Evening star., 1922-06-19
CHURCHES PLEAD
FOR STRIKE END
Protestants, Catholics and
Jews Join in Letter to
president Urging Action.

President Harding was asked today
to take steps to end the coal strike,
in a Joint appeal presented to him by
the commi ssion on the church ana
social service of the Federal Council
of Churches. with which are animated
thirty great Protestant communions'
the department of social action OF
the National Catholic Welfare Coun-
Gil and the social justice commission
of the Central Conference of Ameri-
can Rabbis This is the first time, as
far as Is known, that these repre-
sentative organizations OF Protes-
tants, 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 conference
To get the facts of the coal indus-
try through a government lnVest-
cation.
Not IS wait until the suffering OF the
women and children of the mining
camps has become a national calan-
ity.
To end the coal strike now.
The statement expresses gratlnca-
tion that the press. as a Whole, mas
been successful in recording the facts
in the strike.
I'VE desire to express to you our
conviction that the time has arrived
when our government should act TO
bring about a conference in the btu
minous coal industry to end the pres
ent strike" said the appeal.
Time for Intervention.
"Whenever either disputant In
controversy declines to employ the
~
ton 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 proportions OF a
national calamity
'On March 81. 1922, representatives
of the commission on the church and
social service of the Federal Council
OF Churches of Christ in America
and the department of social action
of the National Catholic Welfare
adopted by their respective bodies
urging government action looking to-
ward the settlement Of the coal con-
troversy: At that time 1t was point
ed out that the operators In the cen
trail competitive field, comprising Illi-
nois, Indiana, Ohio and western Penn
sylvania, had pledged themselves two
years previously to confer with the
union in order to negotiate a new
contract
Extension of Strike.
"The strike has been more extern
sive than was anticipated since the
miners in several non-union fields
Mine Workers. Following period
of intense business depression. the
strike has caused much suffering to
the miners families, and this suffer-
ing is rapidly increasing.
at is a matter of profound salts
faction, that the strike has been re-
markably orderly. We have also been
gratified to note that the press has
made an unusually successful effort
to record the facts Of this conflict.
been done to bring it to an end.
In spite of the desire Of the gov
ernment to avoid interference in the
controversy. it has become necessary
for the Secretary of Commerce to re-
quest the operators in the non-union
undue advantage of the situation by
excessively increasing the price OF
coal. This action serves to show the
helplessness of the nation and the
increasing danger to the public IN the
face of so great an industrial strug-
For this reason we urge that, un-
less the operators and miners IN the
central competitive field can even yet
be induced to meet the miners in
Joint conference, in accord with prece-
dent, a national conference be called
by the government sufficiently rep
resentative of all the bituminous coal
fields to set standards and secure
stability and prosperity for the entire
industry.
: 1--WE urge, therefore, that if it is not
feasible to restore to the Federal
Trade Commission the authority which
it formerly exercised, the administra-
ton recommend congressional action
creating an authoritative body which
shall have power to secure and make
public all the essential facts of the
Industry. Any settlement Of the
reached, will have only temporary
force unless it Is accompanied by
provision for full knowledge and
publicity concerning the facts upon
which a satisfactory organization Of
the industry must be basel.
I'VE call upon our government: out
of concern for the well-bstng of the
nation as a whole, the health and
comfort of the miners and the pres
ervation of the mining industry, to
take immediate steps to bring the
disputants together in order to- Sc
cure just settlement of the pres
ent strike and an organization Of the
coal industry on the basis Of the max
imum service to the nation"
The appeal was signed by "the
commission on the church and social
service of the Federal Council Of the
Churches of Christ in america; the
department of social action of the
National Catholic Welfare Council
and the social Justice commission Of
the Central Conference Of American
Rabbis."