The Washington herald., 1921-08-31
One OF LARGEST
ACCOMPANIES
CUTS SALARIES
Pittsburgh Concerns Re.
). duction Effective
Tomorrow.
DECREASE is 1870
Force of 5000 to 1000 In OF.
fees Affected by the
Slash.

NNW YORK. Aug. 5O.-The Pitts
burgh Coal Company. one Of the
leading superior gas and steam
coal producers in the world. will
make a reduction Of Is per cent in
the wages OF between 5000 and 1000
members, Of its salaried stan on Sep
tember I. according to a statement
Issued yesterday by Edward ].
Walsh. Eastern manager, whose Of
fees are at Rector street. It is
understood that this is the first cut
by this interest since the war and
was the alternative to curtailing a
considerable portion of its force.
According to Mr.. Walsh tn, COM
pany has made two pay advances
during the period Of rising prices
and the high cost of living. one Of
rs per cent and another OF Is per
cent. Therefore. the readjustment
which becomes effective the first of
next month leaves the concern en-
ployes 20 per cent ahead OF the pre-
war normal. The reduction. which
will be participated in by all work.
ers throughout the country. the
largest portion Of which. of course.
are in the Pittsburgh district. will
not affect the thousands OF miners
VI Nhe - 10 ~
the wage agreement until the end of
the present coal year. March 81,
1929.
Sees Depressed Condition.
Mr. Walsh. who spent the latter
part of the week In a survey Of coal
consuming conditions in upper New
York, including Albany, Science
tady and Amsterdam. and in New
England. including Boston, Provi-
dence and New Bedford, is not OPP
timistic OF the future because Of the
low operating rate Of most OF the
large mills and factories.
He states that a majority OF the
consuming plants are running ON
part time and using reserve coal
stocks wherever possible. giving no
Indication that their later require
ments will be more moderate. At
the same time. he thought that tex
tiLe and leather and shoe plants
present the best prospects for the
future, while the operations OF the
metal foundries were very unsatis-
factory.
while the Pittsburgh Coal Com
pany Is well covered on coal con-
tracts with the large gas companies,
including the Consolidated Of this
city. he said they were not taking
as much coal as might be expected
for this time of the year. The COM
pany's shipments to the lakes for
Western and Northwestern con-
sumption are also blocked to great
extent by large Accommodations at
the head of the lakes and at other
ports. with little moving inland. The
carriers and ore mines. he said. were
taking fairly good tonnages.
Coal situation Uncertain.
He expressed the opinion that
the market is in a very bad state.
with the future unusually unccr-
tain at a time when all trade senti-
mcnt should be cheerful. The Pitts
burgh Coal Company. he said. was
operating about 50 per cent Of nor
NAL. and having no material sur
plus of free coal or that not COW
cred by contracts.
One Of the prime reasons for Mr..
Walsh's trip upstate and I" New
ENGLAND was TO confer with old GUS
TONER'S on numerous letters to the
operator calling attention to the
coal in the East. the average QUO
tation being $2.60 per ton. whereas
many offerings of low-priced gas
the contract basis of the Pittsburgh
Company is 1926 for run of mine
and $3.50 for screened lump. Mr.
Walsh stated that none OF the cen
sumers asked for contract cancela-
tons. though they complained of the
competition.
Tho best argument of the Pitts
burgh company" he said. sis that
when coal was selling between $40
and SIS a ton about a year ago. its
customers continued to enjoy the
advantage of its low price. most OF
it's contracts being on the basis Of
$3.50. the same price quoted today
In fact. the company gained many
friends and hundreds of new Gus
toners by its unselfish methods. To
cite one instance. 1t bought outside
coal at Norfolk and shipped it to
RuenOs Aires at cost of $3.50
a ton in order to supply it's domes-
tic customers at a time when il
could have obtained a much higher
nrice than $3.50 in the export mar
ket. We have not exported a ton
in over two years"
Current Coal Prices.
ANTHRACITE