The Connecticut labor news., 1922-06-30

of the coal strike by the government
 To the President of the United
 States:
 We desire to express to you, or
 behalf of the three great religious or
 ganizations that we represent, ou1
 conviction that the time has arrived
 when our Government should act tc
 bring about a conference in the bitu
 minous coal industry to end the pres
 ent strike We believe that the ma
 jority of the people of this country are unwilling to have it's vitally i'm portant industries subject to econom- ic combat as a means of settling dis putes Whenever either disputant ir a controversy declines to employ the method of conference 1t becomes propr for the Government to inter vene It is inconceivable that public action should wait until the suffer ings of women and children in min ing towns should have reached the proportions of national calamity.
 On March 31, 1922, representatives of the Commission on the Church and Social Service of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ nj America, and the Department of So- cial Action of the National Catholic Welfare Council, put before you a resolution adopted by their respective bodies urging Government action looking toward the settlement of the coal controversy. At that time 1t was pointed out that the operators in the central competitive field, com prising Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania, had pledged themselves two years previously to confer with the union in order to negotiate new contract. We wish to express our approval. of the action of the administration in publicly fix ing responsibility for the failure of such a conference upon certain of tine coal operators who were unwilling to be- governed by the terms of their agreement. Our resolution further called attention to the lack of accur ate information concerning the facts necessary to a just settlement of the controversy and urged that thor ough investigation of the industry should be made by federal authority
 The administration at that time did not feel warranted in taking ac- ton, beyond the Issuance of the state ment to which we have referred. No conference was held, the strike en- sued, and 1t has now continued through 10 weeks. Exclusive of the anthracite fields ~Nwhere conferences are still in progress, there are not far from half million men idle in tine industry. The strike has been more extensive than was anticipated since the miners in several non-union fields made common cause with the United Mine Workers. Following a period of intense business depression, the strike has caused much suffering to the miners families, and this suffer ing is rapidly increasing.
 It IS also matter of profound sat- isfaction that the strike has been re markedly orderly. We have also been gratihed to note that the press has made an unusually successful effort to record the facts of this. conflict. nothing effectual has been done to bring it to an end.
 In spite of the desire of the gov ernment to avoid interference in the it has become necessary for the Secretary of Commerce to re quest the operators in the non-union fields, and the retailers, not to take l undue advantage of the situation by excessively increasing the price of coal This action, manifestly neces sary under the circumstances, neverAl theless serves to show the helpless l ness of the nation and the increasing danger to the public in the face of so great an industrial struggle. The coal reserves are being steadily de- pleted; the suffering of the miners and their families is~ becoming more upon the conflict will inevitably in crease.
 We therefore are impelled to urge once more that the Government take steps to end the coal strike by bring ing the operators and miners iSo conference. Since the failure of early at securing conference ac- cording to precedent in the Central Competitive Field, and the conse- quent suspension of mining in the union fields, unprecedented import ance has been given to those fields Tn which the miners have not joined the strike and where operators and miners are enjoying temporary ad- vantage because of the strike in the union mines. This setting of one section of the industry and of one portion of the country over against another, makes for instability, inse curity, discontent, and bitterness. For this reason we urge that unless the operators and miners in the Gen. tral Competitive Field can even yet be induced to- meet the miners in joint conference in accord with precedent, a national conference be called by the Government sufficiently representa- tive of all the bituminous coal fields to set standards and secure stability and prosperity for the entire industry. We believe that through frank and open discussion the way will be found to restore health and stability to the industry. Without conference, under taken in good faith, no lasting peace can be attained
 We would respectfully call your at tention again to the necessity of se- curing adequate information concern ing the essential facts of the coal in dustry Tn particular, the absence of