Show STRIKE FORCED BY OPERATORS LEWIS ASSERTS Half Million Union Me Members Mem Mern- bers and Nonunion Nonunion Nonunion Non Non- union Workers Expected to o End Work Today STOCKS SUFFICIENT TO LAST 43 DAYS A YS Operators in Fie Fields ds Declared to Have Urged Conflict in Order to Profit Financially INDIANAPOLIS Ind md March 31 By Bythe Bythe Bythe the Associated The Press The Preas-The The last day of work under present v wage ge contracts was completed today b by the country's haf half million union coal miners Officially their suspension of work ives set to begin tonight at midnight but virtually y It was to start six hours hour be before be- be fore The extent of the suspension however hOweY r. r will not be known definitely until tomorrow the first day of or the tha shutdown A complete of ot union fields in twenty states was predicted today by officials of the United Mine Workers Worker of America at union headquarters here her and they also asserted that nonunion workers would lay down their picks President John L. L Lewis said at least men would walk walkout walkout walkout out his estimate including the nonunion nonunion nonunion non non- union participants No final instructions instructions Ions to dl district leaders were plan planned lIed to be issued today from union headquarters headquarters head head- quarters and officials declared any move averting the suspension was now impossible We Ve are ready reddy for fora a fight rIght forced on n onUs nU n nUs U Us by the operators declared Mr Lewis We have sought in c every very honorable way to get n new w conti C I but bt the operators have persistently r ruf ru- ru f fused us ed to deal with us Then too lh th the J powerful nonunion interests save tried save tried ll in ill cery possible way way- Ya to persuade the tha union oper operators tors to fight tight the Mine Workers in order that the nonunion nonunion nonunion non non- union Interests may reap a financial harvest by operating during tha strike TWENTY STATES INVOLVED Twenty states will vIll be affected by bythe bythe the shutdown and the only union m men n expected to continue producing c a jal lal are workers In southwestern Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky whose with the operators operators operators opera opera- tors does not expire until April 1 19 1923 1913 In addition forces of union men inca willbe will willbe willbe be left in the mines thines to protect the property from damage Pennsylvania will turn out the largest largest larg larg- est number of oC men and other states to tobe tobe tobe be affected Include Iowa Kansas OklahOma Oklahoma Okla Okla- homa Texas Montana Wyoming Colorado and Washington Vest Western rn Canada also is expected to Join the suspension but not the Nova Scotia district The anthracite districts of Pennsylvania Pennsyl vania which are half halt are expected to be shut siut down completely and in addition many bituminous miners miners mi ml- mi- mi n ners rs in that state have been called on onto onto onto to Join with the union men there thore Washington also is expected b by the union officials to experience idleness at the nonunion mines BIG ala STOCKS AVAILABLE The Tho duration of the suspension in inthe Inthe the union fields as also the strike at atthe tho the nonunion mines Is a matter of ot conjecture The shutdown begins with warm weather approaching and with stocks on hand the largest at any time for tor the last several years Government Govern Govern- ment reports placed the stocks at 63 tons a quantity as large as that which had been accumulated at ut atthe the end of the war war armistice armistice day November November No No- o- o vember 11 1918 This supply government government govern govern- ment officials estimate will meet every demand for three forty-three days and the depletion of this reserve is regarded by union officials as necessary before they expect the bituminous operators to indicate any willingness to confer with the union on new wage contracts Anthracite operators however are aro already conducting wage negotiations with the the union and an earlier settlement settlement settle settle- ment in those fields is promised th than m the for principal soft coal districts Not Nit all aU of the latter fields however aro sr thought to be able to withstand a Ion long strike and In a drawn out struggle the fight tight may center in the strongly organized central competitive field neld ad a-ad the tho Southwest interstate district ti J PO un For the nonunion miners Joining the tha shutdown the union does not plan to finance their idleness officials declaring declaring declaring ing their program for winning the cooperation of ot these workers calls only for a peaceful appeal Organizers