The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-26


fur 900 u1tos beginning April T. 1922
lf operators refuse those de-.
mbuda same to boz Submitted tu rank
nud nio for referendum vote 90 de-.
Iprwiup whether tho minors phnli
.trIko ur not before April !.
However. 10 should be- understood
That tine miners Organization hHp
not, up to this late date. officially
presented the above, or any other
dcmnnda, to the operators " Okla
NumJ.
The position of the oool operators
OF oklahoma and uf the entire
southwest generally IH that tho
numerous. Unprecedented advances
in wages which have hcou granted 60
the miners were granted entirely be-
cause ~ war conditions. and they
fool that now that war conditions
hHyo passed ana many limos Of lu-
dustry and labor have already ru-
adjusted themselves To- practically
pro-war conditions, ana I'M Wow OF
the fact that tho purchasing and
paying power of the public has
greatly declined. that II is only right
and proper that the coal industry
should come In line ana do itg part
~ make possible "a return uf pros
porous conditions.
1920 was, generally speaking The
most prosperous year t1c bituminuus
coal industry has over experienced,
but the year 1921 was, from the
standpoint uf running time and
profits. the most disastrous, ana the
losses OF operators during 1921 were
FAR greater than the total earnings
OF 1920.
Tho light running time Of 1921
was clearly Chargcahle 10 the fact
thnt tho public could not pay the
price the operators were compelled
10 charge on present basis ~ cost.
ana nG u result. operators and min
crs suffered alike.
Little Profit for Operators.
The coal operators ~ Oklahoma
have not generally prospcrcd. The
margins Of profit have been small
ana II Is, therefore. not possible
20 reduce the selling price Of coal
without Corrospondingly reducing
the cost Of production, Of which Ia
bor constitutes 20 per cent
Tho coal operators OF Alabama.
Colorado and New Mexico aud some
eight or ton producers In oklahoma
and Arkansas do not employ union
labor. ana the miners IN these dis
trCts have already accepted very
substantial reductions. and this has
enabled their employees to take from
oklahoma mines much OF
OF the business that was
formerly shipped from this
state. and this has resulted In stead
Ter running time and stendier cm-
ployment to the nonunlon miners OF
these competitive folds. with "a re-
suit that on q lower basis per day
and por ton, these nonunion miners
have made much more during the
/ Ia .,f
! oklahoma have made at higher
wages per day and per ton.
II II Contended by tho union min
! ers OF oklahoma that because Of
short running time, they should Con-
tinuc TO receive war wages. In this
they entirely overlook the fact that n
continuance OF tho present high
wages would only mean further de-
crcnses In their earnings per month
and per year.
III the operators Of Oklahoma
should grant their employees a wage
scale that viii not enable oklahoma
coal TO compete with tho large sup
ply OF nonuniun coal that is now
available In our competitive mar
Scts they will not only sign away
their own hirthright. and destroy
the value OF their coal properties,
but they viii. In response to the dc
| mNnds ~ the union. have takcn a
step which viii not give tho miners
the relief they desire and which will
torct thousands OF union miners to
sacrifice their homes they have built
up In this state and movo to nnu-
union districts. where they will ob-
tain ready work at the Same or less
wages than they can now obtain In
oklahoma,
We are not unmndful ~ the
needs, nor unsympathotic with the
| aspirations Of our mino labor. We
| would be glad II the earnings Of tho
! induetry were such that we could
/ continue to pay the present high
| scale OF waeg. We Ore not seeking to
! reduce their wages In order To en-
! nance our own profits, but the man
| ngcia ot oklahoma mining proper
| ties feel first, that those who have
invested their money In this very
! hazardous and difficult business are
! rlshtfully entitled 10 somo reason
| able return of profit on their invest
/ ment, and secondly, they feel and
recognize an obligation 10 the public
| To supply them with fuel at a rca-
sonhhle cost and at price In keen
ing with the price OF other commodi-
| ties, and this can now only be done
| by "a very substantial reduction in
wages.
Miners Realize situation.
Also not only employers but n
| large percentage OF the rank and
| file OF coal miners realize that Il is
| 10 the best interests OF the miners
| themselves that they should volun
| tarily rcadlust their wages and
maze It possible TO offer coal to the
public al a price which tho public
| can afford 10 pay, TO tho end that
running time aud employment dur
ing the remainder OF t922 and there
after may bo more regular We feel
! that II Is absurd and absolutely
against their own interests for the
miners 10 demand a continuation Of
wages that win net inexperienced
day labor $3.50 per cight-hour day.
when tho farmers OF Oklahoma are
working longer hours and more DAYS
per week, and are realizing practi-
oallN prc-war prices for their prod
vets. We do not believe that any
class ot men can hope to make liv-
Ing during tho next several years hy
working only six hours per day and
ilNc days per week,
Aside from the reductions I'm day
/ WQgos aud In the contract rate pcr
! ton TO OlrECTg flrTp hal, hp,f, ,.,,.p,.