Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-09

sor exceed very greatly those now pre-
vailing In the bituminous industry of Penn
sylvania. The CONN., sion also disposed
by its award OF all matters Drought before
It, and among other thtfgs decided with
great vigor that the iplGstry must remain
open to all seeking employment, regardless
of their afhliation or otherwise with LABOR
organizations.
"The commission provided by its award
for the organization of a conciliation board
to consist of three members representing
the employees and three representing the
employers. with provisions for appointment
of an umpire when necessary. A claim
was asserted by yourself before the COM
mission that contract should be made
by each of the employers with the United
Mine Workers of America covering "a The
wages which shall be paid, and (2) The
condition of employment which shall OBJ
tain, together with go satisfactory methods
for the adjustment of grievances which
may from time to time arise The con-
mission overruled this claim and decided
that such contract was neither necessary
nor desirable. At the same time 1t sug-
gested certain changes in the organization
and procedure of the United Mine Workers
which seemed to 1t Indispensable to the
usefulness of the Organization. These sug-
gested changes have never been made.
1.-THE commission therefore covered by its
award All questions at issue between the
respective companies and their employees,
and provided Satisfactory method for the
adjustment of grievances which might arise
from time to time for the latter purpose.
The conciliation board was organized at
once with three officials of the United Mine
Workers representing the, employees and
three members representing the employers.
1t has disposed of all questions which have
been submitted to 1t, save very few recent
matters which are in a process of adjud1-
cation
"All the existing relations between the
employers and the employees are, therefore,
the result of past arbitration and have been
- n wv ord a III
by strike commission or by the conciliation
board This method has been fair to all par
ties and has been successful The practical
result to the employees of existing condi-
tions, so far as this company is concerned,
may be illustrated by the facts during the
year 1903, on a production of 0,5O952S-1 II
tons. In December last the increase In wages
by reason of the award of the commission
was 1850 per cent for the miners and 11.1S
per cent for the employees by the day. For
the year the increase in labor cost was 30.12
cents per ton, or an aggregate of I,I2O,-
207 OF. Itmay be added that the total increase
In cost for 1905 over 1901, before the strike,
was 36IT cents per ton, or S2.059. .093 81,
of which. as just said. labor received 81 T20,-
29791. while the total increase in price was
37.57 cents per ton, in the aggregate
81, 103.s9 so that the increase In bare
cost of production absorbed the entire In
crease in price, save S44 19S.42, or about
three-quarters of cent per ton.
1T is true that the award of the strike
commission ceases to be absolutely con-
trOIllnS as 10 future cOHulliOnS dIteT MdTCu
81 1906, but its decision, after protracted
investigation. must be regarded by any
other tribunal and by all diSinterested per-
sons as conclusive in the absence of some
new facts raising new questions
Similarly to judicial action, the adiu-
dicatfon is final to the facts involved
and this is no less the case because the af-
firmative requirements of the judgment
have been performed. Indeed, 1t is scarce
ly conceivable that any party to the award
would seek to renew or retry the very Sc
rious controversies which were fully heard
by that distinguished tribunal and were de-
cided by 1t in pursuance OF the President S
injunction to endeavor to establish the re-
lations between the employers and the
wage workers in the anthracite fields on
just and permanent basis. and as far as
possible, TO do away with any causes for
the recurrence of such difficulties as those
which you have been called upon to settle.
Every consideration, both of fairness TO
the public and justice to the parties, die
tates that the conclusions thus reached
should be observed by all.
'As already said, all questions arising
under the terms of the award of the strike
commission have been arbitrated by the
Cancellation board. or If there be any such
claims not presented, they are subject to
such arbitration If there be any new
facts which raise new questions beyond the
scope of the commissions award they have
not been brought to public attention.