Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-04
Union Leader Tells House
Committee Why Settle
ment of Dispute By Dis
triCtS Is Impossible,
MINING INDUSTRY IS
WASTEFUL, DECLARES
Small Decline in Living
Costs viii Not Permit.
the Men to Accept Less
Paw at This Time,
tBy The Associated PressD

Washington, April 3.-Discuss-
ing before the house labor commit
tee today reasons why 100000 an
thracite and bituminous coal min
ers stopped work last Saturday In
the United States and Canada,
John L. Lewis, president OF the
United Mine workers of America
and official leader Of the strike
declared that the anthracite work
ers had gone out merely to await
the results of a peaceful negotla-
tion with their employers over a
new wage scale but that bitumi-
nous workers were out indefinitely.
If need be, to obtain the signing
of basic wage contract. The pl-
luminous workers, Mr.. Lewis de-
cl"red before the committee, Whlca
is considering the Bland resolu-
ton to direct appointment by the
president of commission TO in
vestigate the coal industry. are
out to "stay indefinitely, if need
be, until the operators of the cen
trail competitive field of Ohio, In
diana, Illinois and western Penn
sylvania sign up basic wage con-
tract according to their pledge on
which the other coal mining dis
tricts of the United States can set
tle."
No District Settlements.
In reply to questions by Repre-
sentative Black. democrat, Texas,
as to why the union would not set
tie with operators in states and
districts where work could be re-
sumed under satisfactory condi-
tions, Mr. Lewis insisted that COM
petition would not permit the oper-
ators to fix wages locally withou;
a knowledge OF the wage scales
their competitors would have.
even if the operators in llli-
nois. for instance" he added. are
willing to sign up a new scale for
themselves without regard to COM
petitors. the United Mine Workers
are unwilling to have its members
in Ohio, weston Pennsylvania, In
diana and Virginia dragged into
the suffering of a long strike,
while the Illinois mine owners
take the markets"
Although holding that nation
al wage scale was the first essen
tial, Mr. Lewis told Chairman No
Ian of the house committee, IL con-
gress or anybody else could get "a
representative number of employ
ers from all the central fields into
a conference, those controlling a
substantial tonnage, I mean. |
shall advise the United Mine
Workers-and l think they will
take my advice-to negotiate with
them for a new contract
Short Of this step, he added, min
ers and operators comforting by
districts, "would Just be talking
doing no good"
Naturalization of Mines.
In speaking of the general con-
dtion Of the industry, Mr.. Lewis
referred for the most part to hi
luminous matters in view of the
wider scope and Importance of
that industry as compared with the
anthracite industry. Although the
United Mine Workers stood for
naturalization of coal mines. with
adequate assurance to property
owners involved" he classed gov
ernment ownership as impossible
at this time"
miners know that they cannot
hope to get more than 215 days
work a year as things stand" he
declared, "and that part time ope-
rations tends to increase its scope
year after year. 10th as some people
may be to face the difficulties and
hazards, If private industry cannot
work out this problem. regulariZe
employment and stabilize outputs.
1t may be necessary for the govern
ment to assume the burden, I be-
lieve congress could we'll set up a
tribunal or a bureau to investigate,
at least, and give the facts which
might determine policy"
Hand Against Industry.
Mr.. Lewis paid his respects to
what he termed "a general finan-
cial demand for liquidation of labor
and deflation of wages" by declar-
ing that there was nothing con-
servative in the business viewpoint
today, and depression cannot be
overcome by cutting wages and fur
ther reducing the purchasing power
of labor. The non-union operators.
esq ecially those of West Virginia,
were Ishmaelites of industry, whose
hand is against industry, who are
fomenting industrial difficulties
that they may get high prices"
"Be sure that II this do nothing
policy of business leaves the issues
to be fought OUT he said, with
Continued on Page Two)