Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-06
MINE WORKERS
OFF |CERS BLAMED.
FOR MINC0 FRAY
Chairman of Operators AS
ISOLATION Seeks to Answer
Statement of Samuel Com
pers Relative to Trouble.
fRx The Associnted Press.l

Washington. Sept. 5.-United
Mine Workers officials were
charged with responsibility "for
the invasion of Logan county and
proposed invasion of Mingo coun-
ty by armed miners" in a state
ment issued tonight by Harry
Olmsted, chairman of the Opera
tors association of the Williamson
field. The statement was declared
to be in answer to that Of Samuel
Gompers, which Mr.. Olmsted de-
scribed as hypocritical and in many
instances false and misleading.
Mine guards and private detec-
tives are not employed by opera
tors in the Williamson field, Mr.
Olmsted said, adding that Mr.
Gompers had deliberately misrep-
resented conditions" The charge
Of Mr.. Gompers that the uprising
had been caused by the failure of
the operators to put into effect the
award of the government wage
board was characterized as AN
other falsehood."
''The mine operators were under
no obligation to do So" the state
ment said, "they having no con-
nection with the coal fields COW
cred by that award.
Nevertheless, the increases al
lowed by the United States govern
ment were adopted in this field
promptly after the amount of in
crease had been fixed. 1t has never
before been alleged that the strike
was due to wage adjustments or
any cause other than to compel
recognition of the United Mine
Workers organization.
Goal Is measured rather than
weighed in this field. The men
have never asked to have the sys-
TEN changed.
"Mr. Gompers makes himself ri
diculous to West Virginians when
he makes his plea about the min
ers protesting against lawlessness
insofar at least, as he refers to the
United Mine Workers. The min
ers are generally law abiding. Ev-
cry disorder that has occurred IN
the mining fields of West Virginia
has been occasioned by the thugs
and outlaws Of the United Mine
Workers organization who came to
compel unionization Of these fields.
1.-THE invasion of Logan county
and the threatened invasion OF
Mingo county was threatened by the
United Mine Workers organization
in the Williamson field as early
as April and May, 1920.
"In the counties Of Logan and
Mingo, West Virginia and Pike
county, Kentucky, having an aggre-
gate area of 1858 square miles
there were not employed as many
as 100 peace officers prior to the
invasion by the organizers of the
| United Mine Workers. They were
! not needed.
Not any of these peace officers
were Baldwin Felts employees. but
included only regularly chosen
| deputies sheriff and consta bles anC
other officers
when the United Mine Work,
! ers of America was formed IL
1890 1t was recognized as law
full organization and continued az
such until 1898 when they entered
| into conspiracy with the Contra
| Competitive Filed to control the
bitumincus coal market of the
United States.
Since 1912 1t has been The
policy of the United Mine Worker.
to compel, by the, use of force ir
every conceivable way. all person:
engaged in the mining industry to
join the union and it has likewise
been its policy TO destroy all bust.
ness of non-union operators. the
end Of which would mean the sub.
lection of the coal industry of the
United States to such unjust anG
unlawful demands as 1t might de.
sire to put into force"