University of South Carolina Libraries
The . United States Government Will Use Its Power to Pro i- - . tect the Public ' THE COURTS AND ARMY WILL BE RELIED UPON Strikers and Profiteers Will Both Be Regulated By Gov ernment Washington, Oct. 30.?The govern ment put on its fighting clothes to day to meet the coal strike due to start Saturday. While order after order popped out with startling warlike swiftness, the long1 arm of the law reached out to protect the public and those miners willing to remain at work in the face of union commands to quit. Most drastic , of all moves during the ,day was the order of the railroad administration for seizure of coal in transit for roads requiring it, with rationing of stocks on hand to essen tial industries. So far as the government is able to prevent there will be no profiteer ing* while the grim specter of winter with coal bins ' dangerously low or bare, looms big and close at hand. Almost the first step today was draft ing of an order fixing maximum price for all grades of coal. Reestab iishment of the priorities list will put coal where it is most needed and if " it c^mes to that, the government .ijril.i curtail consumption. Breaking down the barriers which had" kept members of the cabinet away from his sick room. President Wilson took a hand in the fight to day and personally approved every detail in the general plan of dealing w?th conditions likely to arise with the walk out of the soft coal miners. !Far twenty minutes the president propped up in bed, went over with At torney General Palmer the various steps, heard what orders had been is ? sued and was put in intimate touch with all arrangements. The presi dent ,it was said, was -especially grat ified to learn of protective measures both ipr the homes and the mines. ' The; coal strike took precedence over the peace - treaty in the senate which for four hours debated and then adopted a resolution pledging its support to the government in maintaining o&er during the present industrial emergency. Efforts to have tile house take similar action failed because of opposition by Republcan leaders, ? In and out of congress, however, sentiment seemed to turn through one groove and there were expressions of general approval of the government's determination to keep the mines in full operation. While the only statement given out after the special meeting of the cab inet dealt with issuance of an order relating to the fixing of a maximum coal price, the members were under stood" to have considered means of protecting miners who will not strike. Reports received from confidential sources during the past few days, of ficials said? indicate that a consider able number would cooperate on turning out coal if afforded protec tion and this officials added, would be given in abundant measure. State and city police and regulation constabulary forces will be pressed into service first, and troops will be called only as a last resort, according to those familiar with the program. Secretary Daniels announced today that sailors and marines will be shifted to land duty and attached to military organisations if their services are demanded by the president. There has been no statement, however, as to the policy or determination of using troops. Much will depend on what happens after the mines shut down tomorrow night. Satisfied there was no longer hope of averting the strike, but eager to have miners and operators mediate, government officials felt that a rasp ing note has been sounded by John L., Lewis, president of the Pniteil Mine Workers of America, in a tele cram to Secretary of Labor Wilson, attacking President Wilson for his Part In trying to bring peace to the industry. The . mine workers' presi dent was replying to a telegram sent by Secretary Wilson which the secre tary refused to make public. With the fixing of maximum prices, .both for bituminous and anthracite coal, and establishment of the priori ties list, F"uel Administrator Garfield again will take command of the situa tion under his old war time power. Much of this work would be carried on through the bureau of mines of! ' the interior department and the rail- ! road administration. Director Hines and Dr. Garfield attended the cabinet meeting and the mode of procedure adopted was said to follow their sug gestions. - Coal will be allocated and distrib uted in accordance with the plan fol lowed two years ago during the se vere weather when the supply was short. If the strike is prolonged sind the output