New-York tribune., 1919-07-21
Tho Anthracite Consumers
League Declares Miners
Are Justified i'll Their
Demand for Higher Wages
Also to Ask 6-Hour Day
Operators Alleged To Be
Holding Own Land While
Working Leased Property
Special Correspondence

pOTTSVu.LE, Penn, July 20.-Add-
;,, 10 the warming made to Congress
.,ro davs ago that the price of coal may
INN IS ton because of its scarcity,
s.atement has been forwarded to
Senator's Reed. Jones and Kenyon that
srthracite coal is almost certain to be
ncreased $3.50 ton by the first of
rsyt April if food prices are not re-
Snred. The Senators mentioned are
rsmbers Of the Senate Committee on
Manufactures, which investigated the
anthracite industry last winter but
has made no report.
The warning is conveyed by the An
.hracite Consumers League. which was
largely instrumental in starting the
Senatorial investigation. The cause Of
Inc expected raise is the demand for
a % per cent increase in wages and
a reduction in hours from eight to six
by the miners.
Nothing but a reduction IN the price
Of food. clothing and shoes can stop
me demand of the miners from being
granted, says the league
Trying to Keep Prices Down
The officers of the league have been
f. very active in trying to keep down the
nrices OF anthracite, but after an in
yestigation they declare the miners are
justified in demanding radical in
crease in wages unless there is a drop
IN the prices of the necessities of life
The league says in statement made
public to-day:
This league found, on investigation,
that a single Sunday dinner of miner
having six children in his family cost
$3.50, the meal consisting largely of
roast pork and vegetables. This miners
average wage is IS day. Conditions
whereby a miner is unable to earn
enough in day to buy one square
meal for his family certainly justify
q change.
"The people of the anthracite re-
eion have observed with undisguised
sstonishment that men IN responsible
positions at Washington are not only
adverse to q reduction OF food prices
but have even used the machinery Of
the government to prevent the reduc-
ton of the price of food. If this con-
dltion Of affairs continues to prevail
at Washing on the people OF the entire
anthracite region Will stand as a unit
behind the mipers and operators in in
creasing the price Of coal, even ii it
i. reaches $40 per ton before another
year"
Says Regulation Is Needed
After asserting rat the United
States is rapidly getting on a basis
where it will be unable to sell anything
outside its own borders the statement
continues:
Laws should be passed prohibiting
the extortionate prices now demanded
for royalties in the anthracite region.
For the mere privilege of digging coal
some land owners now demand a dollar
ton. This price is therefore added
to the cost of coal before any of the
actua! cost Of the mining is ascertained.
"William Wilhelm, of this city, az
torney for The Senatorial Committee,
has suggested plans by which the big
anthracite companies may be restrain
ed from mining coal on leased land,
when they have many Thousands Of rich
coal lands Of their own untouched. The
public is required to pay the cost of
this coal land leasing, so the companies
may hold their own lands, constantly
Increasing in value, in reserve.
This league has asked the Senators
70 investigate, through Mr.. Wilhelm,
the action OF the operators in adding
80 cents to the price of coal this sum
mer over war prices, on which advance
the miners did not get single cent
Of consideration"