The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-05-24
WILSON FORB|DS
COAL STRIKE
Warns Owners and Miners He
Insists on Agreement.
men GET LETTER TODAY
Would Be Disaster, the President
Says and Declares He Will Name
Commission if Needed

Says and Declares He Will Name
Commission if Needed.
Washington, May 24.-Anthracite
operators and miners were warned
by President Wilson that there must
be no strike in the anthracite coal
fields during this critical period in the
REIMBURSEMENT of the country.
Writing to the members of he joint
scale committee which has been con
Quoting negotiations for Two months,
the president said thai if they should
be unable TO reach an agreement he
would insist that the questions in dis.
pute be submitted % the determina-
ton of IA commission to be appointed
by him and that work be continued in
the mines pending the decision Of the
commission.
He added thai the award TO be made
would be retroactive to April l, the
date of the expiration of the old agree
ment between the operators and min
erS.
The president said ne would hold
himself in readiness to appoint a com
mission "similarly constituted to the
one which he recently appointed in
connection with the bitumin0us mining
industry as soon as I learn that both
sides have signified their willingness
to continue at work and abide by its
decisions"
In making public the presidents let
ter Secretary Wilson, who has been
in conference with the wage scale
committee at the department of labor
for the past three weeks, said he was
confident that when the committee re-
reach a mutual agreement or the QueS-
ton in dispute will be submitted to a
commission as suggested by the pres
ident"
There will be no strike in the an
thracite coal fields" he said.
The secretary added that represen-
tatives of the miners would present
the presidents letter to their conven-
ton at WilkesBarre, Pa, today.
81 have watched with more than
passing interest your efforts to negO-
tate a new wage scale for the All
thracite coal fields. The arrangement
TO continue work a. the mines after
April l pending the adoption of new
agreement which you entered into
when the previous wage scale was
about to expire, was highly commend
able and filled us with hope that a new
contract would be eventually worked
out and the supply of anthracite coal
continued without interruption. l sin
cerely trust that The hope will be fully
realized.
Il have, however, been advised that
there is a possibility you may not come
to an agreement. l am sure / need not
remind you thai We have not yet re-
covered from the economic losses Incl
dent to the war We need the fullest
productivity to our people to restore
and maintain their own economic
standards and to assist in the rehabi-
tatiOn of Europe.
the commission. I shall hold myself
basic industry like anthracite coal
mining would be very disturbing fac
tor in our lives and industries. To
have one take place now while we are
actively engaged in the problems Of
reconstruction would be a serious dis
aster. Anthracite coal is used princi-
pally in domestic consumption. Any
shortage in the supply would affect
multitude of homes that have been
specially equipped for the use of this
kind of fuel
1T would have TO be supplemented
by the use of substitutes such as bit
luminous coal or oil, diverting these
manufacturing industries which they
now supply, using more cars because
of the longer hauls and thereby re-
ducing the efficiency of our transpOr-
tatiOn systems, that are already bur
bened beyond their capacity. Such
must not occur if there is
any way of avoiding it.
Il am not familiar with tie tech
nical problems affecting the making
of your wage scale. You are. You
should therefore be able to effect an
agreement If for any reason you are
unable to do so | shall insist that he
matters in dispute be submitted to the
of commission 20 be
appointed by ME, the award of rhe
to be retroactive to the
firt of April in accordance with the
you have already enter
ed into and that work be continued III
the mines pending their decision Of
the commission. | hall hold myself
in readiness 50 ::ff.f':;.1t commission
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