Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-17
MYERS TO ASK l ANOTHER wAGE | INCREASE SOON Declare It Can Be Paid ! Without Raising Price of RoNUs PAYMENT l CAUSING TROUBLE :, who Receive Less Than Others l Becoming Dissatisfied and May Cause
 Complications.

Indianapolis, Ind, Aug. l6.--Laoor Indtions in the coal mining industry l, which "the only logical solution IS substantial flat wage increase to be bnIjed nT to all classification of mine |bar" G will be discussed at a confer |rs'' Ies of district presidents of the Uni I i' Mine I workers to be held in Wash |sten, August 22, according to an Eno,ncement @ made here tonight by |rank ]. Hayes, president of the Uni (d Mine Workers of America. 1 In announcing the conference Presl- hi Hayes said it had been called "to kert if possible a rapidly developing |bor condition within the coal indus N, which if permitted to go uncheck- ] would undermine coal production bns.' i The wage increase "can be met and koled by the coal operators without 2 necessity of an increase in the Hing price of coal to the consuming |blc," asserted the miners official, tc added that the paying of bonuses many mine owners now lis indis- table evidence that the industry is le to bear an advance in wages"
 The labor condition, in brief has en caused. President Hayes says, many mine owners paying bonuses excess of wage scale in order to tain and keep miners in their mines Mir. Hayes statement continues:
 SThe practice has become so wide read that the stability of the entire lustry is threatened and the coal orators themselves are becoming lrmed at their own handiwork.
 rThe fuel administration is conduct
 Investigations to find out the Psons for the condition and the entity of operators who are bind
 for labor by the payment of bon Several of the operators associa- : (ns have petitioned the fuel admin |fatlon to save them from the disas- Pus results of the bonus system.
 Must Be Eliminated.
 II bonuses are eliminated from the
 envelopes of the miners now re- vng them, the industry will lose Iands So necessary to maintaining sue,lon say nothing of the na- us . demand for greatly increased II wages are not increased to those
 now receiving bonuses to the alvalent eI of the bonuses now being , sSea oy other miners, then the in- 'a! races a sure and certain loss aeeded 1e man power."
 a'; hayes then refers to a confer a;.9etv! eetween officials of the fuel ad- sassl is'ratlon and the international sels S ;s 33[ 0f the United Mine Workers o"otSi m washington, July 29 and 30
 4uS!es @ss,. letter addressed to Dr.. ois,.asl , ~arlield United State fuel ad- nss as'atGr W;r and signed by President
 "s' s,. wee President John I. Lewis itss sSseeare:tary a: William Green of the U ,sa a. Mine Workers. VI ''' to tlls hs. A9 letter, the miners officials ;n ~'TS a,,, thelr files show that onera- srs ~ aaal illinois, Ohio and Pennsylyan is ' tbs bpayng their miners bonuses tss s'e sna operators p r of the southwest iv yI aat;.! aaa m Tennessee and east Ken.
 Y td ps,s'oned n.ae !, the fuel administra- :
 usvaa % prohibit, by executive order. efms of ns; or bonuses above the sche, Ietistepd' pa'ees ;es 1i of the wage agreement
 |, 7I"a'ea s"d m Washington in October.
 venti"n su approved at the biennial
 8. ' Sl the miners in January. ld Ii'' bs an f,oler order the letters states
 would ~I dlfaaght s;s with grave dancer neS'
 eus 'uis sa.unq .uunquestionably y result naigea in 2 pld be eeorease mst s. of production, "and d
 part of fes ts by keen resentment % on
 '''setly affected" eed' number of min