The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-10

ulstr4eLSt VIII nave ample oppor-
tunity to present their claims for
confederation TO the various Joint
conferences OF operators and.
miners which will assemble prior
to the expiration OF The present
agreement. a wage reduction
would not be a panacea for the III
from which the coal industry Is
now butfeting."
The bttuminous coal industry OF
our nation is geared to a potential
productive capacity OF eight hum
.dred million tons. In 1891, the
market absorbed but approximate.
.ly half OF this amount and in CON
sequence only about four hundred
ten million tons wore produced.
This Is the ratio OF production
which existed in 1911, in which
year some four hundred i've mil
lion tons were produced. The coal
industry is ovefcapitalized, over
equipped and oyerdeveioped. 1t Is
also orcrmanned. TIE terrific In
dustrtal depression has rendered
this condition moro acute and the
miners are suffering idleness and
privation as a consequence. BY
the same token the coal operators
of the country must endure their
share Of Inconvenience and. should
esteem themselves fortunate that
they are not personally assalled by
the pangs OF hunger such as is en-
dured by the Idle miners and their
families.
A national reduction lu wages to
the mine workers, with a. cores
bonding slight decrease In the SELL
ing price Of coal, wouit not cause
the market to absorb any addition
al coal tonnage. People do not
buy coal merely because 1t Is cheap
and a wage reduction in conse.
quence will not bring about addi-
ttonal employment. 1t would mere
~ serve to decreaGe tho earning
capacity Of the miner and result in
q lowering Of his standard OF l.v-
ing, which is already too low. The
United Nine Workers will there
fore. resist any attempt upon the
part Of the coal asrators Of West
Virginia. or elsewhere, to arbIt-
rarily abrogate any Of the wage
provisions Of the existing con-
tracts.
The claims OF certain operators
n West Virginia that such u re-
auctions necessary to enable them
to compete with other producing
fields is falicious. Similar claims
are made By every important
group OF coal operators throughout
the country. Each group bitterly
complains that 1t cannot compete
with all OF the other groups, when
as a matter Of fact the entire IN
dustry, without exception, is mere.
Is suffering from the Ill OF the
financial and Industrial depression.
The tonnage produced by certain
non-union fields Of times alluded to
Is relatively Insignificant and the
organized mine workers Of the
country cannot permit their stan
dards of living 10 be gagged by the
same yard stick that is applied by
this non-union operators to their
unfortunate employees. The or
ganized mine workers who strive
to pattern their lives according to
American ideals do not propose to
follow the non-union miners down
the ladder of wage reductions to
the morass Of poverty and desrad-
alton.
The officers Of district II and
the scores Of thousands of our
members in West Virginia are in
harmony with these policies, from
which there will be no departure
during tbs existence of the present
agreement. Tie international or
g~aniEatton will cooperate to the
fullest degree to the application OF
these policies in West Virginia and
elsewhere.