meanwhi.e limited. th<>! less essential industries will 5>^ fqreed to curtail. There is a growing belief, in official circles, however, that much coal will come out of the non-union mines and from union mines, working, perhaps, with small shifts. Whatever is mined will be moved speedily the railroad admin istration assured .the public. After checking over bureau report? j Secretary Lane estimated that the j C*nvrent supply from non-union mines; Would be sufficient to meet domestic} demands and provide fu^l for publie utilities. But this hopeful view did f Dp* minimize the feeling of concert evwtence all about Washington. Members of the cabinet would no1 discuss reports received from govern President Signs Order Estab lishing Maximum Prices For Bituminous Coal ANTHRACITE COAL IS NOT AFFECTED Profits'of Wholesalers and Pte tail Dealers Set By the Gov ernment Washington, Oct. 31.?An executive order fixing prices for bituminous coal J was signed today by the president. I Prices of anthracite will not be af ! fected. Maximum prices are fixed by States and for prepared sizes range from $4.60 net per ton at the mine mouth to $2.60. The-rules set up during the war governing the margins of profit of middlemen and wholesale and retail dealers have been reestablished and Fuel Administrator Gnrfield given al! authority to . /regulate production, sales, shipment, distribution, appor ! tionment, and storage or use of bit | uminous, coal, he had during the j war._ ment agents bearing on the attitude of the miners. It is largely because of the optimistic tone of these reports that the government believes a big force of miners will be ready for work Saturday.- or certainly Monday. Leaving the White House after talk ing with the president. Attorney Gen eral Palmer said the government would deal alike with miners and op erators, who attempted to interfere with production or indulged in prof iteering. The department of justice is given broad powers under the food control act to deal with the strike sit uation, and Mr. Palmer said both sides might expect tc find its policy as drastic as laws would permit, j Officials here refused to say wheth er the sending of a provisional bat talion of trocos from Camp Taylor. Ky., tonight to the West Virginia fields was. the first of simlar troop move ments. It generally had been as serted that troops would be used in the strike only as a last resort. Secretary Baker was asked during the day regarding the use erf troops, but replied that was a matter "on which I can say nothing at this time." Sending of a battalion from Camp j Taylor was bv order of Major Gener jal Wood, commander of the Central j department, officials explained. Gen J oral sending out troops at this time. I it was said, undoubtedly would have j been approved by the war depart ment, but in individual cases recent orders have provided that the depart ment commanders may act without referring the matter to Washington. Washington. Oct. no.?The order re establishing the old maximum coal prices of the fuel administration was completed tonight at a conference of Dr. H. A. Garfield and railroad ad ministration officials. It was taken immediately to me White House for President Wilson's signature, but the president had gone to sleep after hi** arduous day and it was not deemed advisable to wake him.. The order will become effective tomorrow. Dr. Garfield said that the plans con templated that all questions of. allo cating coal would be left to Director General Hines for settlement. The former, as fuel administrator, will give his authority to Mr. Hines' or ders but will not remain in Washing ten to undertake supervision of the work. Dr. Garfield said that the point had net yet been reacted necessitating curtailment of industries, but if it is necessary eventually the curtailment list prepared by the fuel administra tion for the war industries board dur ing the war probably would be used. 'The war industries on that list, of course, he explained, would not get the treatment they did during the war. and might be cut off altogether. Price control over anthracite, the fuel administrator emphasized, would not he exercised at this time. He made the statement regarding anthra cite to correct a previous assertion that the control would cover prices of both soft and hard coal. Washington. Oct. 30.?Sailors and marines will be available for land service in any emergency arising from the impending coal strike. Secretary Daniels said today. 