The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-31

cipants. No final instruction
ned to be issued today from
union headquarters and Off
cials declared any move
averting the suspension was
now impossible.
Ready for Fight.
eve are ready for a fight,
forced On ussby the operat-
ors," declared Mr.. Lewis. II
"We have sought in every
honorable way to get new
contracts but the operators
have persis tert IL refused to
deal with us. Then, too the
powerful nof1=un mon interests
ssiiav tfdetl Iii ely pos ssible
way u persuade the union oper.
atoFs to fight the United Mine
Workers in order that the non.un.
ion interests may reap a financial
harvest by operating during the
strike"
Twenty states will be affected
by the shutdown and the only un-
ion men expected TO continue pro-
ducing coal are five thousand
workers in, Southwestern Ken
lucky, whose contract with the
operators does not expire until
April /, 1923, In addition forces
OF union men will be left In the
mines to protect against property
damage,
Pennsylvania will turn out the
largest number of men, and other
states to be affected are West
Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas; Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Texas, Alabama. Ten.
nessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Mich.
Igan, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado
and Washington. Western Canada
also Is expected to Join the sus.
pension but not the Nova Scotia
district.
uennsylvanIa Leads Miners
Not only is Pennsylvania expect.
ed to send out the greatest force
OF the union men, but, also the un.
ion officials anticipate an exodus
OF the non.union miners in that
state. The anthracite districts,
which are half unionized, are ex.
pected to be shut down complete.
~, and in addition many bitum.
GUS miners from the central part
OF that state have been called on
TO join with the union men there.
West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama
and Washington also are expected
by union officials 10 experience
idleness at the non-union mines Of
those state, the most important of
these strikes being from the New
River and Winding Gulf fields OF
West Virginia. =
The duration OF the suspension
in the union fields as also the
strike at the non.union mines Is
a matter of conjecture. The shut
down begins with warm weather
approaching and with stocks on
hand the largest at any time for
the last several years. Govern.
ment reports placed the stocks at
$4,000, 900 tons, a quantity as large
as that which had been accumulat-
ed at the end OF the war. This
supply, government officials estl.
mate, will meet every demand for
forty.three days and the depletion
Of this reserve is regarded by un.
ion officials as necessary before
they. expect the bituminous operat.
ors to indicate any willingness to
confer with the union on new
wage contracts.
Anthracite operators, however,
are already trying to come to "a
settlement in their. fields.
For the non.union miners join,
ing the shut down, the union does
not, plan to finance their, idleness,
declaring their program for win.
ming the cooperation OF these min.
ers calls for only a peaceful ap'
peal.
Briefly the miners demands are
that present. basic wages be retain
ed in the soft coal fileds and that
the anthracite tonnage, workers re,
ceiye a twenty per cent increase.
While the union affairs will be
directed by the international exec.
uttye officers and the subordinate
dIe iriot dfficarH; ali forms Of poli.