Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-11-22
President Coolidge
Asked to Intervene
II, Coal Mine Strike

| WASHINGTON, Nov. 81 CP)-Presi-
| dent Coolidge was asked today by q
delegation of labor leaders to inter
vene in the bituminous coal strike in
! /, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
but he left wiCn. them clearly the
advice that he saw little desirability
in calling a conference between miners
and operators unless both were agreed
some good might come from it.
To the request of the delegation,
which was headed by William Green,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, and John j. Lewis, preSi-
dent of the United Mine Workers, for
congressional investigation of IAN
alleged conspiracy of large railroads
to depress the price of coal" Mr.. Cool
idge advised the workers representa-
tives they could expect justice and
cooperation If they filed their COM
plaint with the interstate commerce
commission.
''The railroads of Ehe country, ;"
President Green said he told PreSi-
dent Coolidge, consume virtually
thirty three and onethird per cent of
all bituminous coal mined. For that
reason the railroads are very i'm
portant factor in determining fuel
prices.
"We were prompted to make our re-
quest because the freight rate struc-
ture is based on a reasonably fair
price for coal. If reasonable price
for fuel is maintained, the coal oper-
ators could pay a decent price for
mining coal, which is asked for by the
miners"
The delegation had no sooner left
the White House than it was stated
on the presidents behalf that he made
no commitment regarding the calling
of a conference to adjust the strike
situation, but merely had promised to
refer the request to Secretary Davis of
the labor department for investigation.
| There seemed to Mr.. Coolidge little
! to be gained, it was Said by the call
ing of a conference unless both part
les to the controversy were willing to
90 into it. with the desire for re-
| Cancellation and the impression was
(! clearly left at. the White House that
the president saw little likelihood OF
an invitation to confer being issued.
The mine workers Representatives
were informed by President Coolidge
that he had made several efforts to
have congress give him the authority
| to act in coal strikes, but that the
mine workers themselves had contri-
buted to defeat these. Lewis said ne
had replied that the proposal had been
opposed because it did not make an
effort to get at "the fundamental hu-
man relationship of the coal indus
! try and only was intended to prevent
coal shortages.
In addition to asking Mr.. Coolidge
for a conference and congressional
/; investigation, President Green declared
the delegation had left at the White
House protest against the use OF
the Injunction in federal and state
courts during strikes He said miners
/ had been prevented from carrying food
and even from holding religious
meeting in a Presbyterian church.
I After the meeting with President
Coolidge, the delegation went into ar
executive session. and later Mr.. Lewis
conferred for nearly two hours with
Secretary Davis at the labor depart
ment.
The miners union head said he anc
his colleagues had laid down a pro-
gram of constructive action in which
we have sought the governments aid
one branch of which would entail {
congressional investigation lnto tbs
situation and the second of which