The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-01
UNION MEN QUIT !. JOBS AT MIDNIGHT IN TWENTY STATES
Plan to Remain Idle Indef- initeIy in Effort to Force Operators to Accept
 New Contract Terms
By Associated Press

Indianapolis, March 31.-Coal pro- duction was stopped tonight by the union coal miners, who quit their days work in the mines of 20 states with the ayowed policy of remaining idle indefinitely in an effort to force the operators to accept the miners terms for new wage contracts.
 officials al the headquarters here of the United Mine Workers of America declared that the suspension would not only include half mill lion workers. but also at least 100.- GOO non-union men would Join in the walkout No last minute nstruc- tions were issued from headquarters and the only significant conference held during the day by President i John l.. Lewis was with Lonnie Jack son, president of the Kentucky union district, where 5000 union men will continue at work because their con- tract with operators has another year to run.
 During the day MT. Lewis declared that the suspension of work by kan- sas union miners would not be | averted by the action of the Kansas industrial court ordering that wage scales of the last two years be con- tinued for 30 days. In formal ] statement tonight the union chief de- elared the nationwide walkout would affect Hundreds of thousands of citizens not directly engaged in the coal industry. and he reiterated l tis charge that the operators had l forced the strike upon the miners
 To obey Contract. In addition to the Kentucky min- CTS. union men in Nova Scotia will remain at work but those in the western Canadian provinces were eN- i pected to join the suspensions The i conference over the Kentucky situa- ton was said by ity participants 10 have been general review of the 1 situation fthere. with Presiden. Lewis taking the positi6n that tfe union must obey it's contract With the operators.
 Numerous reports from the coal fields of the country also reached headquarters. which Mr. Lewis de- clared indicated complete tieup tf all union fields. These reports also i showed that 13,000 union men would be left iIs the mines to protect the ] property from damage and the only ] il ouble between operators and min 1 CTS in this connection was reported 1 from Washington. where operators were said to be objecting to paying i the wages provided for in the con tracts that expired at midnight.
 Statement Of Lewis, l Mir. Lewis formal statement re- garding the suspension of work, fel- lows;
 "The strike upon which the United 1 Mine Workers of America are en- tering is not a question of small magnitude nor one to be lightly con i sidered by the American people it l is fraught with far-reaching eonsc- quences and serious responsibilities as affecting public veal The With | drawal of in excess of 600.000 men | from the mines of the country con l stitutes a serious problem. Aside from the inevitable coal shortage, i which will ensue to the profit of coal i operators and to the detriment of the | public, it will cause dislocation of 1 industry throughout the nation, af- fecting hundreds of thousands of citizens in other walks of life
 This is a deplorabie condition and constitutes sad commentary upon | the relationships of employer anu 1 employe in the American industry i Every thoughtful man recognizes l that in the end settlement of the problems of the mining industry must perforce be effected. Such settie- ment must come through joint con i ference with accredited representa- t, tives of the mine workers of the na- | ton.
 Tt ia most unfortunate because Of 1 the arbitrary attitude of the coal op- l orators that such a meeting cannot l be assembled until the country has 1 endured the agony and convulsions involved in an industrial strike on such gigantic scale. In the pres cnt issue the public has been i7lled in sense of false security by the soothing statements of those who 1 will profit through strike.
 "The mine workers repeatedly have 1 called attention to those facts and i our statements have gone unhseded. | The responsibility must therefore rest with those who have forced the n, csent situation and are seeking to | beat the miners backward.
 'ss self-respecting citizens we are
 tContinued on page fourteen)