The Washington times., 1920-01-28
COAL MINERS CALL.
EXPERTS IN PROBE
Union Officials Endeavor to
Prove That High Cost Of liy-
ing Is Permanent.

Economic experts from big husi-
ness enterprises. universities, and
public boards and commissions
throughout the country were brougE.
into the wage controversy before :he
Presidents Coal Commission today by
the bituminous miners in their effort
to vindicste the demands for a CO
per cent increase in wages, with a
six-hour day and five day week as
working time.
Those Summoned.
In the list of those whom the miners
have summoned to their aid before
the commission is r. S. Hanna, ec)n-
omist and doctor Of philosophy at
Johns Hopkins University: /. A. R:ce,
former statistician for the Santa Ee
railroad and the American Live Stock
Association: Leland Olds, statisticta.L
for the ship building wage adjust
ment board; Arthur Sturgis. consult
ing engineer at Boston: DIR. II. ].
Harris, of the Library OF Congress;
w. w. Husband, secretary Of the I'M
migration Bureau, and l.. S. Trigg,
L. Magnesson and w. Jett Lauck, OF
the former War Labor Board.
The miners in launching their Of
fensive for the 60 per cent increase
asserted today that there is no tope
OF an immediate decrease in the cost
of living.
Taking the figures OF the Bureau
of Labor Statistics and other Govern
ment departments, they pointed out
that IT is an idle dream" to expect
decreases in the cost Of living until
normal world conditions have been
restored"
/, They offered the contention tns=
where declines in the costs to con-
sumers of certain commodities navG
taken place, they have been matters
of "incidental import" rather than
indications of general downwa-l
movement.
Under Production. --
The steadily rising prices were a.
tributed by them to under production,
war waste, increased circulation med
ium and profiteering. They asserted
that the consuming public is faced
with Uncomfortable causes" in the
growing cost Of living before which
1t is helpless"
The miners told the commission
that a wage increase corresponding
to the increased cost OF living is un-
acceptable to them for the reason
that the miners always have been
underpaid, and before the Gar were
not earning a wage commensurate
with the value Of their work"
They asked the commission to make
mandatory two principles in It's
award:
1. The pre-war status Of the mine
worker must be guaranteed by the
operators.
2. Every mine worker Is entitled IL
rates of pay which under the working
conditions OF his locality will guar
antee him a living wage at all times.
"The old theory that wages are de-
termined by the law of supply and
demand has been exploded" said Van
II. Bittner, chief statistician for the
miners.
Labor is not a commodity whose
value is determined by the same fac
tors as is the value OF wheat, coal,
iron, steel, textiles, and other COM
modities. Consideration Is now being
given to the human and ethical ele-
ments in the wage problem.
"The evils arising from unrestrain-
ed competition, the cutting of prices,
decreased industrial demand, and in
dustrial depression OF collapse, were
by the old theories Of economics i'm
posed as a burden on wage earners.
Is II any wonder that wage earners
have come to look upon economics as
the dismal science OF despair?
I'VE ask that the commission
grant:
al. The right OF all workers, in
cluding common labor, to a living
wage.
80. In fixing wages, minimum rates
of pay shall be established which will
insure the subsistence OF the worker
and his family in health and reason
able comfort.
THAT should be the basis OF COM
pensation for labor in this country
rather than the law of supply and de-
mand' and the application. OF those
theories OF economies which may be
applied to coal, wheat. textiles, and
other commodities"