Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-08-04

1cna-Ar1cQ dispute.
Washington. 1t was stated there that
states which have large bituminous
deposits will be expected to mine their
own coal instead Of obtaining it from
other fields under the emergency order.
TN ILLINOIS the prospects for end
4 ing the mine strike were slightly
brighter. President Harrington of the
Illinois miners, always an advocate of
separate state agreements, came to the
conclusion that the time for putting
that policy into action had come and
called a convention of delegates Of
every local union in the state to meet
in Peoria August 3 to consider peace
proposals of the operators. Next day
he rescinded the call because of pre-
mature" publicity. Acting Governor
Sterling asked Harrington to consider
the proposal that the miners of Illinois
return to work at once at the wage
scale and under the working condi-
lions existing when operations ceased
April l last, pending reimbursement
of the same by an agreed tribunal,
and that representatives of the miners
and operators of Illinois should meet
and endeavor to arrive at a settlement.
Harrington replied that this plan was
impracticable.
Orders for immense quantities of
coal have been placed in England by
Americans but not all of them are be-
ing accepted because of market condi-
lions there. Prices of coal and ship
ping and freight rates have advanced
sharply in Great Britain. The British
miners may refuse to mine coal for
America, and American dock workers
may refuse to handle it If it comes.
nNE J. Cleve Dean, chairman of
" the railway employees publicity
association, sent to President Harding
a telegram bitterly attacking the sup
posed attitude of the administration
toward the two great strikes. He said
For you or any governor to attempt
to operate the mines or railroads by
military forces or to attempt to draft
men into mining or railroad service
would be an attempt to establish in
voluntary servitude," and he predicted
such an attempt would bring on the
"long predicted war between capital
and labor" He asserted, also, that
the Republican party was hostile to
the American farmer and labor and
that "the hard times that now exist is
a premeditated plan to bring the farm
er and labor down to their knees"
Mr.. Harding's reply to this outburst,
while dignifed, was a scathing rebuke
of Deans political partisan refer
ences'' and of his false assumptions.
The President explained at length the
attitude of the government and as.
serted its intention to speak and act,
not for any one class alone, but for
'the American people as whole and
the common good of all its citizenship
He made it clear that while the right
to strike was recognized, the govern
ment would fully protect those who
desired to work. The latter, he said,
in responding to the call of the coun-
try, are exercising their rights "and
at the same time making their contri-
button to our common American well
fare"
CHICAGO'S street car strike was
~ still in the making last week.
Hope and despair alternated, the for
mer fostered by the optimism Of In
ternational President Mahon who told
the men they must take a referendum
vote on new proposal made by the
companies, and the latter due to the
pessimism Of local President Quinlan
who said the employees would accept
no offer the employers were likely to
make. The workers were called to
hold mass meeting Monday evening
of this week, and Quinlan told the
Chicago public to prepare to find a
strike in effect the following morning.
IN EBATE on the tariff in the senate
~ was enlivened last week by Sen
ator McCumber's assertion that in 1912
spokesman for the newspaper publish
ers told the senate finance committee
that If newsprint paper were not
placed on the free list they would de-
feat the Republican party at the polls,
and that, the committee refusing to
yield, the publishers therefor did de-
feat Taft for reelection. Other sen
ators calling for names, Mr.. Smoot
said that the late John l. Norris, rep
resenting the publishers association,
told a finance subcommittee that if a
duty were imposed on newsprint 'the
Republican party would be driven from