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Show FEDERATION OF LABOR IRATE OVER GHARGES Prosecuting Mine Workers Officials Of-ficials Criticized in Formal Union Statement WASHINGTON. Feb. 26. The ex-1 ecutlvo council of the American Federation Fed-eration of Labor met here today to OOnuaer lfe action oi tne t;o erniueni in prosecuting officials of the I'nlted Mine Workers of America for alleged violation of tho Sherman anti-trust act. Before the meeting began Wlllbun Orcen, secretary of the miners' union, and one of those Indicted yesterday at Indianapolis, issued a formal statement state-ment declaring that If tho union officials of-ficials were guilty of conspiracy, the governme nt Itself Is a party thereto, because the minors had been subject to government regulation and control for the last three ycara PARI i PROPAGANDA. Matthew Woll, vice president of the American Federation of Labor, declared de-clared the indictment of the mine union officials was a part of the nation-wide propaganda to destroy the trade union movement as the acUon struck "at the very foundation of tho principles of collective barKainlng." Mr. Green said all agreements made with coal operators by the union officials of-ficials were made "under the direction and with the approval of tho federal fuel administration." "These Indictments seem to be tho reward the miners are receiving for putting forth special efforts durlnp the war In order to Increase production." he said. INDICTMENTS ISSUED, INDIANAPOLIS. Feb. 20. Cooper-ants, Cooper-ants, including 127 operators and miners min-ers In sl states to force hljrh prices for sou coal by rest rioting production i was charged Friday by a federal gHtnd Jury indlctmont, Two hundrod and twenty-six defendants. defend-ants. Including l27 opeartors and minim min-im and operators' associations or companies, were accused of conspiracy conspir-acy to Violate the Sherman anti-trust law, The defendants live In Missouri. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Judge A. P Anderson, who received ths Indiotinente, set May 3 for ar-j ralgnmeni, ami m wauios wviaoaa i"i arrosl of the defendants ho fixed tho j bond of each at lll.O00. Prominent operators, including Thomas T. Brewster, Edward C. SearleS, Jackson Doerlng. Phil Penna and William k. Kavanaugh, and bisii officials of the United Mine Workers' union, including its president. John L. Lewis, and secretary. W'llllum Green, were uniong the defendants. The National Na-tional l.'oal association was among the corporate defendants. |