7f called on the president and secretary explained, suf ficient forces would be landed and or dered to attach themselves to the military commanding officer of the area in which there was need for their services. "The navy coal stocks are in fan shape." the secretary said. "The de partment still had the right Jo com mander coal and in fact has recently been doing so in cases where bids were unsatisfactory." Mr. Daniels said, however, that if any large fleet maneuvers were neces sary the coal situation might become serious for the navy. Washington. Oct. 30.?After nearly four hours' debate the senate late to-] day adopted a resolution assuring the! administration of the support of con gress in maintaining order during the present industrial emergency. Senator LaFolIette. Republican, Wisconsin, offered but later withdrew ;in amendment proposing assurance to th'> coal miners of their lawful rights. As finally approved the senate res olution which requires the concur rence of the house but not the ap proval of Preakht Wilson, provides: "Th.v we h^Brjy give the national REGULARS SENT ?Veterans of First Division Or dered to West Virginia j to Keep Order IT IS INTENDED TO SUP PRESS LAWLESSNESS First Detachment of Eight Hun dred. Men Under Orders at Camp Taylor Louisville, Oct. 30.?A provisional battalion. S00 strong, composed of veterans of the First Division, tonight had orders to proceed immediately to the coal fields of West Virgin ia in anticipaton of possible disorder at tending the strike of miners there. The troops would be on their way before morning, Col. C. W. Peabody, acting chief of staff, announced. He said the instructions had come from the headquarters of the Centra] de partment. Chicago. ! Infantry and machine gunners make i up the battalion, it was announced, along with the necessary medical de. jtachment and staff j officers, i The provisional battalion's destina tion was announced as Huntington. W. Ya.. where "they were to detrain jand scatter in various towns, accord ing to Cel. W. It. Scott, intelligence [officer. Col. W. S. Harrell, commander ?of the Sixteenth infantry and acting I commander of the First Infantry brig [ade, was in command of the battal i ion. Some 2.?00 picked veterans from the Sixteenth, Eighteenth.. Twenty-sixth land Twenty-eighth Infantry regiments jhave been under arms at Camp Zaeh iary Tayior since October !'!, when I Maj. Gen. Charles P. Summerall, ?commanding the First Division or ganized two rifle companies, one ma ? chine gun platoon and the necessary medical, signal and supply detach ments, under telegraphic instructions i that their services might be needed i upon the outbreak of industrial , troubles. ! The troops received an "alert" or der October 24 and since then those . composing the. battalion have been jheid in camp. The "alert" order was i issued when Governor Cornwell of "West Virginia appealed to Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, in command of tIi? ? [Central department of the United j States army at Chicago. ! Two trains were made up to carry i tho troops to Huntington, one of them [being devoted mainly to motor equip ment sufficient to carry one infantry company to its ultimate destination. Some 1.700 troops still are held in re ; serve. i NASHVnXEPRINT I EES LEAVE. WORK jTennessean Limping to Press ! With Possibility of Trouble For Two Others \ . i - j Nashville. Oct. 30.?Nearly the en j tire composing room force of the j Nashville Tennessean walked out to night following the refusal of the pub lishers to grant a demand for a fourth bonus of a dollar a day above the con tract scale of wages, together with the bonuses previously - granted. Friday's edition of the paper is be ji.ng gotten out with only two men op erating: linotype machines, one regular I operator and the foreman, i A like situation also confronts the Nashville American, an afternoon newspaper, and the Nashville Ban ner, published by The Banner Pub lishing company. j All of the operators employed by the papers are members of the typo I graphical union; with which the companies have contracts which will not expire until January 15. 