Evening star., 1921-09-06
OFFICIALS OF UNION
/ BLAMED IN Mines
Operators Association Is
sues Statement in Reply
! to Samuel Gompers.

The invasion Of Logan county and
the proposed invasion of Mingo
county by armed miners" was charg-
ed to officials of the United Mine
Workers of America in a statement
last night by Harry Olmstead. chair
man of the Operators Association OF
the Williamson fields. The state
ment was declared to be an answer
to former statement by President
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor.
Mine guards and private detectives
are not employed by operators in the
Williamson field. Mr.. Olmstead said.
adding that Mr.. Gompers had de
liberately misrepresented conditions
that have preceded and surrounded
the attempt to armed invasion" The
charge of Mr.. Gompers that the up
rising had been caused by the fail
ure of the operators to put into ef-
feet the award OF the government
wage board was characterized as
orators were under no obligation to
do so." the statement said. they
having no sort of connection with the
coal fields covered by that award.
Says increases Were Adopted.
"Neverthless, the increases allowed
by the United States government
were adopted in this field promptly
after the amount of increase had been
fixed. 1t has never before been al
legged that the strike in the Williamson
field was due to wage adjustments or
any cause other than to compel
recognition of the United Mine Work
ers organization.
Goal is measured rather than
weighed in this field because 1t is the
easiest and most satisfactory meth
cd of accounting between the miners
and the employers. The men have
never asked to have the system
changed. They don't want it changed.
The earnings per day or week or
month is the real test. Such state
ment comparing the earnings In the
Williamson field with those in the
unionized Kanawha field was sub
mitted to the senatorial investigating
committee in July. Possibly 1T was
envy aroused by that exposure that
caused the kanawaha miners to at
tempt an invasion of the non-unlon
coal fields.
Attacks Union Omcials.
Mr.. Gompers makes himself ridlcu-
1ous to West Virginians when he
makes his plea about the miners pro-
testing against lawlessness In so far al
least as he refers to the United Mine
Workers. The miners themselves are
generally law abiding. Every disor-
der that has ever occurred in the
mining fields of West Virginia has
been occasioned by the thugs and
outlaws of the United Mine Workers
organization who came into the state
to compel the unionizatlon or these
coal fields.
1 The invasion of Logan county and
the threatened invasion of Mingo
county was not a spontaneous uprls-
ing. 1t was threatened by the United
Mine Workers organization in the
Williamson field as early as April and
May, 1920.
'1n the counties of Logan and Min
go. W. Va. and Pike county. KY. hav-
ing an aggregate area Of 1858 square
miles: and an aggresate population OF
116.S47 people. there were not en-
ployed as many as 100 peace off1cers
ppior to the invasion by the organic
ers of the United Mine Workers. They
were not needed.
Not any of these peace officers were
Baldwin-Felts employees. but included
only regularly chosen deputy sherfns
and constables and other officers.
Compel Men to Join.
'When the United Mine Workers Of
America was formed in 1880 1t was recog-
nzed as lawful organization, and con-
tinued as such until 1898. when II en-
tered into a conspiracy with the Cen
trail Competitive Field to control the
bituminous coal markets of the United
States.
"Since 1912 it has been the policy of
the United Mine Workers to compel,
by the use of force in every conceiv-
able way, all persons engaged in the
mining industry to join that union.
and it has likewise been its policy to
destroy all business of non-union op-
orators the end of which would mean
the subsection of the coal industry OF
the United States to such unjust and
unlawful demands as it might desire
to put into force"