The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-09
HOwat Leader Wants Operators
and q. M. A. Chiefs Arrested.
Asks X. C. Judge for Warrants
ON Contempt Charge.
MANY MINERS CANNOT WORK
Union and Operators Put Aliens
on Blacklist.
Despite Demands Indications
Point to End of Strike.

Pittsburg, Kan, Jan. 9.-John
Fleming, acting president of the How
at organization, and Hearl Maxwell,
a member of the Howat board, are in
Kansas City today to ask Judge Sam
uel A. Dew of the circuit court. Of
Jackson county to issue warrants for
the arrest of George Richardson and
Bernard Harrigan, commissioners for
the coal operators, and the provision
al union officials of the Kansas dis
trict for co1temp' of court.
In spite of emphatic denials from
mine union headquarters here that
any move had been taken to call off
the strike in the Kansas coal fields,
persons closely in touch with the situ-
alton today said they believed the
strike was in its final hours.
1t is alleged by Fleming and Max
well that the operators and union o.
ficials have refused to negotiate with
Maxwell concerning the discharge of
several men by the U. S. Coal COM
pany, operating a plant near Mulberry
in Missouri. It is alleged that the re-
fusal to deal with Maxwell was in vio-
lation of temporary restraining Or
der issued several weeks ago by Judge
Pew.
May Call Off Strike.
Saturday. Attorney Phil H. Gallery.
counsel for the rebel" miners, held
conference with Howat in the Column
bus Jail, and it was reported that the
order calling off the strike was signed
by Howat. This, however. was de-
MED.
Report after report regarding the
ending of the strike swept thru the
district today.
Mine operators stated that more
men were at work this morning than
at any other times since the strike
was called On the other hand, union
officials denied any further desertions
from their ranks.
No Jobs for Many.
If Alexander Howat, deposed presi-
dent of the Kansas miners, should is
sue from his Jail cell in Columbus an
order for the strikers to resume work,
many of them could not comply
with it.
Operators have determined upon
policy of not re-employing alien radi-
calls, it is said on good authority. Lo-
cal unions, organized under the pro-
visional government of the interna-
tional union, have also taken the posi-
ton of refusing to admit alien radi-
Gals to membership.
Ban On Hundred Workers.
will, it is estimated, mean that fully
100 aliens cannot again find employ
ment in the Kansas coal mines. The
men now working in the mines are
Americans, English, Irish and Ne
groes. Scarcely any Italians, French,
Belgians and Austrians, of whom
there are many in the district, have
gone to work
The tiE2e for them to go to work
has now passed, according to both
operators and unionists who recognize
the authority of the international
union,
Aliens ut Bottom of Unrest.
The shock troops" of the Howat
forces are composed largely of aliens.
! The unrest and disorder in the dis
trict for years have been largely at
tributed to them
Many aliens have left the district
in the last few months. Al. F. Will
liams, United States district attorney,
recently said he had information that
between zoe and 800 aliens had hastily
departed when it became known that
deportation proceedings were contem-
plated against aliens caught violating
the prohlbitory law or otherwise
proving chem undesirables.
Strong Pressure Being Exerted.
That the pressure from the rank
and file Of the strikers to return to
work has become so strong Howat
can no longer resist and will issue the
order within q day or two is the gen.
erai opinion in the district today.
Richard J. Hopkins, attorney gen.
eral, has been personally directing a
campaign to Jail as vagrants miners
who will not work, but who encourage
the strike. Radical aliens will be in
the dilemma of being confronted with
an embargo against them at the mines
! and Jail sentence for not working.