New-York tribune., 1922-04-09
:Citizens'COuncil
Is Proposed to
End Coal Strike
r. H. Watkins, New York
Operator. Insists Only an
Unbiased Commission
Could Settle the Dispute
Suggests Jury of Seven
Asserts Joint Body Would
Endanger Public; Lewis
Not Interested in Plan

The proposed commission OF six Goa
.,s-stors and six union miners, sug.
-.s.,d by the United Mine Workers @.
America as the best means for dis
nos:ro 0. the strike situation, was
ssropr.y disapproved yesterday by
rhomas II. Watkins. president of the
pspu.vlyania Coal and Coke Corporation
=, New York. which has bitumiaous
s.,ds in District No. ?. in central
pannsvlvania. TIE natural result o.
,reb 8 commission. d-. Watkins said
u.ould be to shift the entire burden &c
The shoulders Of the consumer.
TIE only kind Of commission tat
would be competent TO settle the strike
u,. Watkins said. would be one rep
yesenta:iye OF the public, before wh;ci.
Doth operators and miners would a9-
oe- to plead thcir cases.
az commission OF s.@ operators. and
,iz n.iners," NJ. Watkins said, "v;ould
eridently make It ver.- simple for both
lie miners and the operators TO agree
On 7ha. they want, aid then pass the
expense on 20 the public.
"should The public vel.arc require
III. appointment o. commission, then
IA, commission should represent the
public. It should consist ef rot less
.asa seven vel, known ana unbiased
citizens. The miners lad operators
.aould az .,oar IS advocates before this
commission, as they hard..' can sit as
heir own Judges. as would lie tie case
w..h joint body OF which the public
would net be represented.
"Thesa views I expressed to the
Hsusa Committee on Labor before the
cnion plan vas presented to that COM
.Uittee.
lIr. Watkins accused John l.. Lewis.
sresident o. the United Mine Workers
u America o. contract breaking in
District =, saying that $4,000 men had
oeen ordered out OH strike after they
lad agreed to vo:i; for thirty days
bending negotiat.ons for new district
wage scale. TIE district supplies about
$4,000 900 tons o. bitumirous coal g.
ear 20 10000 consumers, he said. He
asked the Congress committee for an
exclamation Of the situation or WcGnes-
dsy. MIR. Watkins said. but thus far
President Lewis had made 10 reply.
~ an beginning TO believe that Nj.
Lewis and his associates are about 20
perform real service to the United
States. For the second time in three
ears they have taken the country by
ne throat and used the hold-up mans
nethods to obtain special concessions
or the miners. II 1919 they got away
Y.th it. TAis time they may wake UP
che coal buye- to what it means TO have
basic industry completely dominated
oy labor Organization which has no
financial legal or moral responsibility
pnder the present statutes"
new Industrial era probably viii
result from the strike, MI. Watkins
said, in which the interests of the con-
sumer would be better safcsuarded.
President Lewis said he did not con-
alder Mr. Watkins's statements
''worthy Of comment" Before leaving
tor Indianapolis he repeated his dec
larstion that conditions we're entirely
satisfactory. The men are loyal and
ihelr morale and spirits are high, he
sad. Far from any desertions from
ne strikers ranks, he has received
kilograms indicating thai more men
mad gone out than the press dispatches
stated. Mr., Levi, said he was es-
pecia!!y pleased with the spirit Of the
men III tho non-union regions, who had
followed the lead OF the unions.
A great deal OF the present trouble,
Mr.. Lewis declared, was caused by the
over-eagerness Of tnc operators. There
Was too much Investment, too much
development, and consequently too
much overhead for the coel mining in
dustry TO bear easily.
Each operator is fighting for his
snare OF the markct," Mr.. Lewis sa;d
and this has brought more and more
men INTO the industry, until it has been
overmenncd.'
SO far as there being any chance
OF reduction OF wages to the anthra-
cue workers. as insisted upon in a new
statement by the operators, Mr., Lewis
vas positive there is no chance what
eTer OF reduction.
Philip Murray, vicc-presidcot Of the
United Mine Workers. who is attend
lIng the anthracite conferences at the
on'on League Club here. said the vail.
out OF the non-union miners was ono
o. tne most encouraging features Of the
strike. 60 - ''ie
Ire unusually large number Of
hon'union men that have yolnnt.,;Iv
!9'hed with the union mine workers :,
Ny Murray continued. "is inI;cstiv,e
v. we general attitude Of the miners
Ss s@l"st the unwarranted attacks that
sa'e peen made upon our organization
~ the operators. They desire not onlv
70 lower the wage scales. hut .o A.,
s'roy the union
me figures that l have, while not
.I, .; ~ 'hd'cate that about so per cent
"; vi lhe non-union men have struck.
T sTha |ne number increasing daily.
me estimated production of the
,a.on-union fields under normal co,d;-
aohs is approximately 3,50O,OOO tons a
week In the coke fields in Favet4e
rssan'y, IN southwestern Pennsylvania.
sn..;r te ]o'oVo men have struck. the pro-
~ FIVE capacity is 100000 tons a day.
br "v 5pTodaetioA 51o d1sA Of soft coal is reduced
~. =. 1.-VV'ooo tons a week, approximately
Gown '''A'' ~ '"1S s''2s-
stan.;,i 'N'. 1NeEe Wl.i DC sub
non.MS s. feduction OF output by the
,,a ,saa-qnion walk-outs in West V;reinia
AAa Eastern Kentucky"
.r, IN It's weekly review Of the situation
s,sa; "e American Coal Journal" says that
corr. ,e he strike nearly half Of the
cosi ~ : weekly consumption of soft
ths. .&u .& Oeen produced this week, and
srst. ,"ere vas no fuel famine six
va distant. as the union had
sane Is for - ncar-As-AaA;.