The Washington times., 1922-04-04
STRIKER IS
DOWN
IN INDIANA
First Violence Reported From
Middle West-Borah Asks
Public Consideration.
BY Internst,onaI News Service.

The first violence of the day in
the nationwide coal strike was re-
ported from Indinana. A striker
was shot through the head by n
negro near Clinton. Ind. while
trying to prevent the negro from
shooting up mins property.
AEitstors Active. 49,
Agitators who claim to be mem
bers of the I. w. W., but who are
said by union officials TO be paid
agents. have made their appearance
in the Pennsylvania anthracite
fields. The miners. who claim that
the agitators are paid to give the
strike cause a black eve with the
public, promise to drive out the
alleged I. w. w.
Congress has received coldly the
recommendation of John l.. Lewis,
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America. that the coal indus
try be nationalized.
Officials of the anthracite miners
have protested to the operators
against the replacement of union
maintenance men at the mines.
Owners Shamming, Charge.
Coal operators who declare that
they cannot confer with union miners
to negotiate a new wage scale be-
cause Of fear Of the antitrust laws
are "shamming the public" John l..
Workers of America, declared to.
day before the House Labor Com
mittee during its investigation Of the
nationwide coal strike.
Lewis told the committee that the
Attorney General had rendered an
opinion to President Harding. who
in turn transmitted IT to the oper.
ators, that such a conference would
no be unlawful.
Lewis charged that big financial
and trade interests Of the country,
including the United States Cham.
ber OF Commerce, are urging the
operators to a finish fight to destroy
the miners organization"
This statement came after a morn
ing given over almost entirely to
propounding of hypothetical ques
tions by Congressman Black OF
Texas, which Lewis termed "ab
surd.' Blacks interrogations at
tempted to show that IL the miners
persisted in their demand for a six
hour day and a five-day week
"some one" would have to pay
$241, 100000 more a year to produce
coal.
Miners willing to Confer.
Lewis indicated the middlemen
jobbers, wholesale coal dealers as
parasites on the coal industry and
urged that II investigation failed
to show them necessary, they should
be abolished by Governmental
action.
He asserted the miners are op
posed to any form Of compulsory
arbitration and declared that the
immediate issue of the pending tie
up is the securing of living wage
to permit miners to "exist compar
able with the American standard OF
living.
Under inquiry from committee
members, Lewis admitted the will
ingness of the miners to confer with
the operators IL President Harding
can be prevailed upon by Congress
to suggest the meeting.
He said he assumed, however, tina,
such action, II taken by the Presi
dent, would be fruitless, because
the operators, having 'bluntly and
arbitrarily refused to meet at the
call OF Secretary of Labor Davis
would again decline the suggestion
Borah Opens Debate.
BY International News Service.
The declaration by Senator Borai
Of Idaho that public opinion win not
long permit the men who work in the
mines to control the industry any
more than II will allow the men who
own the mines TO dictate the condi
tions under which their employees