Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-08-31
WILSON DISREGARDS
 STRIKE THREAT CF
 ANTHRACITE MINERS
Approves Majority Report of the Coal Commission He
 Named
TT GIVES THEM WAGE
 BOOST OF $S5,000,OO0
President Informs the Men They Are in Honor Pledged to Ac- ccpt the Decision on Board
 Majority

Washington, August Wilson today approved the mapority re- port of the anthacite coal com mission, awarding anthracite min CTS wage increases aggregating 1885, that he expected them "to accept the award and carry it into effect in good faith"
 Replying to threats from the min CTS that they would Stop work Sept. 1 unless the minority report of the commission, recommending q high CT award than provided in the ma jority report, were accepted, the president definitely stated that the majority award would not be set aside.
 The majority report of the conn mission, signed by w. o. Thomp- son, president of Ohio State Univer- sity, representative of the public and chairman, and by w. l.. Conell of Scranton, Pa., representing the op- orators, granted wage increases of 20 and IF per cent, above the pres ent wage scale. The 20 per cent wage increase was awarded contract min CTS and the advance of 17 per cent was recommended for company min CTS, mostly monthly men, miners laborers and consideration miners.
 Neal J. Ferry of McAdoo, Pa., rep resenting the miners, whose minor ity report the workers in district meetings have endorsed, recommend ed minimum wage of six dollars a day for adult day laborers, and an increase of 31 per cent for contract 1 workers.
 h. refusing the request of the miners for acceptance of the minor ity report. as made in a telegram sent through their local representatives, the president called attention to q resolution adopted by the miners in convention agreeing skoa accept the findings of such b~nission as he appointed.
 By all the laws of honor upon which civilization rests," the pres ident in his telegram to the miners added, "that pledge should be full filled. Any intimation that the an thracite mine workers will refuse to work under the award because it does not grant them all that they expected is reflection upon the sim cerity of the men who constitute the backbone of the community in which they live"
 Accepts Challenge.
 The president further told the miners that if their communication was intended as threat they could rest assured that the challenge would be accepted and that the peo- pie of the country would find some substitute fuel to tide them over until the real sentiment of the an- thracite mine workers can find ex- pression and they are ready to abide by the obligations they have enter ed into"
 Secretary of Labor Wilson, at the direction of the president issued a call for meeting Thursday at Scran- ton of the joint anthracite scale committees of operators and Unit ed Mine Workers of America to rat ify the award.
 The wage increases recommended by the majority will amount to an annual increase in pay for the min- CTS of $85,O00,00O and in the pay ment of $18,000,O0O back pay, ac- cumulated since last April first.
 Interest of the general public in the award centered largely in the ef- feet of the increase in wages on the price of hard coal. The commission said that while making substantial improvement in the situation of the miners, it had tried to be conserya- tive and had declined to commit it. self to decision that might justly be considered an encouragement to the so-called "vicious upward spir- aP' in prices. The result, the com mission said, was that the awards. while providing improved conditions for the workers, could offer no jus tification for any advances in the re- tail prices of coal.
 In addition to the wage award. another important feature of the majority report was the denial of the demands of the miners for the es- tablishment of the closed shop and the check off system