Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-17

4
into an agreement"
Acting President Lewis said: "They
! (the commlttee) are not endowed with
the authority to conclude an agree
ment Under this policy if propo-
| sition is offered hy the operators, 1t
will not be accepted by the scale com
| mittee without the authority OF the
/ re- convened convention In event no
/ agreement is reached or that no sat
! sfactory proposition is made by the
| operators, strike viii automatically
ensue on the first of November, with
out the necessity of reconvening this
| convention
This left the matter so that the
miners committee could not negoti-
! ate.
In rejecting the proposals. the OPP
orators set forth clearly to do so
| would result in an additional cost of
coal to the consumers of the United
States or not less than "a billion dol
lars year" They pointed to the
lack of authority on the part Of the
committee to negotiate a contract,
and further called their attention TO
the fact that a contract now existed
which did not expire until peace
was declared" and that this contract
was made under government super
vision
The operators point out that a six
hour day, from bank to bank with
but five days week, would result in
only twenty or less working hours in
week. and with double shifts pro-
hibited it would reduce the produc-
ton of coal at least one-half and so
increase the cost of all coal accord
ingly. such a demand cannot be en-
tertained. Public necessity demands
the greatest possible production of all
essential commodities. said the COM
mittee.
On the demands for 60 per cent in
crease in wages. the operators say:
acceptance of these demands with
the direct increase inherent to other
items of your demand, would more
than double the already high price of
producing coal and consequence large
direct and indirect additions to the
cost of living of every citizens and
decentralization and prostrations of
the industry. Such increases are inn
possible and their attempted enforce
ment would react with great harm
equally on the nation and on the in
diyidual miners you represent.
The operators in the reply TO the
demands pointed out that they sent
an accredited representative with full
power to negotiate a contract, but
that the miners failed utterly to give
their delegates such authority; thatl
they We're ready and willing to nego-
tate a contract to become effective
on the expiration of the present one,
but in view OF the fact that the gov
az, ha 40
interested and had part in the max
ing of the present existing contract,
for the operators to regard it as can
celled would be wholly contrary tol
the rights of the people. to the
solemnity of a written contract, and
against public policy
with your hands tied, say the
operators in conclusion, "by the ma
ture of your instructions. and strike
threat, your only implied argument,
we ask YOU If there is any possibility
of securing results by continuing our
present conference under such limi- |
tations.
The result has been since the miners
could accept no compromise agree |
ment, under their instructions, and |
the operators refused absolutely to |
grant what they term unreasonable |
and unwarranted demands the con- |
ference broke up and Acting Presi- |
dent Lewis announces under the in |
struction of the miners convention, |
he has called the nationwide strike |
for the first of November.
1t is understood the coal operators, !
who have found business exceedingly /!
Improbable for many years, espec-
tally in the west, will simply close
down and not undertake to operate |
any mines, AS there is a marked |
coal shortage now, this going to mean |
suffering this winter and possibly the /
closing down of large number of /
manufacturing plants depending on
coal for power
The average coal miner is now
making from SIS to SIS day while |
mule driver gets better than IS a |
day under present contract,
From the proceedings of the miners |
convention, where the demands were
formulated, it would appear the con-
sentative and American element |
among the miners were opposed to |
any change in existing contracts at |
this time. pointing out that the de- |
mands were not for increased wages |
to meet living conditions, but were |
more for the purpose of restricting |
than anything else, and in |
keeping with the radical demands be- |
ing made in many other industries. 1t
was openly charged by miner dele
gates that the miners convention was
packed and that the 1. w. w. element /