Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-04-06
MINERS CAUSED
THIS STRIKE,
SAYS WATKINS
Operators Spokesman Tells
Committee Workers Would
Not Negotiate.
SMOKE SCREEN
IN USE, IS CHARGE
Negotiations With Owners
Outside Central Field
Denounced:

Washington. April s.-The coal.
strike as it has affected the bitumin-
GUS field of central Pennsylvania was
blamed on the miners today by T. H.
Watkins, spokesman for the opera
tors association who declared the
break was due to the positive refusal
of the miners union to negotiate with
employers. He was appearing be-
fore the house labor committee, which
has heard the unions national lead
ers declare the strike was OccastOned
by refusal Of the operators to nego-
tiate for q new wage contract.
Mr.. Watkins said that notwtth-
standing the refusal of mine owners
in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and west
ern Pennsylvania to enter a national
conference with the union, the men
were ''repudiating their own princi-
pies Of collective bargaining and vio-
lating their own contracts by allow
ing themselves to negoti@te with op-
orators in districts outside the central
field.
John E. Lewis, president OF the
United Mine Workers, Mr.. Watkins
said, was using. the smoke screen of
accusation against Pittsburg and Ohio
operators, familiar piece Of union
strategy in making their refusal to
meet the union an excuse to call a ma
tional strike!
'Mr. Lewis dares to try and con-
fuse the public" he added, charging
further that the calling of national
strike over central field was Itself
a violation Of contract"
Would Be Financial Suicide.
Coal operators, generally Mr.. Wat
;sa3sins said, considered that under pres
ysSSifseppditions ut would be financial
q for them to enter into any
ShIents not based on mining and
market conditions in each district
This was stand in opposition to tbs
unions policy of national agreements
he said. but we in central Pennsyl.
vania can no longer endure the In.
tolerable delays and alarming loss Of
trade which we SShave had to endure
in waiting upon and submitting K
the central field agreement" @
,"President Lewis gave very mis-
rle..aings testimony, Mr.. atkins 4 aa,f, IS.
SET ted, On coal prices. ~.
{ <f The Anthracite Issue.
Turning to q anthracite issues h,
These labor lords have been guilt!
of abuse Of powers in calling an an
thracite strike when the mine own
ers were meeting their every call fol
:. meeting and negotiation"
Union leaders were charged by Mr.
Watkins with gross ignorance oi
economic law and he added that "un
fortunately a union leader can't fl
his place unless he finds grievance
to press and fight.
AS to earnings he cited Pennsyl
vania payrolls which he said showed
entire mine crews averaging bette
than $40 per day work during 1921
while non-union fields had success
fully cut wages.
Union proposals for five day week
and six-hour days and for nationali
ration Of coal mines, Mr.. Watkin
said. indicated a tendency to succum
to definite communistic principles.
He added that the operators did no
desire to break down the United Min
Workers because that union Nigh
he replaced by some organization
more Violent .4
When the committee adjourned 70
luncheon Chairman Nolan made pub
lie the responses made by seve
groups of operators and individua
operators in the central -competitiv
bituminous coal field to his invitatio
for conference to settle the strike
Most Of the responses indicated tha
the operators concerned would nc
attend the proposed conferences MI
Nolan said. a u