The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-20
HOWAT DECISION CAUSES TROUBLE
 IN UNION RANKS
Illinois Miners Pledge Finan- ciaI Aid to Expelled Kansas 0fficial-LeWis Is
 Condemned
By Associated Press

Indianapolis, February 19.-Con- tinued financial support at least until April i was pledged to Alexan- der Howat and other expelled Kansas miners of the United Mine Workers of America by the Illinois district delegates to the unions special con vention that in final session yester- day refused to consider Howat's appeal for reinstatement.
 The pledge given came as climax of a long meeting that was marked by several speakers severely con domning President John l.. Lewis and other international union off cers who expelled Howat and his followers on the ground of refusing to obey a convention order direct ing that the srikers be ordered back to work.
 President Frank Harrington of the Illinois district told the dele gates that Howat was expelled for opposing the Kansas industrial court, and he asserted no greater outrage was ever practiced than that of international officers against the Kansas rebels" but flatly an nounced that any fight must be confined within the union"
 Farrinton's Statement
 Further Mir. Harrington asserted that the international officials plan ned to restore autonomy for the Kansas district next month with a new constitution. that would pre- vent Howat from regaining union membership for five years. He ex- plained that it was necessary to limit the pledge of financial aid 70 Kansas to April l. because of the threatened miners strike if no new wage agreements are made before then.
 Aside from considering the Kansas oaae the Illinois delegates elected eight members of the international union's wage scale committee for the central competitive field. The com mittee, which will also include mem bers from the Indiana, Ohio and western Pennsylvania districts, will attempt to negotiate an agreement to avert the strike. The Illinois members were chosen as follows:
 President Harrington, Vice Presi- 0cnt ildtig DiotlMi t2Sti IAAA y Walter Nesbit, Michael Pietrazk If Ogiesby. Hugh Wills of Herrin, Grace of Harrisburg, R. M. Mccall lister of Duquoin, and Allen $. Hay wood of Taylorville.
 .srremendous DissentIon"
 Mir. Harrington, in his speech on the Kansas case. declared that the delegates to the convention were re- turning home with tremendous dis sention within the unions ranks" because of the failure to consider the Howat. appeal. He charged that high handed tactics" Of President Lewis in blocking consideration of the appeal had caused the dissen- ton.
 The Kansas miners went on strike" said Harrington. giving iis version of the case because they would not keep in meek submission to the Kansas industrial court Kan sas was not on strike in defiance to any mandates of an international convention but decided year before the 1921 convention that they would go on strike if any official went to jail for defying that industrial court law. Lewis and evedybody else knew there would be a strike the in- stant anyone went to jail for defy ing that law"
 The Kansas strike last fall that led to the expulsion of the Howat followers, Harrington said. was not connected with the decision of the unions convention last September that directted Howat to order striS- CTS at two mines back to work, but he asserted the strike resulted from the Kansas miners policy, adopted in 1920 as means of fighting the industrial court law
 Howat Speaks
 Mir. Howat also addressed the Illi- nois delegates, declaring he had car ried out the conventions order for the strikers to return to work, re- iterated that he and others were expelled from the union without trial and declared that Preside 1t Lewis and other union officials" stab bed us in the back when we were l fighting the industrial court MT. Howat, who gained his release l from jail under bond to attend the convention. left tonight for Braln- wood. H.. to visit relatives for 10 l tContinued on Page Two.)