The Topeka state journal., 1922-08-18
THE COAL TRUCE.


| government the necessity for meas
ures which will prevent a recurrence
of the tieup at that time.
The strike represented a national
combination to tie up commerce in
coal. and the issues and events which
have developed from it show clearly
that the purpose was not only to bring
pressure upon resisting employers but
to inflict privations upon society as
whole by refusing to do business with
any willing group OF operators until a
certain group. against which the
union was directing its principal at
tack. would come to terms.
The issue about breach of contract
in the bituminous field has been
urged by the strikers. The operators
of southern Ohio and western Penn
syIvania it seems did breach their
contract in refusing to negotiate and
the union similarly preached contracts
with other groups of operators who
were not in sympathy with the action
! OF these Ohio and Pennsylvania oper-
ators. So far as this issue is con-
cerned. public condemnation forNsuch
wrongful conduct should be directed
against the guilty parties in both
camps but should not be indiscrimi-
nate.
The United Mine Workers of Amer
lea is a national combination which
for many years has sought to monopo-
lie the production of anthracite and
bituminous coal by declaring eco
nomic war against all nonunion and
open shop operations thruout the
all union contracts terminate on the
same date 50 that, when the real
showdown" came. the entire supply
of union coal could be cut off. This
year afforded the real opportunity,
since all anthracite and bituminous
contracts with the union terminated
March 81.
The union announced the suspen-
sion of all coal production by its
members in the anthracite and btu
minous fields on that date and further
issued a call to nonunion mines, where
no trade dispute existed, to quit work
in sympathy for the purpose of max
ing the tie-up complete. The union
production of bituminous coal is
about So per cent, the nonunion
about 40 per cent, and the union pro-
duction of anthracite nearly 100 per
cent. The aim was to stop all.
Only about 10 per cent of he BIZ
luminous coal was produceu Gy the
operators of southern Ohio and west |
ern Pennsylvania who, in violation of
their agreements, refused to negotiate |
interstate agreements with the union. |
In view of this refusal the union pro-
ceeded to tie up the entire production |
of anthracite and bituminous coal
thruout the country. 1t attacked |
the nonunion mines, where no trade |
dispute existed, but there was no form |
of concession or settlement which thz /
nonunion operators could have made !
to avoid the attack since the Union |
would not do business with them un-
til the Ohio and Pennsylvania produc- !
ers of 10 per cent of the coal would |
come to terms. 1t tied up the pro-
duction of bituminous coal in union
fields where the operators were ready |
to enter into agreements, and refused |
to negotiate with these operators until
the Ohio and Pennsylvania operators
would come to terms.
Efforts were made to adjust the
offered by the operators, but it be-
came obvious and has been subse-
quently confirmed by frank state
ments, that no settlement of the an
thracite strike would be permitted by
the union until the recalcitrant pro-
ducers of 10 per cent of the bitumi-
nous coal had come to terms. Altho
the union had in the past affirmed the
autonomy of the anthracite industry,
1t felt in this case that the production
of anthracite would relieve public
anxiety and privation and that there
fore the anthracite strike must not be
settled, even tho the parties could
agree on the terms of settlement. until
it won its point in the bituminous
fields.
The purpose of withholding settle
ment in the anthracite and bituminous
fields, where operators were willing
to negotiate, was not to bring pressure
on those operators to grant more con-
cessions. but TO starve the public into
submission thru a prorracted fuel
famine.
THE truth is" says Law and La
bor." that this national tie-up of
coal. with its refusal to deal with
operators who are ready to negotiate
with the union, with its attempted dis
ruption of relations in nonunion
fields where there was no trade dis
pute and with its avoidance of settle
ment in the anthracite field. had for
It's primary purpose the injury OF the
public in a way that constituted as
flagrant a violation of the Sherman
antitrust law as this country has ever
witnessed"
It is lawful for men to strike for