Evening star., 1920-05-23
PRESIDENT WARNS
AGAINST STRIKE IN
ANTHRACITE FIELD
Will Insist on Wage Board if
Agreement Is Not Reached
on Scale.


reach an agreement on a wage scale.
under consideration of the joint COM
mittee of anthracite miners and oper-
ators for two months. President VIII
son has warned the miners and oper-
ators that there must be no strike
In the anthracite coal fields during
this critical period in the readjust-
ment of the country.
Writing yesterday afternoon to the
members of the joint scale commit
tee. the President stated he would
insist. should the members fail to
agree. on the question's submission
to the determination of a commission
to be appointed by him. and that
work in the mines be continued pend
ing the decision of this commission.
Secretary Wilson Confident.
There will be no strike in the an
| thracite coal field" declared Secre-
tary Of Labor Wilson in making pub
lie the Presidents letter. He added
that when the committee reconvened
at the Department of Labor Thurs
day he was confident it will either
reach mutual agreement or the
question in dispute will be submitted
to a commission as suggested by the
President"
He said representatives of the
miners would present the Presidents
letter to their convention in Wilkes
Barre. Pa, Monday.
Text Of Letter.
The Presidents letter follows:
II have watched with more than
passing interest your efforts to nego-
tiate a new wage scale for the an
thracite coal fields The arrangement
to continue work at the mines after
April 1st pending the adoption of a
new agreement, which you entered
into when the previous wage scale
was about to expire. was highly COM
mendable and filled us all with hope
that a new contract would be mu-
tually worked out and the supply of
anthracite coal continued without in
hope will be fully realized.
"I have. however, been advised that
there is a possibility you may not
como to an agreement. I am sure I
need not remind you that we have
not yet recovered from the economic
the fullest productivity OF our people
to restore and maintain their own
economic standards and to assist in
the rehabilitation Of Europe. A strike
at any time in a great basic industry
like anthracite coal would be a very
disturbing factor in our lives and in
dustries. To have one take place
now while we are actively engaged
in the problems Of reconstruction
would be a serious disaster Anthra-
cite coal is used principally In domes-
tic 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 supple
mented by the use of substitutes
such as bituminous coal or oil. divert
ing these commodities from transpor-
tation and manufacturing industries
which they now supply. using more
cars because Of the longer hauls and
thereby reducing the efficiency Of our
transportation systems that are al
ready burdened beyond their ca
pacity. Such a condition must not
occur If there is any way of avoid
ing it.
Work Must BE Continued.
Il am not familiar with the 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 I shall insist
that the matters in disput be sub
mitted to the determination of a COM
| mission to be appointed by me, the
award of the commission to be retro
| active to the LIST Of April. in ac-
| cordance with the agreement you
| have already entered into, and that
work be continued at the mines pend
ing the decision Of the commission.
| shall hold myself in readiness to
appoint commission similarly con-
| stituted to the one which I recently
appointed in connection with the
| bituminous coal-mining industry as
| soon as I learn that both sides have
signified their willingness to continue
at work and abide by its decisions"