Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-06-20
ASK HARDING To
|. STOP STRIKE IN
COAL DISTRICTS
ChurChman Appeal to Presi- 1
dent Not to w : Until
Suffering j. AiningI
Camps BeCopss$', Acute.

washington, JvSSA /-President
Harding was ass s /Jday to take
steps to end tbS IN strike in a
Joint appeal Is Y /ted to him py
the commisst'" the church and
social servic' ie federal council
OF churche' which are affili-
ated thirty It Protestant COM
munions, the department of social
action of the national Catholic well
fare council and the social justice
commission of the central confer
ence of American rdbbis.
This is the first time, as far as rs
known, that these representative
organizations of the Protestants
! Roman Catholics and Jews have
taken joint action in an industrial
matter.
The churches in their appeal
asked the president:
To call a national coal confer
ence;
To get tho facts of the coal in
ldustry through a government inyes-
/ litigation;
Not to wait until the suffering
women and children of the mining
camps has become a national ca
lamlty, and,
! To end the coal strike now.
Appeal of Churches.
The statement expresses gratitifi-
cation that the press, as whole.
has been successful in recording the
facts in the strike. The appeal of
the churches in full is as follows:
To the President of the United
/ States:
I'VE desire to express to you on
behalf of the three great religious
organizations that we represent our
convictions that the time has ar
rived when our government should
lact to bring about a conference in
1.-THE bituminous coal industry to end
the present strike. We believe tina;
the majority of the people of this
country are unwilling to have It's
vitally important industries sub
lject economic combat as a means
of settling disputes.
whenever either side In a con-
ltroversy declines to employ the
methods Of conference and arbitra-
ltion it becomes proper for the gov
ernment to intervene. 1t is incon-
ceivable that public action should
wait until the sufferings of women
and children in mining towns
should have reached the proper
!tions of a national calamity.
Urged Government Action.
| son March 81, 1922. representa-
ltives Of the commission on the
church and social service of the
federal council of the churches OF
IChrist in America, and the depart
ment of social action Of the ma
ltional Catholic welfare council put
before you a resolution adopted
| by their respective bodies urging
government action looking toward
the settlement of the coal contro--
versy. At that time it was pointed
out that the operators in one CEN
trail competitive field, comprising
Illinois. Indiana, OHIO and western
Pennsylvania, had pledged them
selves two years previously to con-
fer with the union in order to nego-
itiate new contract.
| 1--WE wish to express our appro-
val OF the action of the admins
tration in publicly fixing RESPONSE
bility for the failure of such a
conference upon certain of the coal
operators who were unwilling TO be
governed by the terms OF their
iagreement. Our resolution further
called the attention to the lack ol
accurate information concerning
the facts necessary to adjust settle-
lment of the controversy and urseu
THAT a thorough investigation OF ne
industry should be made by 1ed-
eral authority.
No Conference Held.
| "The administration at that tllne
| did not feel warranted IN takinS
action beyond the issuance or tne
statement to which we have relet
red. No conference was held' th'
strike ensued, and it has now CON
tinued through ten weeks. ES-
elusive of the anthracite fieldS
where conferences are still IN prog
| ress, there are not far from nan d
million idle in this country
Strike Extensive.
1.-THE strike has been more eA-
ttensiye than was anticipated. since
| tho miners In several non-uniol
fields made common cause win tEe
United Nine Workers OF Afnerle"'
Following a period of intense olsi,
ness depression, the STRIKE ne, mas
caused much suffering to the MN
ers' families and the suiferlhs 70
rapidly increasing.
Remarkably Orderly,
"It is a matter of profound satis-
faction that the strike has peen
remarkably orderly. We have also
been gratified to note that the
press has made an unusually SUI
cessfll effort to record the facts
Of this conflict. Nevertheless
nothing effectual has been done 10
bring it to an end.
"In spite of the desire OF the
government to avoid interference
in the controversy. it has become
necessary for the secretary OIL
commerce to request the operators
in the non-union fields and the re-
tailers. not TO take undue adVanr
tage OF the situation by excessively
increasing the price of coal, TINS
action, manifestly necessary unuer
the circumstances. nevertheless
serves to show the helplessness Oh
the nation and the increasing Dan.
ger to the public in the face OF
so great an Industrial struggle. The
coal reserves are being steadily de-
pleted; the suffering of the miners
and their families is becoming
more acute and the bitterness at
tendant upon the conflict will in
evitably increase"
"In the anthracite fields where
conferences are still in progress
the lack of full informal tion regard
ing the financial facts of the indus
try may cause the failure Of all at
tempts to negotiate a new agree
ment. Tho consumers resent high
prices for coal but are unable to
form an intelligent judgment as
to the cause, on account Of the