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Show DECLARES THE 1STJ FREE President of Miners' Union Protests Against the Programme Pro-gramme of Committee I on Coal Production. WRITES STRONG LETTER TO WILSON Fears Plan if Put Into Effect Ef-fect Would Place Industry Indus-try in Hands of Enemies of Labor, NKW YORK. May Co. Declaring that the programme recently outlined by the committee on coal production ol the Council of National Defense would "place tho great coal areas of the nation na-tion at the dictation of tho avowed enemies ene-mies of union labor, with nil the calamities calami-ties that would entail," John V. White, (resident of tho United Mine Workers of America, today addressed a protest to President Wilson and the members of the Council of National Defense. ' Tho mine workers, ' ' he assorted, "must not be chained to the soil in the spirit of the old Kusian serfdom, as the arrangement proposed by the com-mittee com-mittee of coal production 'would chain them. A matter of grave concern to our nation na-tion has been precipitated by the sudden development out of your organization of a committee on coal production which sets aide a complete national agreement between mine owners and mine workers just recently arrived nt in New York "itvt" said Mr. White, in his letter to the president and Council of National Defense. " Iiy that npreement the ba.ie industry of tho nation waj placed on an 1 assured foundation of adequate and uninterrupted un-interrupted coal supply. , OfTcr Ignored. j "Speaking nn behalf of the half mil , lion workers of our organization, I cn 11 your attention to tho J'aet that theo two notable conferences of the central com pet iti o field and the nnl h rue it e Held ottered to yon, an au auxiliary to vnur own council, joint commit tees of operators and workmen to direct tho production of coal on that basis of mutual mu-tual uitere.il and mutual confidence, nnd efl'icieney. "Doubtless through tho Immense prea-sii prea-sii ro of d ut ies rest i ng n pon you that offer has been completely ignored and this vital, basic indulry in threatened with com pint o disrupt ion. If not protest pro-test rd ag.ii list in time, nnd if not sue-re.-wt'iilly rexitcd nt once, your com-mitten com-mitten on coal production would place the grea t eon I arena of tho nut ion n t tho dictation of avowed enemies of union labor, with all the calamities that would entail. Would Defeat Justice. "It would defeat the maintenance throughout the war of those union labor slandards of just ice and efficiency which tho president of the United States only a week or I wo hko so nobly pledged himself and this government to ma i nt a i u. It would set at- nought t hose prin ei pies nf in d tit t rial sou a re dealing which not only the United Minn Workers have suceonsf nil v advanced, but which the great nsociat ions of mine nwn"ri f hem. el vei ha e most splendidly splendid-ly and patriotically agreed tn nnd indorsed. in-dorsed. ' ' I'erha ps, mint of nil, it would set the mine owners who have reconiied : decent , h ii in a n i t a ria n sf :i mini d among their workers nt the mercy nf tho cut-t cut-t h rout com pet i t ion nt' tho worst employers em-ployers in the busbies. It would dis-rnpt. dis-rnpt. all Hfaii'lards, nil decency, nil genuinely genu-inely palri-.tlc Ideals." ' ' I call vot i r a t f cut ion to tho fact that the remarkable statement issued by this commit t ee on coal product ion violates the very fllatnumnt of a hiyh prWici pie which at one phi rn It. so is nut - tho principle that, a firHt essential essen-tial at, this l ime is en open at ioo and mutual confidence between em piny era nnd employee. Workers Not Consulted. Not nnn re preie n t a I i vo of the workers work-ers who produce the coal wjn consulted in the pi epa ra t ion of the slalcmeut. and the policie it pruprv-ieq. And a lend ing fen Inn' of tho proposed polii iet i t Ito pi opo it ion that, f he in i no work- (Continued on VHn Two,) DECLARES WORKERS MUST BELEFHREE (Continued from Page One.) er shall not be free to work where they can produce the most coal and where thov can advance Ihc interest of the .t capable and humanitarian em- plover-, but must stav chained to the service of the incapable, the unfair and unpatriolic exploiters of labor and of natural resource if they happen once to be in sin ll employment. "In spite of all of their willing sacrifices sac-rifices of patriotism, the workers would be denied the heretofore linvlisputed right lo advance their conditions of life to those stau. lards which the mot lar-seeiiiL' lar-seeiiiL' and Ihe most iiiiiueious of their einp l,7vers have already recognized they w ere out it led lo. "A resolution or statement, annul mouslv adopted bv our executive board, which' 1 have the honor to submit herewith, here-with, sets out Hie proved nnd unswerving unswerv-ing lovaltv of the mine worker of the enlire nation. Our orga ni.'nt ion spontaneously spon-taneously and with deep devolion to our country has pie. Iced its membership to eviuv service in defense of Ihe nation, whether in Ike nrtuies or ill Ihe mines. "Mr. President and gentlemen of the council, all men self respecting oun,e.:ll to be ; I workers and manful lighters liiusl i.e, free. Thov must not be chained to Ihe soil ill a spuit of the old Russian serf.i lis Ihe arrange oient proposed by vonr coininitloe on coal production would jliain tlieiu. Kvcrv advance which Ihev have gained bv Ihe .blTien'.l and oftentimes heroic upbuilding of Hour collective orgiini.a , inn and rolled iv e nd ion must be safeguarded as a priceless heritage for l them and for the nation and for Ihe tl.it ion ' ,d, il-lreii. l; oe i'ii 1 1 v Ihe fruits of vonr of foil and ol' stniL'cle have come freelv lo the hands of Ihe mine workers. The fair minded and lined able and niosl niiiuor ons of Hour employers have recogui'e.l II,,. justice and lino idealism of their demands. Dulv a few of the power-lid power-lid eoi l'i, rat ions which eonlrnl other in-die. in-die. (lies, faiell as steel, and lire interest ,., iii , I product loll only as a side i,,,,!,,,, still I'udil Ihe I'liiled Mine Workers Work-ers because Ihev light nil capable and ) 1 1 111 :i l 1 1 : 1' ti n ellorl to a, Iv alien Hie cause of labor." |