The New York herald., 1922-03-25
Union Leaders Move to Enlist
100000 Outsiders i'm the
Coming Strike.
NO DEALS WITH DISTRICT
Hope to Stop Moving Of Pound
Of Coal and Tie Up All
Mines in Country.

ShrsEIANo, MdTcn ga complete
tieup of the nations entire coal in
dustry by 100000 non-union miners
joining the solid ranks of a half mil
hon union workers was the prog am
adopted tonight before final adjourn
ment by the general policy committee
of the United Mine Workers Of Am r.
lea for the nationwide strike set FOR
April /.
By a unanimous vote of it's 1l6
members the committee affirmed the
policy of general suspension by IN IN
workers, which prohibits the consum-
nation Of single State agreements, and
followed this by directing district union
officials to ask all non-union men to
join the strike
The resolution for an immediate call
to the non-union men also provided
that the international and district
unions exert all their powers and in
fiuence to bring about a strike in all
non-union coal fields of America"
The general suspension by union
miners is with the ayowed purpose of
gaining wage increases for anthra-
cite workers and retaining present
basic wages in the soft coal fields.
The leaders declared they hoped to
stop the mining of a pound Of coal after
April /. but the committee resolved not
TO cause any public >uffering. authoriz-
ing district union officials to permit any
mine to be operated whenever necessary
to meet an emergency. Under this pro-
gram, the union officials said, 1t will be
possible TO supply fuel for public utilities
and institutions whenever the big stocks
now on hand run low. The aim Of the
strike, it was explained, is to prevent
the mining of commercial coal.
In addition the committee provided
for necessary protection of the mines
during the strike. The only condition is
that pumpmen, engineers. firemen and
others who will remain at work shall
receive the present scale of wages. Ten
thousand men will remain at the mines
under this provision.
The rift in the union forces threatened
by the expected fight Of Frank Earring
ton, president OF the Illinois district
union. on John H. Lewis, international
president disappeared when Harrington
announced that he would not make a
contract with Illinois operators without
the sanction of the policy COMMITTEES.
During the debate Mr.. Harrington
urged the adoption of a flexible pol
icy," contending that he expeo ted the
strike to be broken in some of the out
lying fields. but finally declared the
Illinois men would join in the strike.
Committeeman reported that miners
in some parts of West Virginia would
not be able to remain on strike longer
than three weeks and it also was as
serted that the miners in Kentucky,
Tennessee and Alabama were not pre-
pared for long fight.
Fred Mooney. secretary OF the West
Virginia district, however, declared that
the union men of his district would re-
main idle las long as they have a crust
OF bread
Mr.. Harrington resented statements
that he would negotiate a single State
agreement for Illinois SO that the oper-
ators of that State might capture the
Northwestern coal markets, now princi-
pally supplied by the lake movement of
coal from eastern Ohio, western Penn
sylvania and Kentucky. The lake trade
Of the Ohio and Pennsylvania operators
Is said to amount to sl0000o.0o0 annual
ly. Mr.. Farington denied he had any
such motive. asserting his only purpose
was to preserve the union in Illinois.