South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-11
LABOR LEADERS
REPLY TO Mine
OWNERS ATTACK
House Labor Committee Hears
Defense of Unions
Actions.
SESSION IS EXCITING
Operators Act TO Discredit
Union, Is Charge Made by
Labor Heads.

Labor Heads.
WASHINGTON. April l0.-Hear-
ings of the house labor committee
on the nationwide strike We're eX-
citing Monday for a time at least,
az which labor spokeemen denied
charges concerning union contract
breaking being a factor IN the walk
out Chairman Nolan said there
were no plans at present for fur
Their investigation Of the strike, but
the committee will meet Wednesday
IN executive session TO act or the
Bland bill which would set up a
federal coal commission 10 deal with
such situations
Witnesses Monday included Edgar
Wallace. labor federation executive
agent and a member OF the miners
union: John Hessler. president. and
William Mitch. secretary of the In
diana district Of the mine workers,
and James Lord. vice president OF
the American Federation Of Labor.
The examination was enlivened
BY Rep. Atkeson. republican, Mis-
souri,. who desired 20 show. he said.
that 10 Is the money question
botherlng" the miners rather than
questions of labor organization or
conference with the operators
Attacks Miners Attitude.
Miners were getting up 10 last
week 81 percent more than they got
during the peak Of prices during the
war" he declared in asking Mr..
Wallace. why aren't you willing 10
skin down a little now when farm
ers have lost so percent OF what they
had them"
rs there any reason why we
should lose. because farmers we're
not organized ." Mr. Wallace re-
turned
"An right" Mr.. Atkeson persued,
You did have a wage contract with
the operators and II was very good
one"
The entire operation OF delation
as affecting wages and prices, Mr.
Wallace said. was artiicially forced
upon farmers and upon labor. had
produced injustice and should be
resisted.
THE difference between us and
the farmers" he said. is that we
are resisting.
Hits Operators Claims.
Mr.. HessIer said that Phil 8. Pen
ma. operators representative from
Indiana. had given the committee,
"an inaccurate and misleading
statement" 10 support charges that
The union had violated generally It's
wage agreements. Mr.. Penna said
some 500 strikes occurred in the
state I'm mines during 1921. while
the union records. Hessler said, ac-
counted but for "a The operation
OF n penalty clause" IN the wage
contracts resulted in finding either
operators or men responsible Tor
an unjustlhed suspension Of work.
he explained. and describing many
instances OF local disturbances said
that some of them v~ere produced
because companies have support
ed contract breaking elements In
the union I'm order TO discredit our
organization.
II operators records showed more
strikes. ne insisted. IL was because
their association concealed the
facts at the time IN order TO avoid
the penalties"
He also upheld the wage scale
before the strike as reasonable, as
did Mr.. Mitch.
Charge Huge Salaries.
What do these mine superinten-
dents earn ." Rep. Burke. republi-
can. Penna. asked the latter. It's
charged against the cost OF coal
isn't IT, and they go on working
while Won hOvs are out "
Yes. the coal carries the charge"
Mr. Mitch replied. and I under
stand a. NJ Ogle who was before
your committee. draws 100000 a
year"
And gets it while YOU fellows are
out" Mr.. Burke commented. What
does Penna Eet2"
Il understand as secretary OF the
mine operators association he draws
down $4,000 year NIr. Mitch
replied while he also Is in some
mining operations I don't know
about
AR. Lord cald the strike resulted
from can attempt 20 smash the mine
workers examination. which 7 be-
leve WIFI De- u0succeSsful
The interstate contract. which
precipita-cd the national without
when employers refused 70 take Il
up again. "vaS the pivotal factor IN
the industry he declared and
without it chaos and confusion
would result"
Mr. Wallace also explained that
the miners feared the state con
tract system" because 70 would re-
suit IN wage fixing hv cut-throat