The labor world., 1922-09-09

Official Washington Admits % hn l. Lewis Has Gone Far Be-
cause Of Capable Hand lingo Unions Case.

Six months ago, 1t: seemed to those
who knew most about the inner
workings Of the coal industry that
John L. Lewis, president of the Unit
ed Mine Workers Of America, was
headed for defeat. The national con-
vention of the miners had just been
held in Indianapolis, and it was i'm
possible to conceal the fact that there
was serious internal dissension there.
The strike already was looming large
upon the horizon and the conn., 5ina-
tion of events pointed to a rebuff
for the unions. During the trying pc
riod that has elapsed however, Mr..
Lewis has displayed a force Of char
acter, an ability to overcome adverse
circumstances and a power to DOM
mate men which has made him a
very big figure in the mining indus
try.
Operators and miners have taken
his measure during the weeks the
strike has been in progress, with the
result that he bulks, very large in
their esteem today. If he. has not
mastered his chief opponent in his
own organization, Frank Harrington,
head Of the Illinois miners, he has
at least made such terms with the
bituminous operators that the lii
nois group is forced to acquiesce in
that settlement. Although he refused
to participate in the Cleveland ne
gotiations, Mr.. harrington finally has
n hot hn
Illinois miners will refuse to return
to work unless the operators Of that
state accept the Cleveland agree
ment.
Will Return at Old Scale.
AS for the settlement itself, the
miners in the bituminous fields will
return to work at the old scale of
wages instead of the cuts ranging
from 20 to 40 per cent which the
operators had posted, and with the
check:-off system intact. The opera
tors stood out for separate state con-
tracts, but Mr.. Lewis has succeeded
in getting an interstate agreement,
which, If not so wide as the old
four-state competitive field agree
ment, nevertheless is perfectly sat
isfactory to the miners cause.
Those who have followed the strike
in Washington and Cleveland, have
not failed to notice that no matter
how excited or belligerent others
might become at times, Mr.. Lewis
ruffled when he confronted Presi-
dent Harding than he was during
some heated sessions of the miners
executive committee when he master
ed Mr.. Harrington and radical fol-
lowers Of Alexander Howat in debate,
Intellectually, he seemed to be able
to, cope with any situation, whether
it was answering the arguments Of
President Harding and Herbert
Hoover or combating the most tru-
culent operators.
It was Mr.. Lewis who handled the
expenditures of the somewhat mea-
ger financial resources of the miners
in way that gave them courage to
hold out to the end. and he also was
able to present the case of the strik-
ers to the public in such a manner
as to keep for them a large measure
Of popular sympathy throughout the
entire affair. Perhaps he could not
have held his men so solidly to the
strike if he had not had a nucleus
of Welsh, Scotch, Irish and English
miners who are experienced in that
sort of thing.
Aware of Their Stamina.
But he knew their stamina when
he went into the fight, and he took
account of it in his calculations.
Also he counted on the saving pro-
pensities Of the Slavs who form the
bulk of his organization and that