The Washington herald., 1922-03-24
0WNERSPLAN
FINISH FIGHT
WITH MINERS
Operators Welcome OPP
portunity to Combat
Union Labor.
SITUATION LIKE
RAILWAY TANGLE
Brotherhood Chiefs I'm
able to Give Assistance
To Coal Workers.

identical parallel between condi-
tions that faced the great railroad
unions last October when they set
date for a strike and then thought
better of II, and the barriers that
the coal miners must leap IL they
strike on April l. is one of the
major reasons why Industrial lead
ers here. including heads of big
railroads, are not doing much
worrying over stoppage of work in
the mines.
The most important phase, 1t is
declared. Is the attitude OF the rail-
road executives and the coal op-
orators.
The railroad chiefs were more
anxious for a strike than the en-
ployes last October. They were so
anxious, in the opinion of some of
the executives. that they spoiled the
strike. They wanted a complete
wslkout so that an intended on
slaught against the big shop craft
unions could be launched with the
idea Of putting the open shop into
every railroad shop in the country.
VIII Welcome II.
Coal operators here are said to
be downright enthusiastic about
the strike. Wage reductions, dis
carding OF the checkoff and district
wage differentials are matters on
which they want an immediate
showdown. They want IL so bad
that they are afraid something may
Fappen to prevent the walkout
April 1.
This something" the, operators
fear. Is to be action by Attorney
General Daugherty, Just as the Fed
eral Railroad Labor Board stepped
in-as the union leaders knew IL
would - and stopped the railroad
strike.
Mention was made Of these things
by railroad executives at a confer
ence here today between heads of
the Western carriers and W. G. Lee.
president of the Brotherhood OF
Railway Trainmen, and 1. z. shep-
p9rd, president Of the Order Of Rail-
way Conductors. They discussed
wages. and while IL was reported
that the initial session indicated
that no regional agreement would
be reached, contracts with indlvid-
ual carriers satisfactory all around
are in the immediate offing. The
brotherhoods have already got
wedge in for permanent settlement
of wage questions by their brand
new contract with the Lackawanna
Failroad in the East.
Would Throw Out Case.
While the brotherhood leaders
were in conference, Bert NJ. Jewell.
president Of the Federated Shop
Crafts, was before the railroad
10
100000. Jewell is attempting to
have the applications of the four
carriers for wage cuts thrown out
by the board on the ground that
they were not preceded by proper
conferences between union repre-
sentatives and the railroads.
But whether they are progress
ing or not. the big chiefs of the
railroad unions say they are too
busy arguing their own troubles to
he Of any assistance to the miners
through the nominal pact that was
signed between them here a short
time ago.
After a tour of the Illinois mines.
at. Murphy. editor of the Black
Diamond. the coal publication, de-
clared that economic conditions
among the miners will not make a
strike longer than sixty Gays pos
sible in this State
Il talked with miners. storekeep-
ers and local bankers. and every in
dication is that a strike could not
last sixty days" he said. In addi-
tIOn. l do not believe Illinois miners
would be averse to taking a wage
cut Conditions have been such that
nonunion mined Pocahontas coal
has been placed in the Chicago mar
ket cheaper than Illinois coal. This
has resulted in Intermittent work
ing hours and the miners realize II.