South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-10
OPERATORS SAY BURDEN
OF INCREASE WILL BE
BORNE BY CONSUMERS
John L. Lewis of United Mine
Workers Heads Commit
tee-Effective Apr. l.

NEW YORK March 9.-Demands
which anthracite mine workers OF
Pennsylvania have asked operators
70 incorporate in the new wage
agreement to be drafted 20 take ef-
feet April I. were formally present
ed u the mine owners Tuesday and
a subcommittee OF practical men
was named 20 negotiate the wage
contract.
This committee will meet at tho
Union League club here Thursday
morning TO begin its work. The gen
eral committee Of miners and opera
tors which met Tuesday 10 begin
the negotiations adjourned 10 meet
at the call OF the subcommittee.
Lewis Heads Committee.
The Subcommittee Is headed by
John l. Lewis. international pres
ident OF the United Mine Workers.
representing the miners and S ID.
Warriner, Philadelphia, president OF
the Behigh Coal q Navigation COM
pany; & r. Huber, Wilkes Barre.
representing the operators
While unofficial opinions were eX-
pressed by operators that the in
crease in wages asked by the min
ers would mean rise IN the price
OF coal 10 the con5umer. II granted,
no official comment was issued. by
the mine owners as To the effect
the demands would have on the in
dustry. but a statement WITS pre- missed
at a later date.
Each side admitted that no def
mite decision would be reached un-
til the award OF the bituminous coal
commission in the wage demands OF
the soft catl miners Is handed down
At Washington. When this award
can be expected none OF the miners
or operators was prepared 10 say.
Basis OF Agreement.
The basis OF the agreement en- the
anthracite industry. 10 was stated.
would depend largely upon the
amount of the increase 10 bc given
the soft coal workers and neither
side Is ready 10 commit itself until
the bituminous award is announced.
W L. Conneu a Scranton opera
tor, presided at the seueral meeting
at which there were present 80 op-
orators and 81 Representative 30 the
union miners. All the antlracita
coal companies We're represented
and Pres't Lewis and Nice-P Pres't
Murray represented the Information
al organization Of the United Mine
Workers
Principal Demands
The principal demands which
were formulated by convention or
the anthracite men last August IN
clude the following.
That the contract wage scales ue
increased 90 percent and that The
increases. secured I'm the supplement
tai agreements Of 1897 and 1918,
shall be included in the wage as a
basis uuon which the so percent
shall be added and that all day
men be granted an increase of two
dollars day
"That a work dar ~ not more
than six hours from bank to bank
hc established for an classes Of in-
side and outside labor and monthly
men five DAYS per week with time
and "a half for overtime and double
time for Sundays and holidays
"A closed shop contract
THAT wherever practicable r.a.
shah be paid for ON the legal t.n
basis which IS 2.240 pounds n PeHn-
syIvania and that dockaE~ be eItr-
mated
.The demands cau FOR two-yaar
agreement
The present contract was made
for four years and expires March
There are about a dozen o-ne-
demands o. terhu.c4. nature ana
considered minor by both sides