1921. The scales in these contracts are $4.2"> on the day side and $4.7.r> en the night side. During the past few months the companies have volunta rily granted three bonuses amounting i to $1.25 a day. A committee ap pointed by the president of the union this week requested a fourth bonus of one dollar a day additional. This Ith?1 companies declined to grant, but offered to submit to arbitration th" question of what bonus, if any should be paid above the scale. Without an swering this proposal for arbitration practically all of the men employed in the composing room failed to re port for work tonight and the type setting forces of The American and The Banner, it is understood, will pur sue a like course tomorrow. LOTTERY PLANNED FOR RUSSIA J Proposed as a Means to Pay Na tional Debt I Omsk. N<>v. i.?A nation-wide lot lter> is a feature of a new plan i vised by the Finance .Ministry of the fiusian Government, to effod the I retirement of the present currency: |and the substitution for i;. of bills jprinted in the (".died States. New York. Nov. 1.?Col. Tames I >. Bell, commander-in-ehiof of the Grand Army of ih-> Republic died to-"j da> a! his home in Brooklyn, at the J age of s< venty-four years. continuous and unqualified support in i ihe use of such constitutional and lawful means as may be necessary to meet tie- present industrial emergency and in vindicating the majesty and i power of the government in enforcing eh "dienee to und respect for the con-! Stitution and the laws and in fully protecting every citizen in the main.-j tenance and exercise of his lawful j rights and the observance of his law-J ful obligations." ' Lumber Flooring;. Ceiling. Siding. Casing. Mouldings. Framing Lumber. Red Cedar Shingles. Pine and Cypress Shingles. Metal and Composition Shingles Doors. Sash and Blinds, Porch Columns and Ballastors. Beaver Board. Valley Tin and Ridge Roll, Brick. Lime. Cement, Plaster, Fire Brick. Fire Clay. Sewer Pipe, Stove Flue, .Terra Cotta Thimbles Mortar Colors and Stains Water Proofing Mineral, Corrugated Metal Roofing. Asbcfcos and Composition Roofing ?ii?mg ateria ?|_ Hardware, iSL' Paints, Oils Hammers, Door Hangers. Carpenter's Tools. Paint Brushes. Pa&sts and Oils, Inside Decorations. CaLsomincs and Cold Water Paints, WIRK FEXGOttx IRON AND WOOD POSTS EVERYTHING FOR THE HOUSE SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA COAL MINERS ! ARE DEFENDED 1 ;Head of Federation Asserts That j the Mine Owners Are to Blame for Strike ; COMMENTS ON i COURT ORDER I Veteran Labor Leader Seems to j Have Lost His Clearness cf ! Vision and Judicial Tempera ! ment. ! Washington. Oct. 31:?Samuel i C-ompoiv. speaking tonight for orgari j lzod labor, declared the injunction in ! the ccal strike case ,*ean onlv result j in creating new and more disturb ing issues which ma..' not be confined solely to the miners." ? The statement, issued jointly by j Mr. Gompers, Vice President Woll j and Secretary Morrison of the fed j oration alter they had protested to I Attorney Genera' Palmer against the ! active: of the federal court at In dianapolis, follows: "Throughout the period of the war and during the nation's time of stress the miners labored patiently, patriot ically and arduously in order that the principjes of freedom and de mocracy might triumph ever the forces of arbitrary authority, dictator ship and despotism, j "When armed hostilities ceased last November the miners found them sclovs in the paradoxical position where their i?:tensive labor was used j to further enrich the owners of coal mines and merchants dealing in coal by the immedia'e reduction cf the mining of the coal. Of course, the mine owners readily conceived that an overabundance of rained coal would seriously disturb the high pricts of coal and endanger their large margin cf profit:-. "On the other 'hand the miners found that with the constantly rising coal of necessities of life and with j iheir income reduced over SO per cenl I because of idleness that they had preached the limit of human end?r jance. Orderly and improved process es were invoked to negotiate a new understanding with the mine owners wh*>h would enable the miners to work at least five days during each week throughoa* the entire year and allow them a wage sufficient to enable them to live in decency and free from I many of the pressing uncertainties of life. "In attempting to negotiate this new understanding and relation the miners found that their plea for con tinuous employment would destroy the mine owners' arrangement i<> curtail the mining of coal so as to i continue exploiting the public with high and exorbitant prices. "The mine owners very cleverly met the issue by appearing willing and anxious to negotiate, but only if the miners would first thrc w aside the only power at their command to gain a respectful hea.rjng and fair consideration?the decision t" strike whenever it was demonstrated fair dealings did not prevail. "We are now faced with a coal strike of vast magnitude. The gov ernment now proposes to intervene' because of a piotajtblo coal shortage. Apparently the government is no! concerned with the manipulation by! I the mine owners which has mad'- for present c<>al shortage and undue un employment of tin- miners for the last 11 months. Instead of dealing with those responsir/Io for this grave; menace to the public welfare !' now; proposes to punish those who jyy I 'orcc of circumstances have been the -.victims of the coal ha-!