| Show I Bitterest Strike C 1 In InSoft T in inSoft I Soft Coal History i May Open In Fall j Intention cf of Bituminous Operators to Go Union Non i 0 Despite Agreement With Miners Presages j i Struggle For Life Blood Public i Will Vill Be Victim I Ey Dy HARDEN COLFAX Special Correspondent of The Standard Examiner i I Copyright 1925 1025 1 25 Consolidated Press Association WASHINGTON Sept 12 Tile Thc The bituminous coal industry of ofa Y a V y the United States is drifting swiftly on the current of de de- dJ into the vortex of a wide nation-wide strike Washington swept by rumors of the impending move move heard among other things today that the strike call would bs bt b issued September 15 but no one in official circles familiar with j the facts believes that the thc strike will come so soon WITHIN On the other hand there Is a a. general belief beller that the strike call call I will sound before the month ends land and several se well informed persons I whom your correspondent dis- dis discussed dl I cussed the situation looks for strike developments de within a fortnight I I They will come from the mIners mIners' 1 side of or course and an as the climax i of or negotiations with bituminous that thai have ha been under cover er for the past two months I There is a likelihood that the strike will be confined at first to 10 several severn I sore spots slOtS in the cast casi De De- Developments I of oC the next two weeks will settle that policy Inevitably Ine It is felt the spreads spread ot of tho the move move- movement mo I ment merit will go out to all soft coal coalfields coalfields fields In the country effectually shutting down the unionized part of oC tho the Industry and confining Amen Ameri America I Amert-I ca co to 10 her nonunion supply That supply Is i Inadequate to meet her I full rull needs nee ls though It will go far toward doing so I GHIE AXCE I IThe The strike will be called If it is called I not as a sympathetic move l to help ip nt the lie e anthracite h foa miners f but because of ot what the union consid consid- considers ers era a real rest grievance separate and apart from the anthracite situation in the bituminous fields That al alleged at- at alI I e l grievance i centers around the tho action nellon of ot some of oC the ilse largest coal companies In the United Stats Stal s In going union nonunion o despite s their f ul II i signatures re rel on l the Jacksonville Ck e wag agreement Half a dozen or 01 so 80 of the biggest coal producers In the country countr their business virtually swept wa a by union non-union competition have ha been attempting for the past six months I or so to ha have the wage vage agreement revised d downward and falling failing in I their attempts have either cither shut up i ishop shop or announced new wage scales lower than the contract rates rales This I action as the miners' miners officials see sec 1 it It constitutes a II repudiation of or the tate I contract I i LEWIS LEWIS' FORECAST ST John L L. Lewis president of or the the United Mine Workers Yorkers of or America announced the possibility of ot a Q na- na bituminous strike on June Jun 30 at Scranton In the following words Jt It may assay be later on necessary to authorize a wide nation-wide shut down n of the coal mines of this country while store anti and n the f representatives r government and of oper-j oper op oper- oper the i ilIne United Mine lIne Workers of ot America I discuS discuss how the Jacksonville agree agree- agreement agree I agreement Is It going to be carried out Since that time Lewis has been I negotiating with bituminous oper oper- operators op operators meeting them openly at At- At Atlantic Atlantic r-I r lantic City and Philadelphia whore where I he has hns established strike head head- headquarters quarters and an elsewhere but no I word of ot the proceedings In the conference r room coons n has drifted over I f the Iho transom to an expectant pub pub- lie lic 1 I It Il now develops that the subject I discussed was a a. return by big soft sort coal operating companies to the Jacksonville agreement HOTTEST 01 AM AIt I Such a return would Involve olve a complete rearrangement of tIle lie t plans of or some flome of ot the biggest coal eoal companies In the world They The have measured the dimensions of oC I Ithe the situation and counted the cost j 1 of going o non I And having al done that t they have gone o non 1 non union unton There Is la little likelihood nat I tIe the eloquence clo of or Lewis or the I strike throat of or hi his hll organisation will bring brinE them back to 10 the union ranks 1 are likelihood Their absence from the union operations o when the tie strike does docs come a fight tight so soI hot so bitter e so determined that I II no titan man can prophesy r hs where it t will willI I land the combatants ts This coming strike will be different frOnt from m the I strikes es of or old when the operators and mine leaders lenders behind tho scenes called one another by b old familiar famIliarI I I nicknames and Joked and anel general beneral- generally I ly l' I deported themselves as good fel- fel fellows felI I I lows at odds odd for a time lime only ani over a n slight difference of opinion I i n j None one of ot that Is in prospect The coming cornIng strike will be for life blood The big operators operator are out lo to smash mash the union and the he union nation fighting desperately Is out to wreck the big operators op who Insist on remaining i non nou n The other r union oper Pe al I store r who hn have h gone ahead In I an 1 I honest hons alt to 10 live up to the lie I I 1 Jacksonville eS I ti agreement er ee I. I will as assume as- as asI sume for the e time the tho role of inno innocent cent bystanders with bared neck necks I and end the public pu bile as usual will be bo bothe I Ithe the victim I Ij I I j union Non mine however howe have ha I reached I reached a development where a It I I wide nation strike has been shorn t of ot Its lIs old time terrors fhe The soft coal mines mine together with I coal In will be bC b able to 10 carry the I well on the thi way to New Oc tr I Years Year's before h th th full 1 t I of the tho thet I like t III a Ill l lit e l om one apparent a j |
