Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-06
SMALL USERS
NEEDING COAL,
DWYER THINKS
Reserve Supply Not Evenly
Distributed, Official
Asserts.

Public sentiment will force an end to
the nation wide coal strike within tive
more weeks, union officials declared al
the United Milne Workers headquarters
here today.
Small industries are almost at the bot
tom of their coal bins now, and lack
Of fuel will close their doors, in the
opinion of Lawrence Dwyer, West Wiz
ginia representative on the union execu
tive board.
when their supply is exhausted.
thousands of men will be thrown out
of work, and they will let up a yell.
that will be heard across the CONT
nent," he said. Then, 1 feel, our rep
resentatives In Washington viii get bus
and force the mine owners into an inter
state wage conference, as provided b.
our wage scale, expiring April l."
RESERVE NOT
EVENLY DISTRIBUTED.
| The much heralded $4,000, O00-ton re
serve on hand when the strike started
six days ago Is not evenly distributed
Dwyer said. Most Of it is in the hands
of big corporations, which prepared fol
the strike or at the mines ready foI
| delivery to firms which have contracted
for it.
"Who has this reserve?" Dwyer asked
Every one hasn't got coal. The LITTLE
fellows-smau factories and mills-have
no reserve.
"If these mines are down fifteen days
! other men will be forced into loleness
because the factories they are working
| for will not be in position TO reach an3
of this supply of coal Those who have
| plenty Of fuel will not share it with other
| industries in the face of a possible drawn
out strike"
Blame for the strike rests entirely upor
| the operators, Dwyer said, declaring l.
| to be more Of a lockout than a strike
because the mine owners violated thei'
| contract>>with the union and refused T.
| open wage negotiations covering the cen
! trail competitive field.
| However, If circumstances prolong thu
suspension, the 100000 mine workers
| including the thousands of non-uniOr
miners idle with them, will not show
'the white feather" Dwyer said. He de-
clared the miners have been through
many strikes to obtain "a decent stand
ard of living and they are used to it. .
! One strike in Ohio continued two years
he said.
II the present strike continues through
the summer, a coal shortage will be felt
| by domestic and corporate consumers
alike next winter, when the Nations re
serve will be depleted and railroads will
be unable to handle rush orders, Dwyer
| predicted.
Dwyer was here to invite Secretary
| Treasurer William E. Green to address
non union miners in West Virginia whs<
he said thousands of men have been iTzSi-
ated since the strike started. Green was
to return today from a trip through tbs
Ohio coal fields.
NEXT MOVE HELD
PROBLEMATICAL.
In face of refusal Of powerful groups
Of coal operators to accept the Congress
sional bid for a wage parley with miners
officials, the next move in the National
coal strike is problematical.
The invitation of Chairman Nolan OF
the House Labor Committee was looked
upon as the only means of bringing about
an early end of the gigantic "suspen-
sion Of industry and rejection. in union
circles here, is taken as pointing to Q
long drawn out controversy.
The Pittsburgh Ceal Producers As.
ISOLATION and the operators of Illinois
and Southern Ohio were yet to make
known their attitude toward the congress
sionaI invitation, but the Pittsburgh
Vein Operators and Ohio Galleries Com.
pany have fatty declined the bid and the
reply OF the Indiana operators is taIta-
mount to refusal. The Indianans accepted
on condition that all the central com
petitive field owners be represented in
the conference.
John L. Lewis, president Of the United
Mine Workers, Informed the House
Committee that if enough of the opera
tors got together 1t would be sufficient
| basis for making a new wage contract
for the great central competitive field
Now, however, even though the remain.
ing operators accede to the congressiope'
request it appears unlikely that rep.
resentation will be general enough Il
warrant the holding of the conference
according to opinion expressed in miners
circles
Although in some quarters it was re-
garded as certain that the conference i:
| off" William Green, secretary treasures
of the union, today declared the miners
nevertheless, will be in Washington
April 10, ready to take part in the par
ley. Something may transpire in the
meantime to assure the holding or the
conference" he said, refusing to regard
the conference as wrecked in advance oil
the meeting date. The next move, al
any rate, is up to the operators, the
union leader said.