Evening star., 1919-11-14
Want to Work Regularly.


stabilizing the coal mining industry
SO the mass of workers may be en-
ployed the year round. 1t has been
asserted by certain agencies during
the recent crisis that the miners can
earn S6, 81 or IS a day each, and de-
clared that their demands for a wage
increase therefore are exorbitant :
The miners admit that under IA
vorable circumstances an experiences
workman can earn $s day. but. 10
is pointed out. the mines are shut
down part of each year, so that
miner is fortunate IL he can havo
employment $50 days in every twelve
months. The average yearly earn
ing for a journeyman miner il said
to be 5000 to $1,000, which, investf-
cations have shown, is not nearly
enough to maintain family de.
Gently
What the miners really have sought
all along is elimination of involun-
tary idleness during certain periods.
and It is said by persons familiar
with their point of view if'the men
could have five days of work fifty
weeks in a year at the present wage
scale there would be no trouble.
Operators State Difficulties.
Coal operators declare it is impos-
sible to stabilize the industry to meet
all demands. They say soft coal cam
long periods against the demands OF
winter because soft coal in storage
is likely to undergo spontaneous com.
bustIon. Consumers are urged to
buy fuel during the summer for cold
weather needs. In effect, the op-
orators blame the consumer for
periodic closing of the mines-citing
the law of supply and demand-and
blame the railroads for car shortage.
Assailing this position. the miners
co;A
perts declare there has been no re-
duction of demand for coal in long
time Barring f1uctuation Of demand
in the domestic field. they call at
tention to the circumstance that Eu-
rope is taking all the coal America
will send across the water. They say
further that with proper precautions
bituminous coal in storage will not
undergo spontaneous combustion The
operators are charged with Juggling
conditions in order to keep up prices.
For Quick Relief First.
There is no indication now the con-
ference which began its first session
in the auditorium of the Interior De.
nartment. will attempt to solve the
basic problem. The imminent need. II
is said is to relieve some OF the un.
happy and disturbing effects OF the
existence of the problem
Getting rio Oh tHe SduScS, coio 81
exnert this morning, involves much
more time, labor. research ana ex-
than relieving the ef-
fects for the present. BY easing tns
effects and smoothing out disturo-
ances, opportunity viii be gwen 70
get to the bottom of the whole trou-
bie II is all a part of postwar read-
instment of economic and social conoi-
tons"
Statement by Operators.
The executive committee OF the
coal operators of the CEN
trail competitive field has issued
statement in which IL says;
.The operators of the central COM
netitiye field are desirous OF nego-
tiating a fair wage agreement at the
earliest possible moment, but SO tar
have been prevented from doing SO De-
rause the miners demands have been
with Impossible collatersA
questions.
generators of the central competi-
tive field have no desire to be unjust
or unfair to their employees They
believe that every man on their pay
rolls should receive fair wage. More
than that, they believe that every en-
Move should receive generous wage,
as generous as the public interest will
allow. That has been their policy.
and collectively. in the
nast. 1t will continue to be their
policy in the future. They will 60
fo tomorrow's meeting with that pol
icy in mind.
'It has been charged and numerous
statistical statements have been pub
lished in an effort to show that mine
employees are not at the present time
able to earn fair wages. The BIZ
luminous coal mine operators deny
these charges and allegations specific.
.IIv and emphatically The fact that
he miners can and do earn fair wages
will be substantiated by the details
which will be adopted during the me-
gotiations.
1.-The public should understand quite
clearly that irregular operations
broken working time. and simtlaE
.onditions are seriously aggravated BY
the miner himself. At every mine
constant proportion Of its employee