The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-31

cent of capacity and with the skilled
working force reduced by 80, 900 miners
in the army and navy. Out of pos
sible 312 working days in the year.
they said western Pennsylvania miners
averaged $50, Indiana 249. Illinois 22S,
and Ohio 224. The bulk of bituminous
tonnage come from those states.
1919 FIGURES CITED
Against this record they set figures
for 1919 which they said showed that
the mines had operated at not to ex-
coed so per cent of the time. Despite
this reduction in time, they said the
1919 production of the country up to
October IS. was $4,000, 600 tons only
103,000000 tons less than in the same
period of 1918 They estimated that
the mine workers will not average more
than $50 working days in 1919 and
claimed that a full working force
working steadily throughout the year
can produce S00,000.000 tons If need
be- They said the estimated needs of
the country for 1920 were 550,Oo0,Oo0
tons
These figures show" said Ellis Searies,
editor of the unions magazine, that
there are too many miners in the coal
business for an cight-hour day. The
shorter day would distribute the work
evenly throughout the year and ~ would
tdh6 Only IL StOIl time W fsShNdtc W.
sumers to buy on the basis of steady,
rather than seasonal production.
Furthermore eight hours may be short
enough for men to work in the fresh air
and sunlight but il is too long period
for continuous labor in the dark under
forced ventilation. Men work themselves
out quickly in Dungeons
Increased wages are necessary, he sal9
because in 1918 Illinois mine workers OF
all classes averaged earnings of $l39oSS.
The first six months of 1919 showed aver
age earnings of s57o.0s ne said. indicating
decreased earning powers in the face OF
constantly mounting living costs.
From January /, 1918. to July l. 1919. nc
said, the mine workers of the central com
petitive field had averaged earnings OF
$S73.S5.
TELEGRAM TO WILSON
The full telegram sent by President
Lewis of the mine workers to Secretary
Wilson follows
Your telegram oath instant was read
by me to assembled conference MEMBER
of our international executive board, scale
committee of central competitive field and
presidents of our various districts yester-
day. On behalf Of conference l am
| authorized to make you this reply:
Scale commtte representing United
Mine W orkers convened with operators OF
central competitive field at BuHalo sep
TENDER 18th and presented to operators the
wage demands as formulated by our IN
| ternationaI convention, which was thor
| oughly representative of the view OF our
membership. Operators declined to con-
slider the merits OF our demands, and re-
| fused to negotiate on a basis which wonid
| be productive of any results After one
week. adjournment was taken to recon
vene in Philadelphia october 3, and JONI
! session of three days was held in tha'
city Miners representatives made every
effort to negotiate agreement, but were
met by uncomprosising refusal of eca
operators to consider merits of our posi-
| ton.
| AT that time no strike order was in ef-
| feet and none would have been issued had
| there been any constructive suggestion OF
competent nature offered by the Goa
| operators. Later on when we were called
! into conference by yourself at Washins'
| ton and day by day we reiterated We
were anxious and willing to go into join
negotiations without reservations, having
in mind only interests of our people, FOL
purposes of negotiating wage agreement
which would aver strike in bituminou'
| industry.