Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-21
NO PROPOSITIONS
OFFERED PLEASE
LABOR LEADERS
Tenders Are Declared I'm
dignified and Inadequate
by Lewis.
SAYS WAGE RAISE MEANS
ONLY FEW CENTS A DAY
Operators Declare Increases Will
Offset Added Cost of
Living.
PROTRACTED SESSIONS HELD
After Many Hours Discussion Coal
Conference Adjourns Until
This Morning.
PRoTRACTED SESSIONS HE'LL
After Many Hours Discussion Coal
Conference Adjourns Until
This Morning.
rRy Universal seryIce.l

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20.-Five counA
ter propositions, including an increase
in pay, were made to the coal miners
by the operators today. They were i'm
mediateiy rejected by the miners.
n second conference lasting four
hours was held, but at S o'clock to-
night the operators and the miners
were no closer to finding n common
ground OF agreement and an adjourn
ment was taken until tomorrow morn.
ing.
The operators offered the miners an
increase of Is cents per ton for pick
mining and an equal percentage on ma
offered 20 per cent increase, which is
equivalent to about 81 per day per
Thomas t. Brewster. chairman of tbe
operators wage scale committee. said
that these increases, based on rates, had
Ueem ,SoIi,a arrived na v, at by estimating what
pay to the point where it Offset tho,
increase in the cost of living since 1914.
Cost OF Living Moro Than Met
AIR. Brewster said tonight that tie
cost In living had been more than mot.
He said that the operators had made
from the government, and that they
represented the limit to which the oper-
ators could go.
Acting President John T., Lewis OF
the miners, said:
THE proposals OF the operators arc
inadeauate I'M, and undlgnified. They do
not mean anything at all. Our con-
ference has produced nothing construc-
tive. but we will meet again tomorrow
morning. -. f.
81 do not think that the operators
themselves take the proposals serious
". We have thousands of men who
unyS .uiiS m naine ton or two day. and it
or 10 cents per ton means very littlct'
n,d me 10, operators stated that the minors
IN oI hai,
demands for six-hour day and a Ave
day week. To this MT. Lewis said that
settlement on hours and that nothing
less than an cight-hour day, bank to
bank, could he considered.
Is Gross Raise OF sI75.OoO,Oe0.
,rdgH Ihe operators orators estimate that the in
amount to about 35 or 40 cents per ton
when when other elements of operations
into consideration. On the basis Of !.
production of 100000, 900 tons for this
year. which was the estimate made yes
would saddle s175, 100000 on On the coal coal
- Ask asked IL this increase in the cost
sumner. the operators pointed out that
pr. Garheld's presentation of govern
meat rle data showed that the margin
low 10 absorb any increase in cost OF
Inc operators said that they had
miners because the government had de-
manded that they make the miners an
oiler. so that the conference might re-
suit IN a settlement of the dispute and
the return Of the men to work. They
said that the OFFER represented the '.ab-
soiute limit to which they could go.
Statement by Operators.
\ statement issued by the operators
said in part:
AS the miners base their demands
FOR more wages upon the increased cost
state the percentage which the ad
vance offered them. together with other
advances % made SINCE 1914. increases in
total percentage the 1914 wages
con pick mining the aggregate ad-
vance will, be SIS per cent. ~
Ion Ion machins ma, msrII mining ss2 2per cent.
"The. increase in the cost of living
since 1914 is figured by the Interna-
per cent, and by the Department Of
! !.abor and the miners at a somewhat
higher percentage. 1t will be seen that
cient TO compensate for the increas sed
cost OF living during the period nen-
IF the miners continue in their po.
sition OF rejection, 1T would appear that
they are getting into position to re-
Ssr.s Sees we very Sub substantial increase in
ing upon their conditions"
Other Proposals Rejected.
The other propositions made by tho
operators to the miners, and which
were rejected. We're:
To extend the present contract 70
To restore n previous agreement,
which was overlooked In the Washing
ton agreement, whereby the operators
would be permitted to sell caps, fuse,
household coal and other mine sup
plies to the miners at not less than
cost.
TO make national organizations and
national officials OF the United Mine
Workers of America responsible for
the enforcement OF contracts between
miners and operators.
To provide uniform, automatic
penalty clause for illegal strikes in
OF contracts.
The operators said that the purposs
Of making the two-year contract end
In March was to prevent strikes from
being called in the late fall! They
said they had. in the intsre4t Of hsr-
mony waived the claim that the prns.
sint contract should not expire unfu
the war was legally ended.
The nerat0ra Satd fhatFth>