The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-11-19
OPERATORS AND
MINERS BEGIN
WAGE PARLEY
Garfield Gets Factions
Together and Urges
Agreement
~ r-s .s.ss,.r.o ,sss.

committees Of bitumlnous miners and
operators in the central competitive
field went into executive session to-
day to negotiate wage contract.
after Federal Fuel Administrator
Garfield had urged upon them tho
necessity for adjusting their dlffer-
ences and producing the conl the
country needs.
Dr. Garfield expressed regret That
the operators and miners had not es-
tablished a permanent body TO ,adju-
dicate their disputes. Lacking that.
he said. the question revolved around
the cost OF production.
During 1918. he said. 1880 .o0O,-
600 was paid for bituminous coal. tho
average price being t2.et per ton.
The production cost was s2i5 per
ton. the miners receiving s750.O0O.-
100000. or an average OF $3.50 per
ton.
Not An Profit.
A total OF s2so.OO0. 900 went to the
mine owners. but Doctor Garfield
said this was not all profit as federal
income and excess profits taxes had
to be deducted.
In 1917" Dr. Garfield said, the
taxes amounted to thirty cents a ton
average over the whole country. but
1t is difficult to estimate for 1919"
Contrasting m:ring with CONNER
cial enterprises. Dr. Garfield said Il
was necessary not to lose sight II the
fact that coal mining was the haaic
industry necessary to the winning OF
the war. and that reasonable profits
had to be maintained. II was be-
cause q fair retIrn was guaranteed
under the Lever act that congress
could not tax away all the mine own
ers profits. he said.
Replying TO William Green. secre-
iary OF the United Mine Workers. Dr.
Gatfieid explained that the fuel ad-
ministration In increasing the price
Of coal during the war had made an
allowance of 10 cents for overhead
because there was not time to take
n minute examination into every case,
ana Tor the same reason, ten cents
was allowed as royalty.
Dsnics ENct ssiNc Profits.
Referring to the 40 cents allowed
for wages. Dr. Garfield said that was
"a crudo thing TO do" but that lt
was later found that the amount WIS
Ia the average absorbed for wages.
Thomas W. brewster. chairman OF
the operators scale committee. told
the miners that "a fabulous margin
In the coal industry does not exist"
"Dr. Garfields impartial figures" he
Said had refuted the reports OF
enormous profits In the coal business,
which he said had been run on n
slender margin"
President Lewis said the workers
never had alleged that the OPERATORS
made undue profits In 19ls under
government control.
But we have made some remarks
about prOtils In 1919" he said. I've
are prepared 10 prove that some con-
Germs have sold coal at tho mines at
W "a ton, 81 a ton, yes and even $3.50
a ton. We are prepared to demon
strate that In 1913 tho operators have
gotten igO TO 1875 per cent more for
coal than they did in 19lt and that
wage increases TO the workers has
been only a. $40 per cent above
1914 figures while the cost OF nving
has Increased ilO per cent. That's
our situation In a nutshell.
Has Partial figures.
Dr. Garfield said he had no COM
plote figures ON the 1913 operations,
and was suspicious OF partial figures,
but that he did hnve some data which
showed that In certain fields oper-
ators were making less IN 1919 than
In 1918.
but II that is true. why IN II that
the selling price of coal to the com
sumer has increased 81 ton this
year," asked Percy Tetlow, OF the
miners.
Il don't know as to that" Dr. Gar
field replied. But even " that is so.
does II enter into our problem here
except Rs 1t Affects the cost OF liv-
ingY"
well. it's question OF import
hnce to the consumer" Totlow re-
turned. "O'T figures show that the
margin to the retailer is more than
81 n ton on coat II Is important
that the public be protected. We
realize that one of the greatest prob
| lens Is that OF the profit that iE
added To- coal after II leaves the mine,
and that the producer Is not receiv-
ing "a fuir proportion OF what tho