The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-24
TAKE OSACE COAL
PROBLEM BEFORE
FUEL DIRECTOR!
That Is Governors Decision
Following Conference.
Mines Cannot Run Under Price
Fixed by Government.
OPERATORS IN FIRM STAND
Would Lose More Than SLID a
Ton by Continuing Work.
On Top of This Miners Are De-
handing Higher Wages.
Unions Say May DepOpulate
Usage District.
OPERATORS IN FIRM STAND
Would Lose More Than SLID a
Ton by Continuing Work.
On Top of This Miners Are De-
handing Higher Wages.
Unions Say May Depopulate
Usage District.

Operators in the Usage county coal
fields told Governor Capper today
they would not attempt to reopen
their mines under the government
rate schedule Books were produced
by the coal men to show they are
losing money. The conference between
the operators and miners was resum-
ed this afternoon with little chance
for an agreement.
Conditions in the Usage district are
of such a character that Governor
Capper may not seek to force opera
tions under present prices. Instead
he will go to Washington for a con-
ference with Harry A. Garfield, coal
director, in an attempt to work out
a solution to the problem. He will
confer with Herbert Hoover, food di-
rector, in Chicago Saturday and will
consult Garfield in Washington early
next week.
Loaded to the guards with, facts
and figures. the Usage operators went
into today's conference with arms
loaded with facts and figures. Every
local organization in the district was
represented by miners. The mine
men, tho, sought and secured recess
until this afternoon. Before the gov
ernor leaves for Chicago this evening
they will seek to establish the Justice
of their claims for wage increases.
Many Mines Shut Down.
Seventy per cent of the mines in the
Usage fields are shut down under
strike orders by union workers. Co
operative mines are running, but will
throw up the sponge Saturday night
unless relief is afforded under the
government order
There isn't bit of doubt as to the
attitude or plans of the operators
They simply declare they cannot pro-
ment schedule and don't propose to
try. The government has fixed =
price of S2.55 a ton for coal of the
class produced in the Usage field.
1t costs 1920 to $3.50 a ton to de-
liver this coal at the top of the mine
under conditions at this time, it was
asserted. If the operators meet the
demands of the miners for a 50-cent
increase in the tonnage rate, the oper-
ators declare they must stand a loss
of $1-15 to SLAB a ton.
1--WE not only can't stand it, but we
don't propose to try" was the flat,
final and defiant statement which one
operator made to John Hunt, assistant
attorney general. THE minute we
consent to the wage increase, up goes
method of arithmetic in the world that
will enable US to deliver coal at the
government figures. We want to run
and to keep our mines OPEN. But we
simply can't do it"
Capper Gets Facts.
Nor was there much argument to
offset the claims Governor Capper,
who earlier in the week had declared
that all mines in the state would be
Cd 20 to cd
by an avalanche of facts. He hest
l-tated. Then he said he would go be-
fore Director Garfield in an effort to
see if something could not be done to
relieve the situation
at is doubtful if the government
rate affords a return to the men who
produce coal under conditions such as
exist in the Usage field said the gov
ernor. Conditions there are different
from those in fields where shovels are
cient to enable production at minimum
cost"
Alexander Howatt of Pittsburg,
president of the Mine Workers asso-
citation of Kansas, added more trouble
to the Usage mine situation in a state
ment before Governor Capper this
afternoon. Howatt declared that un-
less the operators granted an increase
in wages-declared by operators i'm
! possible under the government rate
order-that the union would depopu-
| late the mining camps of Usage
] county.
Move More Miners
| I'VE have already shipped 200 men
1 out of the county" said Howatt.
| when the operators refused TO keep
/ their agreement for a wage increase, |
! told them we would spend Z. few thou
sand dollars to depopulate the county
I We propose to move the miners to
! other camps unless this Is done. II
! the operators won't pay the men a
wage on which they can Ii e and keep
their families. we will send them to
| other districts"
One operator who attended the con-
ference in the attorney generals Of
flee during a lull in the proceedings
; put the issue squarely up. to the state
officials.
My mine will run if we can live
said the operator, but 1 can't run al
loss. 1 owe money at the bank.
am paying interest. 1 can't pay inter
est and dig up more money all the
/ time to produce coal. Mind you. we
want to run. The towns in the dis
! trict need the coal. But if it costs
US more to deliver the coal at the tor
4 of the mine than we get for it some
. one else must take the burden. We
can give up and quit easier than we
can run under these conditions"
/ There wasn't much for anyone tC
say. The statement from the opera
tors were final, flat and forceful.
Miners Want More Money.
On the other hand the miners were