Evening star., 1939-04-16
Gov. Price Cancels
Cruise as Miners
Demand Protection
Workers Claim Jobs
Have Been Denied
Them by Outsiders
BS the Associated Press.

oV LAC EoSOClAtSu 1ISSSs
CLINCHCO, Va, April l5.-Em-
ployes of the Clinchfield Coal Corn.
protested they were being kept from
work by outsiders" and demanded
protection today while several hun
dred members of the United Mine
Workers Association remained in the
area, seeking to organize workers
OF the corporation.
Liquor stores at Clintwood, in this
county and at Grundy, in adjacent
Buchanan County, were ordered
closed by State authorities, and local
action was being taken to close beer
gardens In some Of the territory.
Governor Cancels Cruise.
Meanwhile, Gov. Price Cancelled a
weekend cruise on Chesapeake Bay
on the yacht Romar because of what
he termed the "tenseness of the situ-
alton" The chief executive, at Nor
folk, said he wanted to be in Rich
mond in the event mobilization
order" for the State militia became
necessary.
Spokesman for the Clinchfield
Employees Association. which is not
afhliated with the United Mine
Workers, told Col. M. S. Battle,
State director of the Division of
Motor Vehicles, they wanted to 90
to work in the corporations mines,
but were being prevented by "out-
slders." The owners shut down the
mines Thursday after some $500
members of the United Mine Work.
ers had gathered here and several
outbreaks of violence had occurred.
The Clinchfield mines had contin-
ued operation when the United Mine.
Workers quit work April l pending
negotiation Of new contract with
coal operators.
j. F. Collins, one of the spokesmen
for the Clinchfield Employees Asso-
citation, told Col. Battle the men felt
they had received insufficient pro-
lection and have gone just about
as far as they will go without taking
matters into their own hands," The
| association spokesmen said they had
been instructed to demand a state
ment on protection they could
expect.
Protection Assured.
Col. Battle, who has jurisdiction
over the State police, told members
of the delegation they could rest
assured I'VE will give you all of the
protection humanity possible for the
State police to give" He said he
believed the situation under con-
troll for today and tomorrow. Forty
State policemen are on duty here
with riot equipment. :
The motor vehicle chief explained
that the sheriff was the head of
local law enforcement agencies and
that the Governor is without au-
thority to take any action unless
requested by the sheriff. He said
no request had been received and
that the State police were essentially
highway patrolmen.
j. w. Addington, one Of the
spokesmen, told Col. Battle the EN-
ployes were not prompted by the
company in naming committee to
confer with him.
Col. Battle later conferred with
Circuit Judge A. A. Skeen, but
there was no comment on the ma
ture of their discussions.
Maj. H. B. Nicholas of the State
police estimated that only 300 to
400 outsiders were still here in
contrast to more than a thousand
for the past two days.
Artillery Modified.
Interest was stirred in Roanoke
last night when Battery F of the 246
Coast Artillery mobilized at the
armory and received full equipment.
Gov. Price said the mobilization had
not been ordered, and Adjt. Gen.
S. Gardner Waller said he had
merely alerted officers to be pre-
pared for an emergency assemblage
Everything was quiet In the vicin-
ity Of the mines throughout the day.
Lee Long. vice president Of the
Clinchfield Coal Corp, protested to
the Dickinson County Board of
Supervisors what he considered in
sufficient law enforcement and pro-
lection to workers in the Clinch-
field mines. He referred to dis
orders Thursday and yesterday.