Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-03-10
4-STATE FARLEY
PLAN REJECTED
BY MINE BAR0N5
Pittsburgh Operators Are
Willing to Confer With
Their Own Men But BaIk
at Going Any Further.
CBy The Associated PressJ


Pittsburgh, Pa, March 9.-rhe
Pittsburgh Coal Producers associa-
tion, whose members employ the
$4,000 union miners in the western
Pennsylvania bituminods field, to-
day reiterated their determination
not to meet the UnIred Mine Work
ers Of America and the operators
of the central competitive field for
the purpose Of fixing a new wage
scale for the western Pennsylvania
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
"Our decision has been reached.
We will deal with our own men in
western Pennsylvania, union or
non-union, on working agree
ment, with the exception Of the
check-off, but we will not be a
party TO a scale for Ohio, Indiana,
and Illinois. Our decision is ire
vocable."
These words ended statement
given out by the association late
today. 1t recited that when the
present agreement was made res
olution was passed by the joint con-
ference which provided that prior
to the expiration of that agreement
Of the union and
operators of the central competitive
field should meet and fix q date
for a joint scale conference to take
the place of the agreement which
expires March 81 next.
The resolution, the statement
said, was customary, having been
passed at previous joint conferences
to set up machinery to continue the
cta n pnr,fnrart1n
Operators Statement.
"The operators of the Pittsburgh
district" the statement continued,
"have determined they will no
longer pursue this practice of wage
scale making. This conclusion has
been reached for the following rea-
sons:
This practice Of wage making
means that the national officers of
the United Mine Workers Of Amer
lea, with miners representatives
from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and
western Pennsylvania, met with the
representative Of operators of
these districts and negotiated
wage scale for them. The miners
organization then used this wage
scale as a tlse to fix wage scales
in all union districts in the United
States and Canada. The operators
of the Pittsburgh district believe
this practice is economically un-
Sound.
"The national officers of the
miners organization insist on fol-
lowing this practice because it en-
ables them to control wage scales
A ion
Under it their main purpose is to
increase the power and strength OF
their national organization. They
care nothing foI the economic
rights of any particular district, nor
are they interested in the local
operating and commercial prom
lens of this district, 1t is for this
reason they insist on no departure
from the practice of making
las heretofore carried on. This
practice results in a scale which
does not give to the Pittsburgh dis
trict a wage scale which its natural
advantages and competitive sur
rounding entities 1t to enjoy. A
wage scale so negotiated results in
q barter in trade of the economic
strength of the district.
Aim of the Miners.
"The aim of the miners is to
force a non-competitlve coal mar
ket so that wages may be main
tanned at the unusually high level,
That this is their purpose is estab-
lished beyond question by their de-
mand for no decrease in wages,
six-hour day and five days a week.
and by the frequent utterances of
their interne .ionaI president to the
press.
I'VE desire the public to thor
oughly understand that we are not
refusing to meet the miners of this
district collectively or otherwise,
What we are refusing to do is to
enter a four-state joint conference
meeting to fix wage for the Unit
ed States.
"The secretary OF labor has also
been notified of our willingness to
meet our men.
1.-THE miners union is endeavorinG
to place the responsibility of
strike on the operators of this dis
trict, and we have been induced to
make this statement, so that the
public may be informed as to where
the responsibility lies"