Arizona republican., 1922-04-02
NINE HOLIDAY
HELPS SWELL
RANKS
ON FIRST DAY
Union Officials Claim
Complete Suspension OF
Work In 5000 Out Of
1900 Mines In Country
IRenuhlican a. 2. Leased Wlrel

suspension Of coal mining by union |
workers marked the beginning today |
of the nation wide waikout ordered |
by the United Mine Workers OF
America Union leaders estimated |
6Go O0o miners. including 100000 non |
union men had enlisted in the move
uent and predicted no change could /
be expected soon.
The exact effectiveness OF the sus-
pension. especially in non union ano |
nartIv organized fields. was dlfflcutt |
10 gauge however because today also
marked the anniversary Of the intro
duction of the eight hour work day
in the coal industry. and is annual
holiday in the coal fields. Never
theless. union officials were conn
dent that no union men, except those
authorized to stay at work, would re-
turn to the mines on Monday
I-nion headquarters here prepared
not tabulation showing the geogra-
nhical distribution Of the idle men,
bur the reports from field leaders
showed the great bulk of the suspen
sion centered in pennsylvania, W est
Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, MISS
ouri Iowa Kansas and neaTos
, southwestern states. Reports from
other fields were somewhat vague,
and union officials did not expect an
exact showing for the entire country
would be available before the mlooie
middle of next week.
President John L, Lewis estln1ateo
that 5000 of the $500 mines IN the
country that have been operating re-
Gently had closed, and in adoltlon II
was pointed out that 2,ooU mines
have been idle for some tune.
In various fields-particuiafly IL
penn nsvIyania and West Ni-ginia--the
field leaders of the union we're plan
ming meetings during the next feW
davs their purpose being to gain as
much support as possible from t.e
non-lInion workers. In the strongly
l1nionized fields, which were hit tne
| hardes today by the suspension, Ire
union leaders regarded any break IN
their battlefront as Impossible.
The anthracite fields of PennsylFa-
MIA and the big soft coal area cont
! prising the central competitive neg
! and the southwest interstate district,
4 were believed by the union offlclats
/ az already started on an indeflnlte
| and prolonged suspension. Reports
/ also indicated that the other coal
! fields were closed today, but operat-
| ors in some of these districts were
said to be planning TO resume "olN
soon. - u;... Clos.
Mines in western Canada were
ranorted as closed, but those in Nova
Scotia were in operation. Five tnous-
ana union miners in Kentucky aise
were scheduled under the UNION
,,,,orran1 10 remain at work, Mr.
Lewis declaring that this was -
harmony with a contract Win lu'
onera tors. which has another yea
to run. In addition, l3,VOu unIoi unIo
men were to remain III tue Hsli-e ~
TO protect the properties ifoli .. ua1i.
J aoe but reports to union headqudl
teYs here indicated that disputes hae
deyeloped in Iowa Montana an'
:; Wa stington as TO the wages 10 o.
maid these maintenance men. lA'
Inion leaders in these states WSI'
;ngiStine, that the wages proVlde'
in fine contracts expiring last mlo
; NIGHT be continued, while operator
were said ii be seeking reductlons
: In addition to marking the ann
yersary Of the miners eight iou
work day, and the peglnlliiis =. t..I, :,
first suspension of work slllultaIl
! oo,,sly involving both anthracite an
hitun1inous fields. today also !
: known as the beginning OF the Goa
/ llno,.,s As such. 'ssummer prices
| for coal have been fixed in the pas
| fhe margin OF decline usually beln
fiftv cents a ton, which will o
| wiped out by gradual increases unll
September.
| Retailers here announce no chang
! today in their prices, ana mine =" - -
ers declared they had no coai ~
| sale. The operators here also duue
| that the storage of coal was prac
| ticed only by anthracite operator;
| asserting that the bituminous proo
| ! net coIId not be stored adVanlaSe
| o,Isly The summer prices" Tor tn
| | bitIInlinous coal, according TO IN
operators, had in the past peen =
current production. Union oiIciai
said the only significance OF the ny
ginning of the coal year from az az.
noiut of view. was that the ud'
| usually marked the beginning OF ne
wage contracts, the absence or Whlc
| provoked the unions order for IN
| General suspension OF work.
Labor Officials Leave
The end of the first day OF III
| / suspension was noted at union neat
quarters here by the departure
Mr. Lewis and William Green, sec
| / retary treasurer, the only e2ecutlN
| officers of the union at headquai
ters Ms. Lewis went TO Washing
| fon where he will appear on Nor
Il day before the house labor con
mittee. expecting to present IN az
| tail the miners side OF their Was
controversy with the operators.
Before leaving here Mr.. Lewis az
clared that the suggestion of govern
| ment operation of the mines, mace
| Senator Borah, Republican. 4dah
was "significant" and the union lea'
or added that he believed 1t WI
Fundamentally correct"
s"The creation of some national a.
tboritv over the coal industry is ne
essarv-call it what you may q
cJared Mr.. Lewis. This does u
necessarily mean government oWne
chin which / doubt could be accoI
TIisbed because of the enormo
panonI1nt of money that would be T
n,,ired TO buy all the mines, and al
The difficulty Of finding method
payment" ,a,,t,s co
troll If the nations railroads throui
spo Interstate commerce commissl
and other agencies. Mr.. Lewis lne
eafed his approval of the govefnme
exercising similar control over
mining Industry. such control,
asserted. should provide for hcen
ING system for the operation OF MN
so a to eliminate waste IN the lndu