The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-25
WILLTRYTOT IE-UP
ALL COAL Mines
Aon-Union Men Urged to Join
Nation Wide WdIkOUt.
DECISION OF COMMITTEE
no Other Wage Agreements to Be
Made Unit Central Field Scale is
Fixed.

Made Unit central Fls!o SCaie is
Fixed.
Cleveland, March @5.--Etforts to
cause a complete tie-up of the coal IN
lustry on April l will be made ny
union miners, 1t was decided here by
the general policy committee OF the
United Mine Workers of America, au,
thorizing district union officials to ask
nou-union men to join in the nation
wide Walk-out.
The committee also affirmed the pot
icy laid down by the union convention
a month ago, declaring for the strike
as a means Tor gaining wage increases
for anthracite miners, and retaining
present wages for the bitumih"-~
workers. Further. the policy, as IN
dorsed by the committee, provided tilal
nc wage agreements for any soft coat
fields are to be made until after al
agreement had been mad" for the cen
trail competitive field.
Indications were at the meeting thai
fGp lln en- forces viii present a united
front. despite any factional troubles
Frank harrington, President OF the liz
noiS district and opponent of Inter.
rational President John l.. Lewis, de.
clared before the meeting that he
would abide with committee decisions
adding that Illinois miners W0Uin
strike and stay out until some ii
these fellows who are so keen for Il
strike, holler to quit.
Lewis was prepared to ask the co'ii
mittee to affirm the action of himSei!
and other international officers i'll Is,
suing a strike call. which action Far
ringtOn asserted was "premature, i'll
1icating that he planned to raise Thu
question before the committee.
Harrington declined to say whether
he would press Tor The right to nego1;.
qte a single state war agreement with
operators. He declared he would meet
the Illinois operators later, but not
make any agreement without the sane,
ton of the policy committee.
Protracted debate was precipitated
in opening the committee meeting
when Lee Hall, president of the Ohio
miners, moved that the committee af-
firm the policy of no wage reductions
for soft coal miners, Increases for an.
;hracite workers and the negotiation
Of no wage contracts for soft coai
fields until a contract had been made
for the central competitive field.
Harrington, addressing the commit
tee, did not directly oppose the motion.
but he urged the adoption of a ''tleX-
ible" policy governing the strike, de
claring that whenever any men 81
back to work and the strike begins
TO crumble," that the Illinois officials
would take such action as they saw
fit to preserve their district union.
I'VE will hold the lines as long as
anybody" declared the Illinois leader,
but when we see it has reached the
place that it is going to break, then
we are going to do what we can t'
preserve the district organization"
Answering the Illinois leader, vii.
liam Roy, vice president of the Ohio
district, declared the miners SHOULD
| "stay out until our demands are grant,
ed by the operators, and CT. Keeney
and Fred Mooney, officers of the West
Virginia district, added that the min
ers of their district were ready tc
strike as long as they have a crust
| nf bread
Kansas mine union officials will car
~ out the policies of the international
organization of United Mine Workers
| of America, declared Van Bittner
| chief representative of the information
| al union in Kansas, in commenting or
| The order of the Kansas industrial
| cOurt for an investigation OF the i'm
pending strike.
I'VE in Kansas will carry out the
| policies of the international union,' de
| clared Bittner, who is here attending
the meeting of the unions general pol
| icy committee.
| Union officials said they would APP
| pear before the court if subpoenaed
as witnesses, such conduct being the
| opposite to that of Alexander Howat
| deposed president of the Kansas dis
| trict.