The Washington times., 1921-09-03
.GOMPERsURGES
PEACEP ARLEYIN
". VA. WARFARE
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protest against the imposition Of I'M
Just conditions and standards.
Protesting Miners Discharged.
with this award given by the b.
luminous Coal Commission the men
became heartened and meeting togeth-
err they sent a committee to the opera
tors asking that they pay the men
the wages as awarded by the com
mission. The committee and the men
they represented were summarily dis
charged. In their plight they sent q
committee to the officers Of the mine
workers union and these officers told
the men they were not going to ac-
cept miners as members Of the union
while they were engaged In a strike
or any controversy with their EN-.
from the Mine Union officers and they
returned to work. Almost within q
day 500 miners Joined the union and
then, In the course Of week. prac-
tically all the miners employed In
these fields Joined the union. And
then as union men they presented
the matter to their miners union OF.
ficials and they were advised that IL
they desired that award of the com
mission to go into effect they might
select the committee to meet the mine
operators and make the requests for
this award.
.'The operators received the com.
mittee In the same autocratic manner,
and not only discharged the commit
tee but also the men that were repre-
scented and served eviction notices
that they had to vacate the shacks in
which they and their families lived.
They went out into the fields and pub
lie roads and opened up tent colony
for themselves, their wfves, and their
babies. Then came the employment
Of this private army, detective agen-
Giles and their gunner.
Blames Operators Gunner"
These gunner and these detective
agencies are really the cause Of the
whole conflict now. The operators
have refused to conform the output
Of the mines to what has been and
Is the practice in every other coal
field In the United States or In any
other country Of which know. The
universal practice outside Of West Vir-
ginia Is to weigh coal by the ton as
to the output OF the men. Instead OF
this, in these mines they have mine
cars which have a capacity OF from
two to five tons, anu they pay for the
highest and largest quantity OF coal
in these five-ton cars and pay the men
$40 per carload Of five tons. fully 30
to 60 per cent less than would be the
payment In wages to the men under
the tonnage SYSTEM and In the wage
award by the commission.
Mr.. John L. Lewis. president OF
the United Mine Workers OF America,
asked the President for the appoint
ment of one or more representatives
who shah represent the President at
conference which he might call Of the
operators and q COMMITTEES OF the
miners themselves. the COMMITTEES Of
one or more appointed by the Presi-
dent to sit In such q conference and
endeavor to reach a conclusion which
shall not only settle the present con-
troversy, but establish better rela-
tons between the operators and the
miners for the future. Mr.. Lord and
appeared before the President in
support of Mr.. Lewis suggestion.
The President listened with keen
Interest and sympathy. He stated that
his first duty was to establish the
authority Of the United States and
the maintenance OF order. and that
he VIII do the best he can under the
circumstances