however have been quietly at work for some time and their ette effectiveness cannot b bO forecast but no long inter seems imminent in th the nonunion nonunion nonunion non non- union fields 1 For or six months the threat of the sus suy suspension pension has been becoming more a 81 ap- ap p. p made it clear that their policy was op- op parent Last ast September the miner l posed to any wage reductions which operators generally were asking but the exact stand of the union was made known a n little more more than a month ago Briefly the miners' miners demands are are that present basic wages be retained Inthe Inthe In Inthe the soft sott coal fields and that the anthracite anthracite anthracite an an- tonnage workers receive a 20 per cent increase with 1 a day ad advance advance ad- ad vance yance being given to the anthracite da day workers The basic rates for the soft sott coal workers range rane from front to a ton for tor pick mining and the day men receive a day Exact tonnage rates in the anthracite fields are said by the union to be lower thanIn than thanin in the soft sort coal district and the anS an- an S Continued on page 4 4 f c T i F f i iS if S f I Continued f from page 1 day men re receive e vc from from- from to a day j I Aside from the wage question the i fight of the tho miners In the soft coal coalfields i fields is is' is directed toward preserving the unions union's system of barg bargaining that last forty ortY has grown up during the years In Ip the past wages have been fixed by an Interstate contract apPlYing applying applying apply apPlY- ing to western Pennsylvania Ohio In Indiana Indiana Indiana In- In diana and Illinois with contracts for tor I Iother I Ithe other soft coal fl fields being based on the the interstate Interstate contract The contract I question however Is not an Issue In i ithe the anthracite districts I In addition to reduction In wages the soft coal operators have refused to continue the interstate method of ot contract contract contract con- con tract making Reductions proposed bythe by the tho operators generally amount to 40 Iper i iper per cent of ot th the prevailing scales or a i return to the wages established by by I contracts made In 1916 Some operators operators opera opera- tors also Insist In the tho abolition of ot the unions union's check off the plan by which operators deduct union dues from the miners' miners wages wages' While the unions union's affairs will be directed directed di directed di- di generally by the International executive officers and the subordinate subordinate district of officials tic In Is all questions of ot po polIcy polIcy pol- pol Icy have been vested In a special coma com com- of men representing th the j i various arious districts of the union The I committee will meet on th the call can of President Lewis who said that future i meetings depend on developments of ot I the As outlined by the committee committee com com- com 1 the tho unions union's policy on entering I Ithe the suspension is to permit no wage agreements being made for any soft contract substantially sub- sub substantially coal fl fields until after atter a the same as that existing today today to- to to-I to I day has been made for tor the central j competitive field For the anthracite field the policy stands for for w wage ge In In- In creases While the polled policy Is s subject to committee change it now calls cans for i field only I Iatter ending the suspension in any after atter the miners have a approved proved a new contract by a referendum vote v I Pittsburg District District I Ends J Production I PITTSBURG March 31 Before Before I nightfall some miners and other workers in and around round the mines of ot the western Pennsylvania bituminous I district and approximately In Inthe Inthe inthe the central Pennsylvania field will have haYe cleaned up their tasks tak taken n out their tools and completed every preparation preparation prep prep- for the strike which will be become become be- be I come effective at midnight The coal production of Qt the Pittsburg district affected b by the strike amounts to approximately tely a million tons a da day day- I Nonunion mines which have hae never been operated on a union basis It was stated will not be shut down tomorrow to tomorrow tomorrow to- to morrow although the union leaders have announced th their lr determination to organize them with all aU possible speed Anthracite Chiefs I Direct Activities NEW YORK March larch Presidents 31 Presidents I of ot the three anthracite district unions left New York today to administer I the suspension of work In the mines in the Scranton Hazleton and Shamokin Shamokin Shamokin Shamo- Shamo I kin r regions glons of of ot Penns Pennsylvania