Denver labor bulletin., 1918-03-23
MINE OPERATORS
ARE ON A STRIKE
PROTEST ORDER OF u. S.
FUEL ADMINISTRATOR.
Forty-nine Colorado Mines Close
Down, Throwing Several Thousand
Miners Out of Employment; Sit
uation Is Becoming Serious.

Because National Fuel Administra-
tor Garfield has ordered the mine op-
orators of Colorado to reduce the
price of coal at the mines 80 cents per
ton for bituminous and 20 cents for
Ignite, with a further reduction of
about 20 cents on April l, the opera
tors are on strike. According to the
best information available, this week
forty-nine mines in this state have
closed down and hundreds of miners
are either idle or are accepting jobs
in the coal fields of other states. One
report gives the number of miners
out of work at 4,150, but this is an
apparent eXaggeration, for probably
not more than half that number are
affected by the closed mines. 1t is
said other mines will close down April
/, when the 70 cents per ton cut at
the mine becomes operative.
One mine operator estimates that
the decrease in tonnage for this state
in 1918 over last year will be 2,500,000
tons, with several millions lost in
wages TO miners.
Miners Protest to Galligan.
While operators are protesting di-
rect to the national fuel administra-
tor, DR.. Harry A. Garfield, miners are
protesting to the Colorado admins
TRAITOR, w. J. Galligan.
Resolutions were received at the
capitol this week from the Miners
Union at Tioga, protesting against
the closing of the mine of the Big
Four Coal and Coke Company, which
forced 100 miners into idleness. They
demand that the state and national
fuel administrations take immediate
steps to remedy the conditions in this
and twenty-seven other mines that
have closed down in the Walsenburg
district since March II. The protest
is signed by Robert Smith, president
Of the union; W. F. Tombling, secre-
tary; John Daley and Dan c. Will
liams.
Order Affecting Prices.
In the weekly bulletin issued by the
u. S fuel administration, date of
March Is, the following reclassifica-
tion of prices at western mines is
given, showing that such reductions
previously allowed for increased wages
to miners:
A general reduction in the prices of
coal at the mines in Colorado, Mon
tana, Wyoming and Utah has been
announced by the fuel administration,
effective March IL. Together with
this order scale of summer prices
has been arranged which further re-
duces the price of prepared sizes.
Maximum prices of Colorado Ignite
were also announced. The maximum
prices for the four states are as fol-
lows:
Colorado: Bituminous domestic
coal, domestic field, run of mine, 81 %;
prepared sizes, $3.50; slack or screen
ings, s1.25. Bituminous steam coal,
Trinidad district, run of mine, S2.35;
prepared sizes, 1925; slack or screen
ings. s1.65. Ignite coal, run of mine,
s2.25: prepared sizes, 1925; slack or
screenings, 81.
The above prices are subject to the
following reductions: Bituminous do
mestic coal, April l, 20 cents; May l,
30 cents; June /, 35 cents; August l,
10 cents. The summer reductions in
the Trinidad district on bituminous
steam coal are, April /, 40 cents; May
/, 80 cents; June !, 20 cents; July l,
10 cents.
Do Not Touch Wage Advance.
These prices do not include the As
cents per ton allowed to operators
who have advanced wages in compli-
ance with the Washington wage agree
ment.
The former prices in Colorado were:
S3 for run of mine bituminous domes-
tic, 81 for prepared sizes, and Sl.50
for slack or screenings. Former prices
on Ignite were S2.45, $3.50 and S1.25,
respectively.
Prices for Montana, Wyoming and
Utah coal were made uniform in the
order issued and are as follows: Run
of mine. s2.65;- prepared sizes, $3.50;
slack or screenings, S1.5o.
The former prices in these states
were. Utah 50 60 50 S5 50 35. Wv
oming, $3.50, $3.50, s1.25; Montana,
S2.70, $500 and s1.50, respectively.
The order as to the three last-named
states was effective at z n. M, March
IL, and also does not include the 45
cents allowed to such mines as have
complied with the terms of the wage
agreement.
IRONING OUT THE WRINkI ES.