Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-17
COAL OPERATORS
|. REJECT MOST OF
MEN s DEMANDS
Willing to Make a Slight Ad-
vance In Scale of Day and
Monthly Men, But Turn
Down Other Requests.
icy MORNING IoUsHA, SPECIAL LEAsEp WIZ.

ICY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED ~ps-i
Cleveland, o., Aug. 10. - The
subcommittee of the central COM
petitiye bihIminOuS coal field Joint
scale committee appointed today TO
consider the deadlock of the full
committee on the miners demands
for an increased wage demand for
day and monthly men and picked
machine mining, adjourned late to-
day until 10 a. m. tomorrow with
out taking action.
| Cleveland, O., Aug. 1.-THE BIZ
| luminous coal operators of the
central competitive field in refusing
the miners demands for 81 day
| increase for day and monthly men
and 10 cents a day for pick and ma =
chine mining today offered to cor
rect the seeming inequality of the
| recent contract by advancing the
wages of the day and monthly men
| the equivalent of the coal COM
missions award to the pick miners,
giving the day and monthly men an
| increase estimated at from 35 cents
| to 70 cents a day. The operators
will consider no other demands
made by the miners, including the
| 10 cents per ton a&ked for pick and
machine mining.
The miners received the opera
| tors reply in a joint conference of
| the scale committee and unani-
mously rejected the proposition.
A subcommittee of two opera
| tors and two miners from each of
the four states was then named
and went into a joint conference.
John L. Lewis. president of the
United Mine Workers of America
and william Green, secretary
] treasurer, attended the meeting az
ex-officio members. The meeting
was presided over by Michael Gal
Iagher, a Cleveland operator,
| chairman of the joint committee.
Other members of the joint scale
| committee were to await the call
of the subcommittee.
| Under the award of the bituml-
nous coal commission, the pick
mining rate was increased q per
cent over the then existing con-
tract. The day and monthly men
were advanced but 20 per cent.
This inequality, the operators agree
to correct by advancing the wages
of the day and monthly men the
| equivalent of the nick miners.
| Vice President Miller of the IL
linois operators, said the operators
offer would give day and monthly
men an increase estimated at from
az TO 70 cents a day. Using the
Hooking valley field as baslng
point, the operators proposition
would mean an increase of an av-
erage of so cents day to the day
and monthly men, he said.
Operators Reply TO Miners.
The operators reply to the min
ers' demands follows: :,
"The operators OF the central
competitive field at the request OF
the president of the united states
have met with you to consider ana
correct any inequalities, which may
be mutually agreed should De
! adjusted that have been emDodaeh
| in the existing contract; when con-
tract was based upon the award
| of the bituminous coal commission
"The propositions presented 10
us by you have been carefuily con-
| sidered in accordance with the sug,
restion of the president in his call
for this meeting.
mThe only contention made by
the United Mine Workers OF Am
erica upon their execution or the
| present contract, was that tne
WAGES of the day men and monthly
men had not been advanced IN the
same proportion as the advance
given the tonnage men.
"The basis upon which the COM
mission made its findings was the
contract effective in 1913, show
ING that the day laborer by It's
award would advance Ill per cent
while the tonnage men would ad-
vance but, SS per cent.
"While correct as to figures, this
method was a distinct departure
from the established custom of the
miners and operators in determin-
ing the relative advance Or de-
crease in wages to the various
classes of labor; the established
custom being to fix the pick mining
rate and to measure all other lapor
by the percentage of such advance
or decrease. ,
"ITnder the award of the blum
nous coal commission, the PICK
mining rate was advanced II per
cent over the then existing con-
tract The day men and monthly
men were advanced but 20 per cent.
Caused Dissatisfaction.
"This seeming discrepancy has
caused much dissatisfaction among
the day labor in some Of the dis
tricts of the central competitive
field, resulting in the closing down
of mines and curtailment of pro-
duction so necessary at this time.
A majority, however. of the miners
of the central competitive field
have continued at work and are
carrying out the contract.
ON order to conform to the es-
tablished custom long practiced OF
fixing wages and to prevent any
further curtailment of production
at this time. the operators will cor
rect the seeming inequality Of the
present contract by advancing the
wages Of the day men and monthly
men the equivalent of the advance
to the pick miners.
"They will consider no other
matters"
The operators subcommittee was
named as follows:
John Donaldson and William
Henderson. of western Pennsyl-
vania.
NJ. L. Gould and P. H. Penna, of
Indiana.
E. C. Searls and II. c. Perry, OF
Illinois. ---.....
c. e. Maurer and G. c. Weitzel,
of Ohio.
The miners on the sub-commit-
tee are: