Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-02
100000 MINERS
TAKING PART I'M
GENERAL STRIKE
CONTINUED from rage one)

ued, Will operators were said to
be seeking reductions.
In addition to m; rking the an
niversary of the miners eight-hour
work day. and the beginning of
their first suspension of work
simultaneously. involving both
anthracite and bituminous fields.
today also is known as the begin
ming OF the coal year" AS such
Summer prices" for coal have been
fixed in the past, the margin of de-
cline usually being SO cents a toe
which will be wiped out by grad
ual increases until September.
No Change in Prices.
Retailers here announce no
change today in their prices, and
mine owners declared they had 70
coal for sale. The operators here
also added that the stor. re OF coal
was pr..cticed only by anthracite
operators, asserting that the bitum-
nous product could not be stored
adyantageously. The Summer
prices" for the bituminous coal,
according to the operators. had in
the past been on current produc-
ton.
Union officials said the only sig,
nificance of the beginning of the
"coal year. from their point of
view. was that the date usually
marked the beginning of new wage
contracts the absence of which
provoked the unions order for the
general suspension of work.
The end of the first day of the
suspension was noted at headquar-
tiers here by the departure OF Mr..
Lewis and william Green, secre-
tary treasurer, the only executive
officers of the union at headquar-
tiers. Mr.. Lewis went to Washing
ton, where he will appear on Mon
day before the house labor COM
mittee, expecting to present in de-
tail the miners side of their wage |
controversy. Mr.. Green went to |
Coshocton, o., his home.
Backs Borah's Suggestion.
Before leaving here Mr.. Lewis |
declared that the suggestion of |!
government operation OF the mines. |
made by Senator Borah, republic
can, Idaho, was significant and !
the union leader added that he be- |
lieyed it was Fundamentally cor
rect"
"The creation OF some national
authority over the coal industry is
it what YOU may"
declared Mr.. Lewis. This does
not necessarily mean government
ownership, which I doubt could be
accomplished because of the enor
nous amount Of money that would
be required to buy all the mines,
and also the difficulty of finding
n method of payment"
Pointing out the governments
control of lnn nar,on's railroads I
the Interstate Commerce
commission and other agencies,
Mr.. Lewis indicated hie approval of
the government legislature syst EN-
control over the mining industry.
Such control, he asserted, should
provide for license system of the
operation of mines so as to ellmi-
nate waste In the industry through
he elimination of haphazard min
nc. He also declared that any
control should compel
he coal industry to care for men
or killed when at work,
md also their dependents.
ANY regulation" Mr.. Lewis de-
,lared must be applied equally
10 all of the mines of the country.
1t should not be aimed only at the
now unionized mines, but should ;,
AXE in every field in tho country
regardless of how it is operated"
Aside from commenting on gov
arnment control. Mr.. Lewis reiter-
tied the statement that union rail
workers were not to be asked by
he miners to join in the strike.
md in this connection he said that
he miners union would not be
at the meeting of sew :
rial rail union chiefs in Chicago !
omorrow, Further, he declared !
hat he knew of no action being !
by the rail men in I
aspect to the Miners suspension
,f work.