The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-04-05
WASHINGTON
MERELY WATCH
ING BIG STRIKE
Government Will Take No
Action in Coal Strike at
Present

Washington March 3l.-Con-
i vinced that every reasonable effort
has been made to prevent nation
/ al coal Strike in anthracite and bit
luminous coal mines tomorrow. but
believing that although these ef-
forts have bean without avail. cy
i>ting conditions and surplus Coz
; assure price protection and cur
rent supply for tho general pub
| lie. official Washington settled back
tonight to await the event with
(. considerable calmness.
In q final White House discussion
il WAS said that the government $
! long negotiations with the parties
to the controversy and continuous
study Of the industry'* production
volume had conviuccd the admin
is1ratiol that immediate intcrvcn-
ton in legal or extra legal ways
would be futile and unnecessary
and that while the future might
sharpen the breach between en-
ployer and employee III the min
ing camps. for the present even
action locking TO the preservation
of peace was unnecessary.
President Harding was visited hy'
a delegation representing the Fro
testant Federal Council Of Church
of Christ and the National Cath
clio Wclfare council TO make q fur
thcr attempt to get operators and
! t,,1 al
commission to adjust their differ
enccs At the White House. how
ever. it was said later that no ac-
ton was advisable at this time.
a house committee also was tolG
by Edward g. Tyron. coal produc-
ton statistician for the geological
survey, that $4,000 tons OF
coal. equivalent TO u 81 day sup
ply for every consumer. was IN
storage at this time. These stocks
officials estimated. will be supple
mented indefinitely by large out
:puts from non-lnion fields in West
Virginia and elsewhere. where OPP
orators asserted today that miners
would pay no attention to tiAe
Unions attempts to have them
cease work. Labor department Of
ficials also were interested IN re-
ports from union fields in western
Kentucky. where it was cstiinatcd
that approximately 5000 miner;
were considering staying on tn.
Job under IL local wage contract
notwithstanding the national or
dcrs for walking out.
Federal reserve bank and geo
logical survey statements were Is
sued today bearing upon the recent
overproduction OF coal which ha:
bulllcd largely in White House anc
labor department assurance thal
moderate prices and a plentiful
! supply Of fuel were assured. The
reserve bank statement said tha'
bituminoUs users recently had 81
ampliied their stocks that ever
tho fear Of strike had not suf
, feed to prevent u falling off in dc
mand and a Weakening OF prices
The geological survey asserted
that even though most OF th'
coal mines in the country shoiut
remain closed down for three
months citizens Of our larger citic
need fear no interruption OF liSh
and power services. Its Guerie
during recent weeks have disclos
ed large public utilities who's
stock piles will last for $50 days
while average stores have run be
tween IS ard Il days in potcn
tial capacities. Railroads. manu-
facturcrS and dealers alike hav'
reported similar conditions for OF
fee records
This situation. marking the pres
ent coal strike as different from
former ones. was unofIicially class
ed as being responsible for rath
er cool acceptance Of the strike i
Informed labor union. induStr'i'
and official circles because, :strik
or no strike, it was tending TO pro
ducc a fairly widespread &uspen
sion of coal mining, particularly il
bituminouS fields.