Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-18
MINERS HERE WAIT
FOR OPERATORS TO
PREPARE ANSWER
Owners Unable to Say How
Soon They Will Be Able to
Meet Workers.

Fuel Administrator Garfield will
meet with the joint wage scale
committees Of the soft coal miners
and operators Mt Pm. in execu-
tive session.
Thomas r. Brewster, chairman Of
the opera*erst commtttee, saia that
DIR. Garfield did NOT waite what
matters would be brought up at
s the meeting, bnf II 4ssEeneeaAlgaAAss
stunned thSt &c sv{lf afli&e He
g0vernment's position m to whether
the increased cost Of production Of
coal rs n result Of n raise i'm yvnges
could be passed ON to the public i'm
higher prices.
Mine operators were Tot ready today
to submit their proposals to the United
Mine Workers in reply to those of the
miners asking a so per cent wage in
crease and thirty-ho week, so the
scheduled meeting of the joint wage
scale committee of the central COM
petitive field was indefinitely post
poned.
T. T. Brewster. speaking for the
operators, said:
I'VE don't know when we will be
ready to meet the mine workers rep
resentatives. We are all working as
hard as we can on the counter pro-
posals we will make. but there are so
many factors involved we are unable
to predict how much time will be
necessary for us to complete this part
of the coal conference negotiations"
The mine workers on the committee
were at the Red Cross building, where
the sittings are held, waiting for the
operators when word came by tele.
phone that the operators were not
ready to proceed, and a postponement
was requested.
Well, we're waiting patiently" said
John l.. Lewis. acting president of
the United Mine Workers of America.
1--WE are in Washington to do business
with the operators. We're ready when
they are"
Claim of Discrimination.
Capt. Percy Tetlow, the miners sta
tistical expert, went to the Depart
ment of Justice, and was in confer
ence with Judge Ames for a long
time. 1t was said by Mr.. Lewis that
of fresh evidence that operators in
New Mexico. Colorado. Alabama. east
ern Kentucky, West Virginia and
Utah were Illegally discriminating
against union miners.
Replying to charges that union
miners who went out on strike are
not returning to work, according to
the spirit of the recall of the strike
order of November 1. Mr.. Lewis de-
clared that in the states named. and
in other regions. 'the operators are
turning away the miners seeking to
return unless they give up their union
Affiliations"
Neither Secretary Of Labor Wilson.
presiding officer of the conference, nor
tor, acting as Mr.. Wilson's adviser in
the conference, is taking part in the
preliminary activities of either the op-
orators or the miners.
Attitude of Miners.
The attitude of the miners repre-
sentatives today gave evidence that
they are going to fight hard to OBJ
tain acceptance of their demands.
THE statement of Secretary of La
Dor Wilson that our demand for a 60
per cent increase in wages cannot be
met is absurd, simply absurd" de-
clared Mr.. Lewis today. Let me give
you some facts and figures based en-
tirely on official reports and investi-
cations made by state and federal
agencies.
FROM 1917 TO 1918, Six years, the
average earnings of skilled bitumi-
nous coal miner were sS76 a year or
$73 month. Since 1912 the percent
age of wage increase has been 1877
per cent. During the period that
wages increased 1877 per cent the
selling price of coal advanced about
1875 per cent. The increase in cost of
living for the miner during the same
period is between 80 and 100 per cent"
Labor Department Statistics.
Figures issued today by the bureau
of statistics of the Department of La
Dor show that from 1913 to 1919, the
wages of skilled bituminous coal min
ers increased but 34.s per cent, and
that the cost of living for miners
throughout the country had advanced
about 80 per cent during the same pc
riod.
The following request was submit
ed to an official of the National Coal
Association. composed Of operators in
all parts CT the country: Can you fur
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