The New York herald., 1920-01-14
COAL WILL COST
MORE IF OWNERS
HAVE THEIR WAY
Developments at Commits
sion's Hearings Indicate
Higher Prices.
No. 1,5O2 II Street, N. W.,
washington. ID. c.. Tuesday.
Herald Bureau.

Increased coal prices to the consumer.
following the award which the President $
Coal Commission will make in the DISPUTE
between miners and operators, were in
dicated by the proceedings before the COM
mission to-day.
This. and the outline of the demands of
the miners. voiced by John L. Lewis, act
ing president. were the outstanding
features of the days Developments Mr..
Lewis indicated clearly that the miners
are still ccntendng for their original de-
r1ands, g cixty per cent increase in all
day labor, tonnage. yardage, and dead
work; n Elk hour work day. five days a
week, time and half for over time, and
double time for Sundays and holidays The
miners also want internal differences, not
covered by the interstate joint agreement.
trcts fer agreement.
The likelihood of an increased price for
coal was evidenced by the insistence of
the mine operators that they should not
be circUmscribed in the making Of con-
tracts beyond the time thta the Lever act
Shoii NC III tiictts iIeS diSO Qtnleu,
through their attorney. Ralph Crews of
New York, that the yhad agreed to absorb
even the II per cent increase in wages al
lowed by the Garfield award.
Agree to Accept Findings.
Beyond this point the operators agreed TO
accept the findings OF the commission, ex-
plaining that the questions asked yester-
day were merely for the purpose of dis
covering the intended scope ard character
of tho inquiry.
THE operators Mr.. Crews explained.
"are advised that they may not lawfully
be parties to any arrangement by which
the price of coal is fixed beyond the date
when the Lever law shall be effective,
and they therefore will be bound by any
action of the commission fixing prices
only during such period of time as the
Lever law shall be effective, with the un-
derstanding that full powers in this re-
spect will be vested in the commission by
the President Of the United States in ac-
cordance with the terms and provisions
of that law"
Chairman Robinson explained in this con-
tion:-"Just what our duties and powers
will be we do not know"
Acting President Lewis. addressing the
as the miners representative,
laid down the outlines of the moners' de-
manQS. lie Sa1u lie was III
OF the Hundreds Of thousands of men en-
gagged in mining bituminous coal, the ma
tion's most basic and essential industry"
Mr.. Lewis said the miners believed they
were entitled to fair living wage, the
best working conditions that could be pro-
vided, and that their occupation should be
rendered more healthful and less hazar-
dous."
Mr.. Lewis said the miners had received
no increase in wages since October s. 1917,
until the recent application of the fourteen
per cent by the government, and that ia
1918 a request they made for an increase
was denied by the Fuel Administration.
Living Conditions Poor.
Meanwhile" he declared, "the cost OF
living has advanced more rapidly to the
miner than to nearly any other class of
artisan. The living conditions OF the mincrI
have ever been too low a grade. The en-
vironments under which the miners chill
dren were raised have not been those
which would cause an American citizen toI
look upon them with pride
Mr.. Lewis said the miners were mindful
Of the rights of capital TO earn a proper
income upon its investment, but that
humanity has prior right OF considera-
tlon and society owes an obligation to the
men to toll In the mines