Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-20
LEWIS DEFENDS
Miners STAND.
HEAD OF IOWA DISTRICT SAYS
THERE Is NO COURSE LEFT
GUT 70 STRIKE.
BLAMEs OPERATORS FOR
FAILING TO ARsiTRATE
Levi. D.elar.. Man Can Not Max. Dc.
cent Living Under Present Wage
Asrssmsnt-ldls Days Cut Earnings
For Year to Less Than Living In
eoms-Dsfsnds Shorter Day Demand.
special to Times Republican.

Des Moines, Oct. 20.-Following the
conference Of delegates from miners
local unions over the state held here
Saturday, ]. c. Lewis: president of
district Is, United Mine Workers OF
America, which includes the coal min
Ing region OF Iowa and a part of Mis-;
souri,, issued a statement regarding
the coming strike, in which he said:
"The United Mine Workers regret
sincerely that the Joint wage confer
ence with the operators has broken up
without negotiating new wage agree
ment We came to the conference with
an earnest desire to reach an agree
ment and we have made every possi-
bic effort that fair men could put forth
to that end. We laid ourdemands be-
fore the operators and offered our ar.
guments In support of those things
which we believe we are tentftfed to.
We have dealt fairly. openly and sin
cerely. But the operators brushed al!
OF our propositions aside as so much
chaff. We feel, therefore, that the
operators are entirely responsible fjr
titC w VI titC SohACkChSS eAN
we trust that the American public will
understand the true situation.
After the operators swept aside the
demands Of the miners there was moth
ing left for the conference to consider.
because the operators assumed a
etonewall attitude. 1t is impossible for
one side to make an AGREEMENT when
the other side refuses to negotiate, and
that is what the operators did. They
closed the door against further con-
sidcration of the wage scale question
by the conference.
. 1T will be well for the public to bear
in mind all Of these facts If they are
brought face to ace~with inconven-
fence as a result of the failure Of the
conference to negotiate . new wage
contract.
"The only thing the operators pro-
posed to the miners in the = Inference
was that the Washington wage agree
ment be continued in force until March
81, 1920. The miners rejected this
proposition for the reason that It is
Impossible for the coal miners to make
a living under the Washington agree
ment.
Figures officially collected show
that the average income FOR the IL
linoie mine workers for 1918 was
31,434. For Indiana mine workers,
81, 400. For Ohio mine workers, $1.460.
And for western Pennsylvania mine
workes. 1890.
1918 Output Largest.
''The output Of coal in 1918 was the
largest In the history of the coal In
dustry and the miners worked more
days that year and produced more
coal per man than ever before, there
fore the wages which they earned in
1918 represent the extreme peak Of
their earning records. These hgures
should be moro complete TO answer to
the statement Of tho operators that the
coal miners Of the country have en-
joyed enormous incomes.
'state and government statistics for
the years from 1918 to 1913 show also
that the average incomes Of the mine
workers in these four states for all
those years was approximately as fol-
lows: Illinois, $500 to $3.50; Indiana,
$500; Ohio. 500; western Pennsyl-
vania, 300.
"The soverpment recently issued a
bulletin from the bureau Of statistics
Of the department Of labor In which
1t was stated that after q careful and
exhaustive survey OF the country the
bureau had concluded that the average
American family Of four required an
income Of 1880 . year In order to
maintain . decent standard Of living.
These are government figures and
must be taken a correct. II they
speak the truth. then we contend that
tho wages Of the mixers under the
Washington agreement would not per-
NIT the miner 70. give his family the
kind Of q living that It is entitled to-.
We cite these facts in order that the
public may know exactly the reason
why the miners decline to continue to
work under the Warrington agree
ment until March 81, 1920.
"The existing wage agreement be-
tween the miners and operators ex-
pressly provides that 1t shall continue
in force and effect during the con-
tinuation Of the war The contract
terminates with the ending Of the war.
The making Of new contract at this
time, therefore, u not = matter Of
choice but OF necessity. With the war
over the contract automatically sx-
pirss. In presenting the wage de-
n1ands the mine workers are not pro-
-1,.s-s.s-s-s-s-sAs-s,. =