Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-01
M|NESARE1 |ED.UP
AS25,0|)D WORKERS
TAKE VACATION"
Unions Scale Committee
Meets Today to Consider
Wage Award.

BY the Associated Press
louisville. Pa. September BE
tween $4,000 and 10000 miners will be
on vacations" in district by noon, &C
cordlng to the reports received at the
various headquarters this morning. More
than 10000 were already out at o'clock
ana the remainder were rapidly joining
the movement
Reports showed that the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation collieries, in the Panther
Creek valley. employing about $4,000
men, are completely tied up, while the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company report
ed all five of the collieries supplied by
them closed tight. They employ $500
men, while the St. Clair district en-
completely tied up. The Heckerville
valley. employing the same number. was
closed from one end to the other
All of the Lehigh Valley mines in the
Mahanoy. valley are closed and the Read
ing Coal and Iron Company reported
half of it's thrty-five collieries idle and
the remainder short-handed to such an
extent that shutdown was anticipated.
Scale Committee Meets Today.
HAZLETON. Pa. September 1.-The
| full scale committee of the United
Mine Workers of the three anthracite
districts met here today to decide on
a policy regarding the acceptance of
the award of the coal commission ap-
proved by President Wilson on Mon
day. Despite the dissatisfaction ex-
pressed by officers and men of the
| union with the terms of the award,
some of the leaders said they believe
! the award will be accepted and efforts
will be made to have new demands
| presented to the operators. This would
be following the plan recently adopt
! ed by the bituminous miners. who re-
ceived additional concessions after
| the award of the soft-coal commission
was made.
| 1t is expected, according to the lead
srs, that there will be a fight waged
by some members of the scale COM
Formulate Policy Today.
The scale committee is expected to
formulate this policy before it meets
the scale committee Of the operators
IN joint session in Scranton tomorrow.
| tne meeting was called. by Secretary
1t Labor Wilson for the purpose Of
.Hrluns the terms OF the award into a
! tWo-year contract.
| The situation in the anthracite field
has been somewhat complicated by
the so-called insurgent movement
headed by a group of miners who
are said to be opposed to the policy
l: which included the northern an
thracite region. These "insurgents"
protested against the award being
approved. which drew from President
Wilson a sharp reply that If the
protest was threat the challenge
would be accepted. This group Of
miners met in Wilkes-Barre today
further to voice their opposition
to the award; They are supported
by about 10000 men Of the Penn
been on strike nearly two months
against the contract system of
mining. with the result that there is
considerable unrest in the upper
| fields.
VIII Follow Union.
Miners in the middle and lower
coal fields, comprising the seventh
and ninth districts, it is said, are
greatly disposed to follow the leaders
OF the union. most Of whom are OPP
posed to any suspension of work
The strike Of the Pennsylvania Coal
! Company's men has not been sane
| toned by their district organization
! The dissatisfaction with the award
was shown today, when many miners
! refused to go to work pending a
! final settlement of the wage ques-
| ton. They say they have not gone
on strike. but have merely taken a
vacation. Leaders of the union are
| urging the men to return to work.
VIII Emphasize Disapproval.
| WH4kES-BARRE, Pa, September 1.
j-Miners opposed to the present lead
| ership of the United Mine Workers of
| America met here today under the
| leadership of Enoch Williams, to de-
| eide upon what steps they will take
| to voice further their disapproval of
| the recent award of the coal commits
sion. Delegates from all sections of
the anthracite region were expected
ment declared that men in all Sec
tons are ready to lay down their
| tools and quit work if it Is decided
to strike as a protest against the
| terms of the award.
| While the leaders of the union are
| urging their members to abide by
| the terms of the award and bend their
| efforts to secure notifications through
regular channels without ceasing
work, the insurgents" are insisting
that the men be called out until all
demands have been met.
Since their rebuke by President Will
! son. the "insurgent" leaders have re-
| Trained from making public utterance
| of their plans. Today's meeting is ex-
pected to consider the reply of the
ton, and it is declared by their lead
ers demands will be formulated for
presentation to the coal companies
| direct.
! New Wage Scale Affects 10000.
PITTSBURGH, September IA new
wage scale, affecting 10000 men and
| boys employed in Pittsburgh district
| coal mines and effective from August
| 16 last, was agreed upon here yester-
| day by representatives of District 5.
| United Mine Workers, and the Pitts
burgh Coal Producers Association:
!! Under the new scale. which will be
\ applied to so-called day men," the
/ wages of men will be increased $3.50
| a day, and the pay to trapper boys
will be advanced 80 cents a day. The
Il increases are similar to advances re-
Gently granted Indiana and Illinois
i workers.