In conjunction conjunction conjunction con con- junction with the nation nationwide wi do strike of ot the coal industry I Although the suspension order will not become officially effective until t midnight tonight reports from dis district district dis- dis headquarters Indicate th that t cessation cessation cessation cessa cessa- tion of production already was under 1 way Actual suspension of the industry industry industry indus indus- try probably will be completed at sundown sundown sundown sun- sun I down It was said when all aU preparations preparations I for the protection of property I will have been completed I Three thousand two hundred men i i will be left In the collieries to prevent prevent pre pre- vent flooding of the mines and maintenance maintenance maintenance main main- pre I of ot property while the strike Is In progress according to the estimates estimates estimates esti esti- I mates of ot union officials Under an agreement with the mine I operators m made de during conference of the subcommittee on wage wago contract I negotiations the emergency men willbe will willbe be paid according to to the scale scalo agreed I upon when the strike Is settled Charter Denied I One Big Uni Union n HONOLULU March 31 By the Associated Press Press- Request Press Request for a charter for tor the United Workers of at Hawaii an international organization here known as The One Big Union has been refused by Governor W. W R. R Farrington on the ground that the present organizers could be swept ou out of ot control by unfriendly and alien forces which might use the machinery of a legal charter for unfriendly and alien ends i I Mine Fatalities Show Increase WASHINGTON March March 31 An 31 An Increase in increase In- In increase crease in coal mine fatalities of 31 percent percent per percent cent In February over oYer the corresponding correspond correspond- ing month a year ago was announced today by the bureau of mines Two hundred and ten lives were lost In mine accidents during the month compared compared compared com com- pared with In February 1921 Based on an estimated output of ot 48 tons of coal the death rate was per million tons compared with a year ago The average number of ot lives lost during February each cach year ear since 1913 Is I Miners Withdraw I 1 From U. U M. M of A. A CUMBERLAND lid Md March 31 James Strachan superintendent of the Emmons Mining company compan at Bayard W. W Va last night announced that the about in number had met and formed an independent organization or organization or- or I i resolving to withdraw from the United MIneworkers l of ot America and elected representatives to meet with company compan officials and formulate a new wage agreement made and accepted accepted ac- ac I ac-I i i by the I i iThe t I The committee and company off oUI- oUI I- I i I I et and an agreement was entered en entered entered en- en Into whereby the men mon will continue continue con con- to work after atter April 1 the date dato date set for the general mineworkers mineworkers' strike Northwest Coal Needs Well Supplied I DULUTH Minn March 31 There 31 There are approximately tons tons of coal coat now piled up on the docks at Duluth Duluth Duluth Du- Du luth and Superior sufficient to supply supply supply sup sup- ply the Northwest's fuel needs for tor from to days in the event of ot the coal miners miners' strike strikes according to to I figures given out today by R R. H H. Salter Salter Salter Sal- Sal ter superintendent of ot the Western estern railway weighing and Inspection bu- bu reau Wyoming Miners Will Go Out Too I I OGDEN March 31 The The strike of ot coal miners scheduled to take place I I at midnight tonight will wll affect i I miners In the southwestern Wyoming coal district All All' of the thirty-six thirty mines In the district will be closed while the mine officials pursue a course of ot watchful waiting according accordIng accordIng accord- accord Ing to announcements made here atthe at atthe atthe the Ogden office of ot the Superior Rock RockSprIngs RockSprings RockSprings Springs Coal company and at the offices of ot other Wyoming coal com com- Of Ot the thirty six mines about Rock j Springs and Kemmerer eighteen be belong belong be- be belong long to the Union Pacific railroad i This company Is understood to havea have a a sixty-day sixty reserve supply of ot coal In InI I Ogden and use of this will begin as soon as the mine supply Is cut off It has been announced I No attempt to open pen the mines until I the strike is 18 settled will be bo made It is believed at the local offices The Tho mines are thoroughly unionized and the workers will undoubtedly follow tollow the lead ot of the other miners of ot the country it has been stated I |