New-York tribune., 1922-04-04
Union Chief Tells House
Committee Workers See
Control by Government,
as Only Hope Of Relief
Wiling to Meet
With Operators
Saws Peace in Industry
Hinges on Unionization
: Of Men in Every Field;
Scores Owners Attitude
By Gilman Parker

WASHINGTON, April 3.-John
Il. Lewis, president of the United
Nine Workers Of America, to-day
hid the case for the striking miners
IsfOre Congress and through that
sdy officially before the American
people.
Out Of the voluminous mass Of
1,a he presented in arraying the
nsition Of the miners and in ar
tagning the stand Of the operators
there we're two cardinal facts over
all else at the close Of
the days. hearings before the House
Committee on Labor, which is sitting
h Judgment on what Mr.. Lewis has
% say in connection with the Bland
resolution calling for an investiga-
ton Of the coal industry.
The first Of these points was thst
he miners called upon Congress for
naturalization OF the country's coal
mines.
The second was that Mr. Lewis, after
declaring that they remain willing 70
lee. the operators OF the central
competitive field In the hope OF set
i.-. "a. eIt,As ana reaching g new
sage and working agreement, declared
he wouId recommend to them that they
meet any other combined groups or
operators provided such a combination
Is in control Of a bituminous produc-
ton tonnage sufficient 80 dominate the
aot coal market and furnish the basis
i.r ali other district agreements with
the union, as the central competitive
haid he's figured In The past.
Wauld UnionIze All Fields
of what Was nearly OF equal I'm
pf9nee TO these two points was
lof''en Of the miners statement deal
:ng with TIE non-union coal fields. In
ihl: ar. Lewis, declaring thct peaca
and stabilizat.on in the industry would
q impossible without unionization Of
ae miners, in effect asked Congress
% provide means Tor assisting tho
miners to unionizs the West Virginia
1aa o'her non-union fields. 1t Is the
present status Of these fields which
.afhsaed the underlying reason for
'se re'usa! Of the western Pennsyl-
'shla and southern Ohio rators 20
'aeel the miners III accordance with the
ela VI central competitive field agreement.
ue operators declaring that the non
saion West Virginia mines supplied
asst, 01" ''o'
,..;s .as declaration favortng nationals
'hs0a Of the mines was based OF the
TsNlse that the miners "have finally
|s'en up all hope OF relief from the
|.pe'stors' In The matter OF reforming
|M ...., INDUSTRY and placing it on
|'aeEed basis.
IN default Of any other remedy, the
,.a .he workers seriously suggest that
|S1' government take over and operate
y. nines," ssid Mr.. Lewis. "Con-
|,lssa, ss We are, that Il Is q step in
IA "A ngnt direction, we urge Its con-
'as'atiOn upon Congress.
Says Public Must Take Hand
II the owners WIZ not set their
s'u's a. IN order the public must stop
4, sad enforca order, because In
|.sisa.%eIacy such rs this no set Of men,
....s ..s.aef in the ranks OF labor or OF
,Tai' can be allowed permanently
(" nMintain a public nuisance"
uapl'e the directness of this phrase
|~W however, Mr.. Lewis left the door
|s,;,.: ss,;,,saeFa,oly ajar as 60 just how the
||ii.,s |E,,i's dehne the term "nationaliza-
f.. Sith possibilities that it might
ID. ,gs.SrGed .os. ~, to mean anything from
|ss,s. n ssss 81 regulation given By the In
|..iI.se HI@.e commerce Commission to tho
,.0s0s to full public ownership. He
|t'as |t''7iea 10 favor commission regula-
|,,.., rs however. sc when he was under
H. ,i.'rns1amination y later at the hands Of
h, lSOII?gfessmen S.I?g he said that he "did
rs.. .s'levs public ownership OF the
|@ssss @ would be practicable ct this
|ns Later, to newspaper men, he
h ,'s GENERALIZATION is a flexible term.
~'s mean either public ownership
l. CONTINUED on pasa tars.l