The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1916-02-11
OPERATORS REJECT
MINERS DEMANDS
They Asked 20 Per Cent Increase In Wages,
Recognition of United Mine Workers
and Eight-Hour Day Law.

NEY YORK Feb 5The anthracite coal operators rejected
here yesterday the demands of their miners for 20 per cent IN
crease in wages complete recognition of the Mine Workers
o America twoyear working agreement an eight-hour day
and changes in the methods of fixing wages .,,.|
The operators that the differences cannot be settled
by the interested parties themselves they be submitted to the
board Of Cancellation provided for the award of the anthracite
coal strike commission of 1902 The miners demands were
uated last September at Wkbae Pa and were ratified last
week by the United Mine Workers convention at Indianapolis
In reply to their employees signed by the heads OF nineteen
anthracite companies and approved at their meeting yesterday
to the consumer of sixty cents ton for domestic sizes OF antha
cite The operators declare that the anthracite industry Is being
ators to continue to the public
Answering the miners contention that the cost Of food in
operators figures pupong to show IAN increase OF only
IS cent in the miners total cost of living compared with an
increase of over 36 per cent in his earning capacity
The increase in the opportunity for earnings as compared
combine make the increased prosperity of the antha
cite miner far in advance of other classes of labor"
Demand For Recognition Declared Unreasonable.
America is declared unreasonable as would subject the antha
cite region to the politics of organization absolutely controlled
the members Of the United Mine Workers employed the
bumnous coal fields They hold the rights of organized labor
fully protected by the shop principle established by the
The miners contention that the present system growing out
the provision miners and operators anti
quated Is characterized misleading statement The
angement the operators say part the award
hrace commission which provided board Cancellation
through the operation Of which strikes and lockou should be-
come unnecessary
The work of the board has stood the of thirteen years
and is believed that any further departure from the laid
down by the commission would be decided step backward and
encouragement to labor troubles the anthracite field the
ators declare
! Two.Year Agreement Causes B- Yearly Disturbance.
l. The proposed woyear agreement described business
arrangement that shown by actual experience the bmnous
field TO threaten bary disturbance of the and prosper
ty of the miners, operators and general public"
The operators quote government statistics to show that the
time lost by strikes suspensions In the btumnous field be-
tween 1900 and 1912 was equivalent to loss of earning capacity
approaching the labor cost of digging the Panama canal
Answering the miners contention that contracts for than
two years unfair because he of living and the
production changing the operators quote Theodore
1902 that IL endeayor 10 establish the relations between
poyers and wage Just and permanent basis and
YOU have been called upon 10 settle"
he anthracite operators believe the reply continues that
the industrial disturbances incidental TO the byeary
are an unnecessary evil expensive to the miners operators and
public alike and that reasonable adjustments
the automatic method of the sliding scale, profit sharing plan
established by the commission and abolished at the demand
the miners in 1912, is restored"
\ Eight-Hour Day Makes Too Much Recreation.
To grant eghthour day would increase
shortage and increase the cost of production is commended The
employees in the anthracite Mines the reply have abundant
the for the demands of the anthracite employees the work
men certainly should be willing the thrift time and
energy heretofore
THE operators believe the reply concludes that differences
between employers and employees who directly affected should
be settled by the interested parties possible If they
they believe that the differences should be adjusted by the
fair md arbitration provided by the board of Cancellation
established by the anthracite coal strike committee by which
three hundred sXeght that have before
been satisfactorily adudcated
every well informed who has made study conditions
the anthracite field will that the anthracite industry
whole conducted low margin of profit is possible
If the operators are TO continue TO the public
As increase which be granted must necessarily be
cite the operators while desiring deal Justly their EN-
poyes deem 1t their plain duty to resist unreasonable de-
mands."
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