Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-27
COAL STRIKE
DEAD-LOCKED
Survey Shows What is Hap
pening in the Coal
Fields
BY G., G.. Lyon

PITTSBURGH, April 27.-Since
The nationwide coal tie-up began
April ,. / have visited all the storm
centers. The present status seems
to be this:
Coal operators and miners appear
to agree the strike will last several
months longer. High officials of the
United Mine Workers say three
months. Many operators say six
months.
Probably the biggest operator in
Ohio, who has always operated
union mines. told me:
you'll find the big operators of
the country will he in no hurry to
sign a new scale. In the long run
we feel 1t will be none in our
pockets to sit tight until October.
The country. with a fair surplus of
coal now on hand and with the nom
union fields still producing even
though a diminished supply. can
skimp along until fall. When the
real pinch comes the big operators
will then talk business with the
United Mine Workers. But mine
wages must come down"
One of the best informed of the
district presidents of the miners
union said:
washington won't make any real
effort to force a settlement of the
strike until the pressure starts from
railroads. steel mills, public utilities
n manufacturers. In about we
months from now the coal piles of
these interests will be about ex-
hausted anu then they'll get scared.
| look for the strike to be over and
the men back in the mines within
.hree months"
Everywhere I have gone-in
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio,
indiana and Illinois, l have found
the public apathetic. With mild
weather already here and with SUM
mer coming on, the average family
isn't worrying. Many of them
haven't yet carried out last winters
ashes.
The steel industry is already feel
ing the pinch. because the supply
OF coke has been cut down. Thou
sands of n~on-union miners and coke
workers in the Connellsvtile coke
region have Joined the union and
quit their jobs.
In the steel districts today there
Is on every hand a general slowing
down as part of a program to con-
serve both coal and coke.
The United Mine Workers are
stronger today than they were on
April /. when the strike began.
The strike is still 100 per cent
effective in all the union fields.
There are more coal miners on
strike today than on April 1. The
additions have come from the nom
union fields.
The Monongahela River has been
the dividing line between the union
and uon-union fields in western
Pennsylvania. When the strike was
called, the United Mine Workers
sent their best organizers TO Browns
VILE and from there the drive" on
the %non-union fields has been di-
sected~us
Unions Strengthened
Rapidly, the idea of unionism has
spread from the river into the nom
union fields until today most of the
mines and coke ovens in and about
Uniontown are idle.
Connellsville is still the stronghold |
o. the non-union coal and coal OPP |
orators. The territory neal Connells-
Vile is dominated by the Prick inter-
ests. subsidiaries of the United
States Steel Corporation.
The union drive" is now directed
toward a penetration of the Con-
nellsville basin"
In West Virginia there are 49,
900 coal miners of whom 10000
are unionized.
The Winding Gulf districts. south
east of Charleston. is the non-union
stronghold. but already the unions
have 1900 members out of a total
81 29, 900 men who were working in
he di5triet when the strike began. !