The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-04-04
Union, S. 9, Tuesday Afternoon,
LEWIS TELLS WHY
MINERS QUIT

before the house labor committee to-
day reasons why 100000 anthracite
and bituminous coal miners stopped
work last Saturday in the United
States and Canada, John L. Lewis,
president of the United Mine Workers
of America and official leader of the
strike, declared that the anthracite
workers had gone out merely to await
the results of a peaceful negotiation
with their employers over new wage
scale but that bituminous workers
were out indefinitely, if need be, to
obtain the signing of a basic wage
contract.
The bituminous workers, Mr.. Lewis
declared before the committee which
is considering the Bland resolution
to direct appointment by the presi
dent of commission to investigate
the coal industry, are out to "stay in
definitely if need be, until the opera
tors of the central competitive field
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and western
Pennsylvania sign up a basic wage
contract, according to their pledge ON
which the other coal mining districts
of the United States can settle"
In reply to questions by Representa-
tive Black (Democrat) of Texas, as to
why the union would not settle with
operators in states and districts where
work could be resumed under salts
factory conditions, Mr.. Lewis insisted
that competition would not permit the
operators to fix wages locally without
knowledge Of the wage scales their
competitors would have.
Even if the operators of Illinois.
for instance" he added, "are willing
to sign up a new scale for themselves,
without regard to their competitors,
the United Mine Workers are unwill-
ing to have it's members in Ohio, west
ern Pennsylvania, Indiana and West
Virginia dragged into the suffering
of a long strike, while the Illinois
mine owners take the markets."
Although holding that a national
wage scale was the first essential, Mr..
Lewis told Chairman Nolan of the
house committee if congress or any
body else could get representative
number Of operators from all the CEN
tral fields into conference those con-
tssllins a;subs3ss stiall lSonnags,I i ,u,ea1s,
/ shall advise the United Mine Work
ers-and I think they will take my
advice-to negotiate with them for a
new contract"
Short of this step, he added, miners
and operators comforting by districts
would "just be talking-doing no
good" In speaking of the general
condition of the industry, Mr.. Lewis
referred for the most part to bitumi-
nous matters in view Of the wider
scope and Importance of that industry
as compared with anthracite. AL
though the United Mine Workers
"stood for naturalization of coal min
ers, with adequate assurance to prop
erty owners involved" he classed
government ownership as impossible
at this time"
miners know that they can't hope
to get more than 215 days work a
year as things stand" he declared,
"and that part time operation tends
to increase its scope year after year.
J.oath as some people may be to face
the difficulties and hazards, if private
industry can not work out this prob
lem, regularize employment and sta
bilize outputs it may be necessary for
the government to assume the burden.
I believe congress could well set up a
tribunal or bureau to investigate,
at least, and give the facts which
might determine a policy"