The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-13

CHANCES Of FINAL
COAL SETTLEMENT
SEEM EXCELLENT
CONTINUED From First Page)

continued From First Page)
the central district to abandon their
old policy Of negotiating a separate
agreement In that district as q basis
for other districts, no time win be lost
oy the ~conciliators Of the department
OF labor in sticking on that point,
Rather Will they urge the making OF
separate agreements concurrently.
Big Step Forward.
But even this will be a great step for
ward for all the losses IN time will be
eliminated which heretofore have caused
so much discomfort when the miners,
say in kentucky or even Eastern Penn
sylNania, were compelled to wait the
outcome Of negotiations in the central
competitive field before they could en-
ter into an agreement in their own dis
tricts.
II so happens that because Of the
strike the operators in the outlying dis
trlcts never got an opportunity to pre-
sent any demands 10 their men because
OF the failure OF the principals in the
central competitive field to reach an
agreement So, instead of entering into
a process that might mean the negotia-
lion OF one agreement in one field and
then in another In some other section
ana so on, 1t is TO the advantage OF the
operators In all districts outside of the
central competitive field as well as in
SIDE OF 1t to get q new wage agreement
or understanding as soon as possible.
This may be negotiated separately
and IN different buildings here and the
groups representing different districts
may not Q together II they insist
upon separation, but the final agree
ment will be concurrent and the miners
throughout the country win be advised
simultaneously of the wage scales SO
tnAf EOmn nntfnr1nitU NaaV ha nhtns,nl
and thus the disadvantages and abuses
OF sertatim negotiations will be eliml-
mated.
The layman will find difficulty in fol-
lowing the merits Of the peace negotia-
tons that have been Instituted be-
cause Of the technical character Of the
demands and answers thereto made by
miners and operators. But certain fun
damental principles are at the bottom Of
the dispute which has just threatened
the welfare of millions and which re-
quired the whole judicial power Of the
government to hold at bay,
AS to Wages.
First, with respect to wages: The
miners do not work every day in the
week, nor do they have an opportunity
TO work eight hours on such days as
they do work. This is no fault Of the
operators, in many cases, because the
latter cant get cars from the railroad.
And If the railroad doesn't furnish cars
the miners don't work. And the mine
operators don't pay the miners a cent
for time lost because of the failure OF
the railroad to supply cars.
Second, when they Is talk OF a six
hour-day, 1t doesn't always mean that
the miners don't want to work. But
1t often means that they want to get
enough money at the end Of the week
Qn that fhau n0p 1ttnnOrt thatp faynIta.
A man might get a wage Of SIS a day
on an eight-hour basis, but II he only
had three days at eight hours and the
other days at two or four hours OF
possibly nc work at all, due to cal
shortage, he would not be earning the
SSO a week, which a rough multiplied
ton by the average Individual might
seem TO be netting him.
Third, the miners were given their last
Increase In wages because DIR. Harry
Garfield, fuel administrator, said they
needed 1t to meet the cost of living
That was more than q year ago. And
the cost Of living has increased. But
here the government steps in to sa,
that 1t can not Increase that cycle. II
will try to reduce cost of living rath,
err than sanction increases In wages
The situation with respect to the Goa
miners is In this respect the same a,
the railroad men who have been held
In cheek by the governments promise,
to reduce the cost of living.
Fourth, the coal miners saw the fue
administration come to an end; say
the operators abolishing workingmen'I
committees; saw the national war labo
board dissolved saw the industrial con,
ference in Washington and other step,
between capital and labor, all proceed
ing on the theory that the war haC
ended, They saw the price Of coal gt
up to the consumer beyond the maxi
mum prices fixed by the coal admins.
tration, and they saw the war end Al
far as the operators were concerned
all restrictions as to the distribution
and price being re~moved-and the,
therefore insisted that the war wal
ended 80 far al coal miners were con,
cerned, too. And they sought new con
tracts. Now the fuel administration ha,
been revived and a maximum price fol
coal is fixed.
Will Blame Wilson.
The Wilson administration will al
ways be blamed by the miners for per,
hitting restrictions to be removed tina
affected the coal operator and then In.