>ms' cxpioita iens. The miners are now told the war is not over and thai all war leg islation 's still in force and if reports received here are correct th" govern ment intends to apply existing war measures, not a gains' the owners of the c?*?al mines, but agains* th % coal miners. The government has taken steps to enforce war measures by an injunction and it has restrained the officials of the United Mine Workers from counselling, aiding or in any! way assisting ths members of this; organization for relief aaginst griev j ous ocnditions of life and eniploy ! merit. ? "It is almost inconceivable that a [government which is proud of its par ! ticipation in a great war to liberate suppressed peoples ?hould now undcr I take to supress the legitimate aims, hopes and aspirations of a group of its own people. It is still more strange that a nation which may just . ly he- proud of its Abraham Lincoln I should now reverse the application of ; the \great truth he eni:nciaTed when ho said that ;:s between capital an-'! labor tabor should receive first and , foremost consideration. ? "The injunction against the United j 'Mini- Workers boes for 111. An in ! junction of this nature will not pre vent the strike?it will not Jill the : empty stomachs of the miners?it imay restrain sane leadership, but will : give added, strength to tin wise eoun [ sei and increa.se bitterness and fric ' tion. ; "This injunction can only result in j creating new and more disturbing is sues which may not he confined solely .to the miners. These views were pre i sented to Attorney General Palmer i in a conference this afternoon last ? ing nearly two hour:". by President i Gompers. Secretary Morris?n and i Vice President Woll of the American Federation of Lahor." GREAT RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE j '_ Protestant Denominations of I Nine States To Meet in Atlanta Atlanta, Oct. 31.?A series of im portant religious conferences covering ?the nine states of the Southeast and j bringing together the leaders of the !Protestant denominations is being ar ! ranged for the month of ? December j under the auspices of the Interchurch j World Movement of North America. Present at each of the conferences I will be a group of religious leaders j of national prominence who will pre sent the problems which are to be 'met. The meetings, however, will not [be made up so much of addresses as jof round table discussions by the va jrio?s representatives of ail the de nominations which are represented, i These conferences will begin the ?first Of December and will continue until the 20th of December on the [following schedule: December 1 t# iZ?Washington, D. C. Jackson. Miss., j and Miami, Fla.; December 3 to ?? ? Richmond, Va.. Lexington, Ky? and I Jacksonville, FJa.; December S to 10 !?Macon, Ga.; December 10 to 12? : Atlanta. Ga.. Lynchburg, Va., and Pa iducah. Ky.; December 1-5 to 17? Ra ileigh, X. C, and Montg ?mlx-ny. Ala.; [December 17 to l??Nashville, Tvnn.. and Columbia, S. C. The purpose of the conferences will he to discover, if possible, a program of cooperation among the various de-i 'nominations of America whereby lost motion may he eliminated and the en tire country can be thoroughly cov lered in a vast campaign for the | Christian i;:ation of the nation as well ias foreign lands. j 'l'h.. Interchurch World M?>yement. [?which is an agency of cooperation ? among the Protestant denominations : for the purpose of finding out the facts j :as they now exist in this country and in foreign fields relative to ivligious ;and social development or lack of ' development, will in these confei*en !ces outline iis present pro-ram of ed ucational work, and will eail upon the various churches to indicate the method through which the informa tion secured is to be put into ? fleet. The Interchurch World Movement, in Issuing the call f>?r the confer- nces. stresses the fact that whatever pro-,] gram is ;?? be decided upon in future] lies entirely in the hands of the j churches themselves. T.ht! movement ! has no program of it- own except as i dictated by the various dcnoiiiina- j .ions which have subscribed to the) idea of interdenominational coopera tion upon which the movement was founded a year ago; EXPECT INFLUEN ZA TO RETURN i Dr. Evans Expects it to Be Mild in Form New Orleans; Oct. ? ? Influenza is j expected to return this year in the Fnited States, nccording t-> !