Evening star., 1922-12-31
LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL

Bulking large in the affairs of
America were the two big strikes. Of
the railway shopmen and the coal
miners. In effect at the same time.
they seriously threatened the national
well-being by disrupting traffic and
causing "a countrywide shortage of
fuel
Unable to reach an agreement with
the mine operators on the wage scale,
the minors. both anthracite and btu
minous went on strike April 1. IN
Juno and July President Harding con-
ferred with representatives of both
sides. and proposed that the men re-
turn to work at the old wages and
that the new scale be arbitrated. His
plan being rejected. he told the op-
orators to reopen their mines under
protection of federal troops and the
flag. In only a few cases was this
done. There were numerous local
conflicts and some killings, and the
price of coal threatened to become
extortionate.
Move Against Profiteeffng.
To prevent profitcering, the govern
ment adopted plan for the supervi-
sion of production and distribution OF
coal on July "a. Operators and miners
Of the bituminous fields met at Gin
cinnati. and, on August 15, signed an
agreement ending the strike. the men
winning virtually all their demands.
A similar settlement Of the anthracite
strike VAs made on September 2. It
was admitted that the root of the
trouble had not been reached and that
another strike in the spring of 1928
was almost a certainty. Since there
was sttll a great shortage Of COAL
Conrad TOD fad-
eral fuel director on September 22.
Railway Strike.
The railway strike followed an
order of the Federal Railway Labor
Board, issued June s. reducing the
wages Of the shopmen about $50, ,O0O,-
090 year. Other rail employees had
their pay cut proportionately, but the
shopmen were chosen to make. the
fight They quit work on July l. and
the board. On July IA they were re-
inforced by the stationary engineers,
hremen and oilers. From the begin
ming the administration strove to
bring about settlement, but both
sides were stubborn. the restoration
stumbling block. President Harding
warned the strikers against interfer-
ence with mails or interstate trans
portation, and the agencies of tine
government were active IN enforcing
his orders.
Strike Violence.
Finding they could not tie up traffic.
the strikers in many regions resorted
TO extreme violence, and even to mur-
der. In the far west some of the
Brotherhood of Trainmen members
co-operated with them until ca led Off
by their chiefs. Several trains loaded
with passengers were abandoned in
the deserts. Finally the government
struck vital blow at the strike. At
torney General Daugherty. on Sep
tember I, obtained from Judge VIII
kerson, in Chicago, a sweeping order
restraining the shop crafts from In
terferinf IN any way with the opera
tion of the railways. Two weeks later
the strike was broken, when many
railroads negotiated separate agree
rlents with the Shopmen-
Employees of the Chicago surface
and elevated roads struck August
against a reduction in pay, and four
days later the dispute was settled by
compromise. Chicago also had con-
tinued trouble with some of the
building trades which would not ac-
cept the Landis award. This resulted
in a reorganization of the building
trades council there, the recalcitrant
trades being put on tho. open shop
list.
The American Federation of Labor
held its annual meeting In June. and
Samuel Gompers was reelected presi-
dent.