Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-27
HARD COAL oPE RAToRS
 OPPOSE MINERS DEMANDS

New York March 26.-Anthracite mine operators went on record as op- posed to granting the hard coal dig gers demands for ah increase iii wag- es of at least IS 7-10 per cent. more than the 327 per cent. advance just granted the bituminous miners.
 Statistics and data to show that the earnings of the anthracite and sofft coal workers were on an equitable basis were introduced by the mine owners at the session of the sub b-com- mittee appointed by both sides to ne- gotiate a new wage agreement for the hard coal fields.
 Although the employers admitted that the hard coal workers wage scale might not now be as high as that paid the bituminous men, they pointed out that the earnings were about the same" as the anthracite miners got in more working days in a year"
 After the mine owners figures and arguments had been read into the record the committee adjourned until tomorrow when further statistics and data on this subject will be presented. The operators are understood to have at hand further figures on the cost of production to be used IS an argument against increasing the miners wag- eS.
 Officials of the mine workers said tonight that although they will not ac- cept less than 54 710 per cent. in- crease they are going to press their initial demand for a 50 per cent. ad- vance. They declare that they must get the maximum figure in order to make their wages keep pace with the high cost of living.
 We have not modified any one of our demands in the slightest" Philip Murray. international vice president of the United Mine Workers, said. We are not going to. We are going to fight all the way for every one of them.
 As soon as the arguments and sta tistics presented by the operators in opposition to those presented by the miners last week, the real business of the negotiations will start. Each demand will be acted upon separately
 We don't know just what the op- orators position on all our demands will be. Although they are opposing them they have not as yet presented 1 any counter proposals"
 Mir. Murray issued an official state
 ment denying the erroneous report l published in some newspapers that the general scale committee of the miners | had been ordered home" The com
 mittee will remain in New York, he said, and be on hand to act upon any | important matters that may be brought to it's attention by the mine workers representatives on the subcommittee. The opera tors held another execu- l tive session here today to discuss mat
 ters pertaining 10 the negotiations but issued no statement.
 Word was received here from Wash isington stating that John L. Lewis, in ternatioIlal president of the mine workers, would probably arrive ila New on Sunday He will devote his attention to the bituminous and an thracite wage conferences which will be in progress here during the next few weeks.
 The anthracite sub-committee an nounced tonight that an adjournment
 will probably ba taken tomorrow until next Tuesday. This will give the
 miners representative an opportuni- ty to return to their homes and acv
 quaint their men with the progress i of the negotiations and personally 1 urge continuation of work after April l, pending the making of a new con- tract.