The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-01

3Acs * CO.. g renee so
aA--tzZ that a new wage
and working agreement might be
made that would maintain indus
trial peace and prevent any fncon-
yenience to the public.
Two years ago the operators SOL
emily agreed that they would meet
with US before April L. They
pledged their word as business men.
They signed that agreement in writ
ing in New York 1t was pledge
as binding as any bond or promis-
sory note that any set of men ever
signed.
Broke Agreement.
We thought they signed it in good
faith. But now they refuse to live
up to their agreement. They have
refused point-blank to do as they
AGREED they would do. If they We're
to refuse TO pay their debts it would
he no more dishonorable than their
refusal to keep their agreement
with the miners.
These operators do not deny that
they are contract-breakers. They
only say: We'll, what are you going
to do about it?"
In the latter part of last Deem
Der l asked the operators, in COM
pliance with their promise, to meet
with the miners in Pittsburgh to be-
gin negotiations for a new agree
ment, Illinois and Indiana oper-
ators and part of the Ohio group
accepted the invitation, but the op-
orators of the Pittsburgh district
and a part of Ohio refused. They
merely said they had decided not
to keep their word.
They scrapped their agreement,
just as the kaiser scrapped his
treaties with other nations. And,
like the kaiser, they started in to
destroy the other party to the
agreement. The invasion of Bel
GUM by the kaiser was no more
ruthless than the invasion of the
miners union by these Pittsburgh
operators. .--. -.--
Seek to Break Union.
They proposed to wreck the IN
ion, as the kaiser wrecked Belgium
and northern France. Suffering
and starvation of coal miners and
consequence to them than the SUI
fering of the Belgian and French
people
1t is, perhaps, the most notorious
and objectionable case of contract
breaking and disregard for business.
honor that the country has ever
seen.
When the Pittsburgh and Ohio
operators refused to meet with the
miners the Pittsburgh meeting was
necessarily Cancelled. Later l is
sued a second call for meeting,
thinking that. perhaps, these men
would yet decide to live up to their
promises. But they refused again.
Refuse g. S. Request.
So fragrant and indefensible was
their action that President Harding
denounced it and directed Secretary
of Labor Davis to call on the oper-
ators to keep their word. But they
refused even the government.
Instead, they asked the govern
ment to keep its hands off and al
low the coal companies to make
their fight for the destruction of the
miners union. In other words,
these coal companies have arbitrar-
lily placed themselves above the
government itself and have politely
told the government to go to.
There was nothing left for the
miners to do but TO quit work until
the question of what their wages
Shall be is determined We are not
asking for higher wages in the BIZ
luminous I'M
Scale Agreeable.
Our men did not make a living
last year and they are not yet max
ing a living, but they are willing
10 take the chance with the pres
ent wage scale for the next two
years, in the hope that there will
De a business revival that will af-
lord them reasonably steady en-
ployment and an opportunity to
earn a living for their families. The
miners are not quitting work be-
cause they want to quit They
want to work. But the operators
are determined that they shall not
work except at starvation wages,
and that the union shall be de-
stroyed so as to deprive the men
Vi all means of protection.
Want Public to Know.
We want the public to know all
the facts, because we know that the
public will then place the blame
Where it belongs. The operators
started in deliberately to compel
the miners to strike.
They have declared that all coal
miners shall work for the same
miserable rate of starvation wages
enat are paid to the poor, helpless
IN The non-union fields of West
virginia and Alabama They are
seeking to reduce the level of
american citizenship by cutting
uoWn the earning capacity of these
workers. But the union miners
Will not stand for it. Nor would
any other American citizen stand
for it.
Up, Not Down.
why not work to bring the con-
aielon of these non-union men up
70 the level OF the organized fields.
instead OF dragging the organized
nelds down to the degraded level of
ehe non-union fields?
fhe United Mine Workers Of
america face this struggle with the