Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-08-22
HARDING TO CONGRESS
Recommends Teeth for Railway
Labor Board.
DETERMINED TO USE ALL HIS POWER
Would Establish National Coal
Agency" to Purchase, Sell and Dis
tribute CoaI-FIays Herrin Massacre
as "Butchery'-Would Amend Eseh-
Cunnmins Act

Cummins Act.
Addressing congress last Friday
relative to the railroad and coal strike
situations, President Harding told that
body he was resolved TO use all the
power of the government to maintain
transportation and sustain the right
of men to work" The president spoke
in part as follows:
It is manifestly my duty to bring to
! your attention the industrial situation
which confronts the country. The situa-
tion growing out of the prevailing rail-
way and coal mining strikes is so Sc
rious so menacing to the nations well
fare, that | should be remiss IL failed
frankly to lay the matter before you
and at the same time acquaint you
and the whole people with such efforts
as the executive branch Of the govern
ment has made by the voluntary exer-
else of it's good Offices to effect settle
ment
The suspension of the coal industry
dates back to last April 1, when the
working agreement between mine
operators and the United Mine
Workers came to an end. Anticipat-
ing that expiration Of contract, which
was negotiated with the governments
sanction in 1920, the present admins
tration sought, as early as last Octo-
ber, conference between the operators
and miners in order to facilitate either
a new or extended agreement in order
to avoid any suspension of production
when April 1 arrived. At that time
the mine workers declined to confer,
though the operators were agreeable,
the mine workers excusing their decli-
nation on the ground that the union
officials could have no authority to
negotiate until after their annual con-
vention.
Miners Invited Conference.
A short time prior to the expiration
Of the working agreement the mine
workers invited a conference with the
operators in the central competitive
field covering the states Of Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and
in spite of the union declination Of the
governments informal suggestion for
the conference, five months before, the
government, informally but sincerely,
commended the conference. but 1t was
declined by certain groups Of operators
and the coal mining controversy ended
in the strike of April l. 1t was in
stantly made nation wide, so far as the
organized mine workers could control,
and included many districts in the
bitumnous fields where there were
neither grievance nor dispute and ef-
fected complete tie-up of the pro-
duction in the anthracite field.
1t is to be noted that when the sus-
pension began large stocks of coal
were on hand, mined at wages higher
than those paid during the war; there
was only the buying impelled by
necessity, and there was a belief that
coal must yield to the post-w read
justment. When the stocks on hand
began to reach such diminution as to
menace the industry and hinder trans
portation approximately June /, over
lures were initiated by the government
in the hope of eXpediting settlement.
None Of these availed. Individual and
district tenders of settlement on the
part Of operators in some instances
appeals for settlement were wholly
unavailing. The dominant groups
among the operators were insistent on
having district agreements; the domi-
nant mine workers were demanding a
nation wide settlement. The govern
ment being without authority to en-
force a strike settlement in the coal
industry could only volunteer its good
offices in finding n way of adjustment.
Harding Offered Plan.
Accordingly, a conference of the coal
operators associations and the general
and district officials of the United
Mine Workers was called, to meet in
Washington on July 1. The designa-
tion of representation was left to
the officials Of the various organiza-
tions and there was nationwide repre-
sentation, except from the union
! fields of the country. Before the joint
meeting l expressed the deep concern
Of the country and invited them to
meet at conference table and end the
disputes between them. The confer
ence did not develop even hope. The
operators were asking for their dis
trict or territorial conferences; the
workers demanded national settlement
on old basis Appraising correctly the
hopelessness Of the situation, 1 again
invited both operators and workers to
meet with me and rendered a means Of
settlement so justly inspired that it
was difficult to see how any one be-
lieving in industrial peace and justice
to all concerned could decline it, In
substance, it called on the operators to
open their mines, and the mine work.
crs to resume work at the same pay
and under the same working conditions
as prevailed at the time the strike be-
gan. In turn, the government was to
create at once q coal commission or