
States Of the United States and the pro-
duction Of bitumtnous coal was greatly
restrained, restricted, and limited. 1t is
also charged that during the whole of
the strike the miners and operators and
their officers and representatives main'
tained in operation and effect the check
off system" and also the continued em-
ployment of certain miners, whose names
are unknown TO the grand jury, were kept
in the employment of the operators in
the business of protecting the mines and
property of the operators and keeping
them in fit and proper condition for the
miners to work in as soon as the strike
should cease, the miners being paid their
wages while employed in this work by
the operators.
1t is further charged that each and all
of the defendants named as operators, and
and each and all Of those known as
miners or their officers and repTesenta~
tives, were then and there parties to and
participated in the maintenance and enc
forcement of the agreement concerning
both the "check-off" system and the COM
tinued employment of the miners for the
protection OF the property Of the opera
tors.
Section C of the indictment charges
that in the conduct of the coal business
the operators, on their part, have certatu
seasons of the year, during the months
of February, March and April, when
oF b-aH dnal in oil
ally enter into contracts with coal opers
ators to ship and deliver the coal cons
tracted for at Il future time, known a.
future contracts. That during the month
of February, 1919, the national fuel regu-
lations were suspended by the President
of the United States, which allowed the
operators to sell their coal wherever they
pleased and to whoever they pleased, and
that thereupOn the operators indicted In
the report, together with the various coal
trade bureaus and coal organlat1ozns1
coal operators organizations and theiE
officials and as a part of this conspiracy
to restrain trade as herein alleged, ars
ranged and agreed in concert among
themselves that they would not enter
into any contract for the sale and future
of coal, and would not sell coaR
unless they were able to obtain price
the price which had been fixed and mains
tained by the national fuel admiristra<
ton, and that they planned and arranged
to carry out such conspiracy in the re-
straint of trade; planned and arranged
to curtain, restrict, prevent, limit and
lessen the production and available sup4
ply of coal below amount sufficient to
suRCly the needs of the people using and
consuming coal, and thereby created
high and fictitious market; refused I'd
sell on future contracts and refused to
mine or produce coal, thereby keeping
their mines idle: and that they reported
to the mine bureaus that there was no
market for coal and thereby caused coal
prices to increase, and in this mannes
continued until the price of coal reached
above the price of the national fuel ad.
ministration prices prior TO it's surrender,
and that they did not produce coal from
their mines until November, 1919
Section (d) of the Indictment charges
that as a part Of the conspiract the coal
trade bureaus and associations and theis
officials and members, including the secs
retaries thereof, herein named as defends
ants, and the defendants, the National
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