>r. W.^A. [?'vans, of Chicago, a delegate to the! American l-Tealth Otlieers association! in an address at the association oi"; commerce here today. "Rut influenza will he light in form." he said. The health convention was officially closed today. ALDERMAN STORES OPEN FOR BUSINESS Crowds From Several Counties Visit Big Mercantile Estab tablishmeni in Manning Manning. Oct. 21.?At 10 o'clock .'this morning the doors of the Alder j bran 20 stores in one were thrown rqperi to the public for the lirst time and since the opening hour the huiid ing has been crowded to overflowing: jit was not the intention to push-; the 'sal's today, but it was found, thai j there was not sutficeint sales force to itake care of the trade. This store is jOne the most modern and com irdete in the South, containing 14 diff fi rent departments as follows: Whole rS'-ile groceries, retail groceries, meat jmarket. equipped with automatic re I frigerating plant, hardware, plows*, jfarm implements, etc., china, crock try, glass and aluminum ware, jewel-, !ry and silverware, millinery, infants' .department, furniture. dry goods/ j men's and hoys clothes and < furnish ings, womens and childrens ready-to ; wear, shoes. i Probably one of the most attrac | tive de])artments was: the delicatessen j <ropartm< nt, in charge of John A. jSurles. which had on <Iis])Iay a com i pletc line of good things to eat. ' The store was most attractive with j Quantities of palms, ferns and' tall j vases of huge yellow and white- chry? isanthemums. A Charleston band fur I nished music throughout the day. A delightful lunch was served to 'tri'- visitors all day long. It is estimated that, between 6, 000 and 7,000 people visited the stoic, j representatives of Clarendon, Flor ence, Sumter and Williamsburg coun j ties. j Five months ago the ground now ; occupied by the Alderman 20 stores I in one was a. vacant lot. Tq D. V. j Keenan of Charleston is given the credit, as he was in complete charge j of the designing and construction 'of ! the magnificent building. j Charles Wood is manager of the Al ; derm an store. He received a number !of congratulatory telegrams and good I wishes for the success of the store. [CROP SERIOUSLY ,1 ! INJURED BY RAINS ._ Cotton Deterioration For Month Estimated at 8. 7 Points ? Now York. Oct. 30.?The heavy and I continued rains in nearly all the ! cotton belt States, e::ocpt the Caro I Unas and Georgia, have worked the heaviest damage on cotton for many 'years at this stage cf the growing crop. Nearly 1,<?00 replies of special j correspondents ot Journal of Com I merce. bearing an average date of October 22. show a deterioration of S.7 points from a condiiion of 50.S per cent, last month's figures. Last year there was an increase of 1.3 points; in 1SMT there was a decrease of 5:2> ^points, while the average deterioration for the past ten years is 2.f> points. : Somewhat of an offset to this is the small percentage of the crop packed, as compared with previous years, being only 6f? per cent gath ered, against S2 per cent last year. 7:; per cent in 1217. and vS-t per cent in 1910 showing a larger percentage yet to be picked than usual. Poll weevils continued their de structive work and have practically destroyed prospects of a top crop. Much rotting of boils and sprouting of seeds is reported and the quality <?f the staple injured. No frosts were reported and there is yet a chance, with tine weather, to look for im proved prospects. BLACK SEA PIRATES Ship Seized and Passengers Robbed of Fifty Million Constantinople. Nov. t.?Pirates concealed in the storage of the steam ship Maria overpowered the crew while the vessel was recently bound from Novo Possysk to Datum, and robbed ibe passengers, obtaining fif ty million rabies. The British police later captured several of the pirates. For (Government Control of Sugar Next Year. ?Washington. Nov. 1.?The senate agriculture committee today ordered a. favorable report on the McKary Pill to continue the United Stated sugar equalization board during 1920 and to authorize it tu '?my the sugar crops nex,t year.