Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-04-21
STRIKE IN COAL
FIELDS REACHES
ITS PEAK "L0AD'
Over 100000 Men Are
Now Out and More
to Be Added
sure OF TIGHT T|E-UP
Nation Now Dependent
on Non-Union Work
ers for Fuel


Indianapolis, Ind, April 21-Witf
the third week of the nationwide sus.
pension of work in the coal industry
ended today, officials of the United
Mine Workers of America declared
that the peak strength of the strik-
ers had not yet been reached although
the number of idle miners ad increas-
ed to 68O,00O. gain of 10000 during
the week.
Efforts to bring more compete
tie-up of the industry will be contin.
ued, but officials declined to make
any specific predictions yet; asserted
that they expected further gains an6
added that no break was threatened
within the union ranks, which now
include many supporters in the un.
organized field.
Under the unions avowed program
calling for almost complete suspen.
sion of coal production, any new de.
velopments, forced by the union, may
be expected to come in the Pennsyl.
vania bituminous regions, and also in
West Virginia, the stronghods of the
non-union operators. Almost from
the beginning of the strike, these two
states have provided the centers OF
activity, and in central Pennsylva.
mia particularly the union has massec
its organizers for the attack.
In a score of other states scattered
across the country, no important de.
velopments have been reported since
operations were brought to a stand
still on April 1. In the Pennsylva.
mia anthracite districts, similar
quiet has been maintained. In the
unionized bituminous fields, President
John L. Lewis, the union leader, es
timated that 100000 miners have join.
ed the suspension, while in the anthra
cite industry he saiG l55, 900 men are
affected.
In addition, he declared that reports
of union field agents show at least
$4,000 workers in the unorganizet
fields as participants in the walkout
In the opinion of coal men here
the drive in the non-union fields j!
of much Importance in the settlemen
of the strike. The unorganized mine!
in central Pennsylvania are regard
ed as a strategic factor in that tht
output of these mines may go fal
toward breaking the suspension il
the central competitive field, com
prising western Pennsylvania, Ohio
Indiana and Illinois, where more
than one-third of the unions nu
merical strength is centered. Like
wise, the coal men here assert tha
the central Pennsylvania output cal
similarly affect. settlement of miner
operator disputes in eastern Goa
| fields.
No announcement of motive ha!
been made by the union officials fol
their drive at central Pennsylvania
but forces of organizers there hav,
been strengthened since the start o
the suspension of work called by tn,
union. In all, the central Pennsyl
vania region has $4,000 of its $500
non-union workers on strike, accord
ing to reports to union headquarter
here.
Incomplete reports from Wes
Virginia show ten thousand non
union supporters of the suspension
IMr. Lewis said, adding that al
union miners numbering $1,000 ais
are idle.
AS long as the general suspensio
of work obtains, the nations cos
output hinges largely on the nor
union mines, which operators her
say have an aggregate output Q
5,500,000 tons weekly, approximate