New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-26
Raise Will Mean 50.C.,.
Advance in Price Of
Bituminous Coal
Men Meet To-day
With Operator,
Garfield Urges Com.
promise, Pointing to
War Needs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-Imm.di...
wage increase Of from 20 70 70 r.,
cent will be demanded by the country,
coal miners, il was announced her. "a.
night, after a preliminary meetinv =,
operators and miners representative,
CT the central competitive field |,
Washington to discuss a general wac.
readjustment. These demands NAV -.
salt in increasing the price OF bi,u.
nInous coal 80 cents ton to the con.
sumner.
The demands we're formulated By N.
miners representatives tonight And
will be presented at a Joint meeting
tomorrow. There is every Indicate,
that the mine owners will refuse fatty
to meet them, first, on the grounds that
they are too high, and, second. that ii.
recent fixing of coal prices By Presid<u,
wilson Will not permit OF any in.
creases.
The increases asked, while stipulated
for the central field, comprising Ohio.
Indiana. Illinois and Western PennsyI.
vania, will serve as a basis for The
entire country, and if they were grant.
ed would have TO be met By other dis.
tlicts.
The Miners Demands
The demands are as follows:
Increases OF Is cents ton on
pick and machine mined coal a, ali
basing points in the United States
The percentages OF increase
granted on machine and pick coal
to be applied TO all iifereatials ex.
isting between thin and thick vein
mines.
Advances of $3.50 a day for all
men employed IT and around
mines. and
Twenty per cent raises on all
dead work and yardng
TO-day's Joint conference was opead
with 4 speech b. DR.. II. A. Garfield, Il,
fuel administrator, gho urged bei
sides 70 let 10 differences stand in he
way OF capacity production Of coal
Under no circumstances" said d.
Garfield, must We allow production to
stop. We must put aside for the tine
being all questions that migh, sepsra;,
men under normal conditions and WORK
in the closest harmony. There mus;
be no suspension of work"
Munition Jobs Lure
The miners position was presented
b. John =. White, president Of the
United Mine Workers OF America. who
called the conference. Liberal wage
Increases, he declared. were necessary
20 prevent men from leaving the mine,
70 go into munitions and other work
which pays higher wages. Unless wages
are raised, he said, miners will leave
for higher money elsewhere and pro-
duction of coal imme diately will be cut.
The operators, aside from contending
they cannot afford 70 pay the increases,
declare the demands are unjustifed, IN.
asmuch as a general wage raise was
granted last April. which was to have
lasted until next March. In addition,
they point 10 an increase given 10
April, 1916, which they say was granted
with the distinct understanding no
more demands were TO be made for
period of two years.
The demand Of pick and machine
miners for an increase of 10 cents
ton, the operators say, would mean a
average wage increase OF about 70 per
cent. The increase of Sl.90 asked By
unskilled men in and around the mine.
would be added TO a present wage Of
from S2.35 TO $3.50.
Both operators and miners are repre-
sented in the conferences by eight rep
resentatives from each OF the fouf
states.