Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-31
HOUR WORK DAY
WON 7 GUT MINES
OUTPUT IS CLAIM
MADE BY D|GGER RS
Up to Oct, 18 OF the Present
Year Properties Have Not
Been in Operation More
Ihan so Per Cent Of lime.
AVERAGE WORKING DAYS
THIS YEAR ABOUT 1870
Full Working Force Employed
Steadily Throughout Year
Can Produce More Coal
Than the Country Needs,
Esx MORNING JOURNAL ssLelAl LEASED wlatl

taY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wlREl
indianapolis, Ind. Oct. S0.-After
dispatchng to Washington a telegram
to Secretary Of Labor Wilson in which
the presidents position on the coal
strike was characterized as that of an
usurper, the executive board of the
United Mine Workers of America to-
day turned to routine business. AL
though the actual strike was less than
thirty-six hours away, the governing
body of the union devoted the after
noon to adjusting disputes between
locals and individual members and at
the end of their session said there
was nothing of public interest" in
the proceedings.
Union headquarters was frankly in
terested in the arrival here tomorrow
of c. B, Ames, assistant to the attor-
ney general in charge of suits brought
under the antitrust and fuel and food
control laws. The union leaders
learned with apparent equanimity
that there had been unusual activity
among local agents of the depart
ment of Justice and professed faith
that their every act had been under
warrant of constitutional rights which
no statute could abrogate.
No Damage TO Diggings.
At the office of the United States
district attorney there was no an
nouncement as to what proceedings
might be instituted in regard to the
strike. i. Ertslack. the district at
torney. was said to be in Chicago, but
members of his staff would not admit
that his trip there had anything to
do with the strike situation. They
said he was expected back at his desk
here tomorrow
The union officials said the mine
owners and public could rest assured
that no act of the organization would
be allowed to work physical damage
to the coal diggings. They pointed
eOut .Iat tt,u strife o1Sar ptgPidcd
that local unions must allow suffi-
cient men to remain at work to in
sure the proper care and protection
of all mining property in conformity
with the provisions of the district
agreements in the several fields"
Operators Charges Refuted.
Building fences against charges
that the demand for six-hour work
ing day was calculated to reduce pro-
duction, the statisticians of the union
assembled figures which they said
proved that even the country's peak
production of 6S5, 100000 tons of BIZ
luminous coal in 1918 was not the
limit of the industry. They said this
was done with the mines averaging
only about rs per cent of capacity
and with the skilled working force
reduced by 10000 miners in the army
and navy. out of a possible 312
vii inc In, he thpVy
western Pennsylvania miners aver
aged 260, Indiana 249. Illinois 22S
and Ohio 224. The bulk of bitumi-
nous tonnage came from those states
Against this record they set figures
for 1919. which, they said. showed
that the mines had operated at not to
exceed so per cent of the time
Despite this reduction in time. they
said. the 1919 production of the
country up to October Is, was 379,-
100000 tons, only 100000 tons
less than in the same period of 1918.
Too Many Miners Employed.
They estimated that the mine
workers will not average more than
$50 working days in 1919 and claimed
that a full working force working
steadily throughout the year can pro-
duce 500. 900. 900 tons if need be- They
said the estimated needs of the coun-
try for 1920 were 550.000,000 tons
These figures show" said Ellis
Searles. editor of the unions maga-
zine, that there are too many miners
in the coal business for an eight-hour
day. The shorter day would dis
tribute the work evenly throughout
the year and it would take only n |
short time to educate consumers to |
buy on the basis of steady, rather |
than seasonal production.
Furthermore, eight hours may be |
short enough for men working in the |
fresh air and sunlight but 1t is too |
long a period for continuous labor in |
the dark under forced ventilation |
Men work themselves out quickly in |
dungeons"
Increased wages are necessary,
he said. because i'm 1918 Illinois
mine workers of all classes av-
eraged earnings of 1880 3S.
The first six months of 1919
showed average earnings of
S572.0S, he said, indicating de-
creased earning powers in the
face of constantly mounting liv-
ing costs. From January I, 1918,
to July I, 1919, he said. the mine
workers of the central competi-
tive field had average yearly
aarpinUc of gQ-9 SE