The Adair County news., 1922-03-21
U. s, AND CANADA
FACE.COAL SRIKE
Mine Union Official Says Men Will
Vote on WaIkOut for
April |.
next MOVE UP TO OWNERS
international Board Member Says Op.
orators Refuse to Negotiate Other
Than on Their Own
Demands.

Calgary, Alberta, March 6.-Canada
and the United States face an inter
national strike of coal miners to begin
on April l. according to a statement
issued by Robert Livett, international
board member for district No IS,
United Mine Workers of America. The
announcement followed the breakup
of the peace conference between
miners and operators.
Mr.. Livett said that ballots had been
sent out to all locals Of the United
Mine Workers in both Canada and the
United States, and that the members
were being asked whether or not they
desired to give power to the policy
committee, appointed at the Indiana
polls convention, to call a general
strike on April l if agreements were
not entered into by that date. He add
ed that ballots were to be returned to
the various district headquarters by
March 10. Mr.. Livett would not eX-
press an opinion regarding the prob
able outcome of the vote.
Up to Operators.
Mr.. Livett said the next move was
up to the operators. They refused at
a meeting here to negotiate other than
on their own demands, he asserted.
AS soon as they are willing to re-
cede from their mandatory position
we shall be only too willing to reach
an agreement that will be satisfactory
to both Sides" he explained. 1.-THE sit
uatiOn is such that in all probability
there will be cessation Of operations
on April l unless the operators alter
their attitude in the interval"
"Saving Wage" Demanded.
New York, March 4.-Cheaper an
thracite coal for the public, to be made
possible by slashing the profits of the
mine owner rather than by reducing
the labOrer'S wage, is advocated by
the Unired Mine Workers of America
in a statement issued here.
"Mine owners freely admit that the
cost of coal to the consumer is too
high" declares the statement. "The
remedy they suggest, as a preliminary
to the opening of new negotiations for
a working agreement with the work
erS, is reduction In the cost of dig
ging the coal-the miners wage
which is placed by the operators at
1892 a ton"
The mine workers indicate that low
er labor costs will represent a "bare
living wage" whereas they insist upon
"a saving wage commensurate with
the hazards of the industry"
"Coal sells at New York. PhiIadel-
phia and in other large cities at prices
ranging up to SIG a ton, which repre-
sents the operators own profits, profits
of the railroads, profits of the coal
sales company, the royalty takers and
distributing agents." the statement
sets forth.
"The operators very skillfully avoid
any reference to reductions of a sub
stantial nature in the matter of their
own profits" the statement continues
"It is therefore obvious that there
must be some connection between the
operators and all those who handle the
coal between the operators and the
consumers and, of course. from an
interested standpoint, the operators
can see deflatiOn only so far as the
miners are concerned and a continual
tiOn of the earnings Of operators, rail-
roads, sales companies and Others"