Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-15
BOTH SIDES MUST
MAKE CONCESSIONS
IN COAL DISPUTE
Demands of the Miners and
Standpat Position of the
Operators Are ImpoSSibiIi-
ties, Says Labor Secretary,

teSy Says Labor Secretary,
,sr ~7sprNs loJpsAL G'Es,Al Lsssso wtHEi
Washington, Nov i4.-Demands OF
union miners for a thirty-hour week
and a 60 per cent increase in wages
ARE impossbiities and ought to be
eliminated at the very beginning" Sec
$tary Wilson declared today in opens
3o,. he conference between union Of
y e,,~ nd operators called by him to
h 'ehHsS differences existing IN the
1.> pat position taken by the
1 operat0l retofore also is an impos-
sibility," said the secretary, rapping
the table to emphasize his utterances.
/ Admitting that the Washington wage
agreement was still in force, the sec
rotary declared the people were not
"shylocks" and did not want to exact
the technical provisions of a bond
when the conditions under which the
bond was made have changed"
After the secretary had concluded
his sweeping statement the confer
ence adjourned until tomorrow.
| Meantime the operators and miners
will meet separately to decide whether
! the districts outside of the central
competitive field should be admitted
on a general wage agreement.
| Negotiations Reviewed.
| Reviewing previous negotiations at
Buffalo, Philadelphia and Washington
the secretary said the failure to reach
| an agreement had resulted in strikes
/ not only in the central field but also
in other fields where no demands had
been made upon the operators" Min
ers in the outlying fields, he added,
We're not at fault because of their fall
ure to present demands because 1t was
well known that the miners had been
willing that all districts be represent
cd IN negotiating wage scale and
that objections had come from the
operators"
above ALL" said the secretary, two
are confronted with the fact that tho
great mass of people dependent on
coal in their every day life are inter-
ested in reaching a settlement not only
in the central coal fields but in all
coal fields. 1t is for that reason
have asked your meeting here,
'I desire to recommend that wage
scale committees representative of all
| the fields proceed to negotiate an ad-
| iustment / want to point out to you
that prompt action is necessary As
! long as your troubles were local in
| character, affecting only a small part
| Of communities, there was no disposi-
ton to hurry you, but when your dis
| putes taken on q magnitude that af-
| fects the entire country, then the peo-
| pie at large as platter 3f Selfsprcser-
| walton are insistent that you come to
| a settlement.
Thirty.hour law lmpOssibllity.
THE miners conference demanded
a thirty hour week, 60 per cent in
crease in wages and some other
things. 1t is fair to say TO you now
| that thirty hour week in the present
! Industrial condition OF the world is i'm
possible in coal mining / realize the
| fact that miners seldom have oppor-
! tunity to work a thirty-hour week now
when the maximum Is forty eight
| hours. If you make maximum of
| thirty hours under the conditions sur
rounding the mining industry, 1t means
| an effective working week of very
much fewer hours than that"
The reason for this, the secretary
explained, was the seasonal demand
for coal in many districts, and mine
accidents and breakdowns, and the inn
possibility of furnishing transporta-
ton equipment to keep all OF tho
mines working regularly
mo one knows" continued the Sec
retary, ito what extent production
would be reduced by the Introduction
of six-hour working day. and in
these times when we have not yet re-
covered from the effects of the war.
we cannot afford to undertake the eX-
pertinent of reducing working hours to-
six per day and five days per week"
Referring to demands of the miners
for a sixty per cent increase in wages.
In caiH tpI, a
an impossibility as it would give tho
miners wages out of proportion to
those in other industries.
Operators Must Yield.
The secretary said "the standpat
position taken by the operators here
tofOre is also an impossibility.
Although the Washington wage
agreement still is In effect, the Sec
retary said the people of the country
did not want to exact 'the technical
provisions of bond when the condi-
tions under which the bond was made
have changed"
Figures reveal" he said, that the
cost of living on the basis of a family
budget has increased from rs to 70
per cent, while the wages OF the min
ers during the same period have in
creased only from "a to so per cent.
Notwithstanding the terms of tho
bond the increase in the cost Of liv-
ing Is an existing fact and relief
should be given on the basis of justice.
Referring to restrictions of the fuel
administration, Mr.. Wilson said tho
government had no desire to maintain
the maximum price of coal If that
price resulted in injustice to miners
or any one else, but 1t will not consent
to an increase in the selling price that
would do an injustice TO the consum-
ing public"
Secretary Wilson said he realized
that some of the operators were ready
to call the miners reds, Bolshevists
and bandits and that some of the
miners would accuse operators of be-
ing task masters, coal barons and
profiteers.
Having assumed that" he con-
cuded, consider your rock quarie5
exhausted and get down to consider
what Is fair and just to the unions,
the operators and the public"
After an hours discussion the coat
operators recessed their conference
without reaching an agreement as TO
their attitude upon Secretary Will
sons proposals, and recessed until j
later hour in the evening.
Secretary Wilson suggested the fo,-
lowing plans for reaching an agree
ment: Through joint committees rep
resenting all districts: by concurrent
sessions of committees from the vari-
ous districts and by having the cer-
trail competitiVe field work ont itS adj