The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-09-10
ANTHRACITE
BRIGANDAGE

w. Jet Lauck, the eminent stati-
tician, has the following mice things
to say Of the Pennsylvania anthra-
cite operators:
In this job Of brigandage the
mine owners were assisted by the
White House commission, which has
Just recommended II per cent in
crease to the hard coal diggers. Upon
the basis Of an anticipated wage raise
Of at least 30 per cent, the opera
tors boosted the retail price of an
thracitc 81 a ton.
The labor cost of PROCURING a ton
Of anthrarite has been raised barely
30 cents by the wage award.
However, this does not tell even
half the story" says Lauck. "The 81
advance at the mines has been null
tiplied many times Anthracite for
domestic use sold in Washington at
$11.S0 ton prior to May /. Today
it is quoted at $3.50 a ton, or an
advance of S370 a ton. In other
cities still larger advances have been
made"
Lauck recalls that during the hear
ings the mine workers submitted
ing to labor costs. To this evidence
the operators objected, and the wage
commission thereupon ruled it out of
the record.
Il am impelled to say, in all frank
ness, that the commissions award is
great surprise and disappointment
to me-" continued Lauck "Throughout
! the hearings the operators declared
repeatedly that they accepted the
| principle of the living wage, but by
no stretch of the Imagination can this
award be said to be based upon that
! principle.
con the contrary, the majority re-
port repudiates this principle which
has been accepted by the federal cleo
/ trio railway commission, the railroad
labor board and the bituminous COM
mission.
'In this respect, therefore, the
award of the anthracite commission
is the most reactionary decision that
has been made by an industrial trib-
unal during the reconstruction period
The glazing inequalities forced upon
the anthracite miners, as compared
with the bituminous miners, disheart-
ems those who hoped to see the in
dustry stabilized and brought to q
maximum of productive efficiency
After declaring that the retail price
Of anthracite should be reduced at
least S1.S5 ton to reimburse con
sumers for the sums filched by the
operators since May l, Lauck declares
the mine union officials have been
placed by the wage commission in a
place where they may not be able to
control the situation. He concludes
"No one should be fooled or be
a fool in this situation. AS q re-
suit of this award there probably
will be trouble in the anthracite
field. In saying this l do not be-
lieve | am a trouble maker any
more than the weather man is q
rain maker, when, with this data
before him, he predicts rain.
"The anthracite workers are asked
to accept a minimum wage of $4.20 3
day, as contracted with the Sc a day
for the bituminous miners granted by
. the bituminous commission, which
by agreement, is now increased t,
$3.50 in Illinois and to $6.75 or 81 il
Ohio and Pennsylvania.
ana When the trouble comes, i
it does come, it is my Judgment a.
an outsider-and now that the cast
is over l am an outsider-that thu
public should be slow to blame The
union or its officials, or the poor
devils in the anthracite mines wht
were told by the operators during the
Scranton hearings that 1884 a da,
was a living wage, and that anyhow
the mine workers had the opportun
ity to raise garden truck, pigs, cows
and chickens and to enjoy fresh al
and beautiful scenry, and should b.
grateful accordingly"