New-York tribune., 1922-03-29
Strike Order
For Miners
Due To-day
a.
Continued from papr cno)

system for the payment Of union dues,
and will suggest other radical depar-
lures from existing working rules.
"These changes will make no differ
once to the miner and will be of great
aid to the OPERATORS said Rice Miller,
president of the Illinois Coal Opera
tors Association. Crank Harrington,
pres sdent Of the Illinois miners, is APP
parently going to play along with the
national organization. This means that
the meeting tomorrow will simply
start negotiations. That is all the
state president is empowered to do
under paragraph 32 of the Illinois
agreement The next step will be to
call q meeting of the state scale com
mittoe which is empowered to handle
these Matters
Mr. Miller emphasized that the real
chances of a separate settlement of
Illinois coal troubles would rest with
the scale committee. With regard to
the wage scale to be proposed by the
operators, Mr.. Miller said:
"That's a matter for the scale com
mittee to thrcsh out One thing is Ger
tain: the operators will insist that it is
low enough to meet competition. The
public will buy its coal in the cheapest
market, no matter whore it comes from.
| If non-unon mines, with their long
/ freight hauls, can sell at 10 cents a ton
cheaper in Chicago than we can, we've
| got to meet the price or we're done
The conference tomorrow, Mr.. Miller
predicted would be brief, because Of
! It's prelim mary nature.
Doubt Separate Agreement
In Illinois circles it was generally
! predicted that the chance Of separate
agreement was small. Although some
| progress might be made at the confer
/ encc, it was said, the expectation was
/ that the Illinois miners would strike
along with the miners throughout the
country and any real settlement made
would have to be on a national basis.
FAlRMONT. w. Va. March ga
car shortage was felt in the Farm ont
bituminous district to-day for the first
time in many weeks, due to sudden
demand for a prompt shipment of coal
/ in anticipation of the strike called for
Saturday. Cars ordered for the day
were l.016, of which number $40 were
sent 10 the mines for loading. Similar
conditions, coal authorities said, might
be expected until the strike begins.
Miners and operators to-day were
completing arrangements for the
strike. The only public announcement
/ was ny NICK APota, SuD-dlSJrlct pfeSl-
I dent of the United Mine Workers, who
sent out q circular letter directing the
miners to observe the law and to see
that bumpers and other men necessary
4 for the preservation Of the mine prop
crty were provided.
WASHINGTON. March IS. Con-
sumers he'd Approximately 52,5OO.000
tons of bituminous coal in storage
March /, according to statement
issued jointly to-day by the Census
Bureau and the Geological Survey.
This was in addition to 5,l60,0o0 tons
on the upper lake docks and $4,000
tons held by producers at mines or
intermediate points.
Estimates based on the rate at which
coal has been leaving the mines re
Gently indicated reserve of at least
$1,000 900 tons by April /. equal to
the maximum reached at the end OF
the war At the rate of consumption
prevailing in January and February. it
was said, the reserve on hand March |
was sufficient to last forty three days
if evenly divided