The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-04
COAL MEN REJECT
MINERS DEMANDS
Anthracite Companies Say to Comply
Would Boost Price go Cents
a Ton Retail.

NEW YORK, Feb. (. - The Anthra- |
cite Coal company yesterday rejected |
the demands of the miners for a 20 |
per cent advance i'll wages, recognition |
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea, a two-year agreement, and an eight
hour day The answer was at a meet
ing at l43 Liberty street, attended by
the heads of 10 anthracite coal com
panies, all of whom signed the state
ment.
Pending the outcome of the Joint con.
ferences between the operators and the
representatives Of the mine workers,
however, beginning Feb. 81 at the Me
Alpin hotel, there will be no cessation
of work by members Of the union. This
lis in keeping with the promise MADE
by the miners at their recent conven-
ton in indianapolis.
| The anthracite operators assert IN
| their reply to the United Mine Workers
that to grant the wage increase would
| mean an advance to the consumer of
so cents a ton for domestic sizes of an
thracite. They declare that the indus
/ try already is being conducted on as
low a margin of profit possible, and
that to take an additional burden
would result in a corresponding hard
ship on the public.
The demands Of the anthracite min
ers were formulated at their tri-dis-
trict convention at Wilkes Barre, Penn,
Sept. to 10, 1915, and re-affirmed and
Endorsed at the convention recently
held in Indianapolis.
They demanded that the two-year
contract with the operators commence
on April |, 1916, and that the making
of individual agreements and contracts
be prohibited; that III addition TO al
eight-hour day they be paid time and a
half for over time and double time for
Sundays and holidays: that n more
speedy means be devised for adjusting
grievances; that mining supplies be sold
to the miners on more equitable basis,
and that the arrangements of de
tailed wage scales and the settlement
of internal questions, both as regards
prices and conditions, be referred tC
the representatives of the operators
and miners Of each district.
/ The miners asserted in justification
+ Of their demands for better pay that
r the cost Of food in 70 years had in
/, creased 40 per cent, and wages ) l.
+, per cent. The operators deny this, pre-
; senting figures to show that the cost OF
r living has gone up only Is per cent
as against an increase of SO ner cen
u III the ~ u MI > tCl ii1iiS 'dSihN- II
: increased prosperity of the anthracite
c miner, the operators assert, is far il
i advance of other classes of labor
The demand for recognition of tn
s union is met with the statement tia
{, this would ''subiect the anthracite re
e gion to the politics of an organization
It absolutely controlled from the out
II side, because a majority of the men
E. hers of the United Mine Workers al
employed in the bituminous coal field
e4 The rights of organized labor a.
A. fully protected by the open shop prir
81 cipie established by the anthracite coz
il strike commission, the reply of II
$ operators says.
n The miners asserted in making the
IL demands that the contract provision
r between the union and the operate,
4 were antiauated, and the reply of tn
latter Is that this is a misleadin
statement, since the award of II
anthracite commission provided for
board of Cancellation, through n
operation of which strikes and loci
5 outs would become unnecessary.
I'd This award was made in 1902, an
the anthracite operators declare it h;
&C stood the test of ID years, and that an
departure from the rules laid down /
the commission would be ste
- bac kward, and an encouragement
labor troubles IN the anthracite feel
OF the proposed two-vear agreemeI
- the operators say: ''As busine
! agreement it is shown by actual exper
u ence III the bituminous field to threate
a bi-yearlv disturbance Of the peat
n and prosperity of the miners, operator
IN and the general public.
1t is asserted that the time lost |
strikes and suspensions in the bit'
Il minous field between 1900 and 49,
lie was equivalent to a loss of earning c
e. pacity approaching the labor cost
a digging another Panama canal Fo
= mer President Roosevelt is quoted
4 support of the contention that co.
IL tracts should be entered into for mo-
re than two years, and that as far
I'D possible to do away with labor diff
- culties relations between employer al
II employe should be on just AMI pc
~ manent basis.