Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-05
INDUSTRIAL CODE FOR COAL
INDUSTRY DESCRIBED
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskil

saw the board should fix wages that
were lust and reasonable and in de-
Gliding what are lust and reasona-
ble'' wages should consider (l) the
scale of wages paid for similar
work in other industries. CD the
relation between wages and the cost
of living , CD the hazards OF the
work done, (4) the training and skill
required, CD the responsibility rest
ing upon the workers. CD the char-
acter and regularity of employment
and 90 any INEQUALITIES resulting
from previous wage adjustments.
in it's decision the National
Agreement Case, the second ! con-
troversy brought before it, the Rail-
road Labor Board went a step fur-
Their toward the establishment OF a
code for the transportation industry.
The board promulgated sixteen car
dinal principles which it decreed
should be mandatory upon the nego-
| tiation of agreements between the
workers and the individual railroads
and upon the adjustment of the
grievances arising under such agree
ments. These principles included
among other things the obligation
resting upon workers to render faith
full service. the right of employees to
| anu 10 dlu CoiiCSeisSty
through such organization as they
| elected to form, the eight-hour day,
the seniority rights. the classifica-
| ton of the workers. and protection
of the workers against being dis
ciplined without a hearing.
The Kenyon proposal for the coal
industry proceeds along similar
| lines. After providing for the crea-
ton of a board to hear and adjust
controversies it lays down h gen.
eral principle that "all the decisions
of the Labor Board with respect to
wages and working conditions OF
employees shall establish rates OF
wages and standards of working con-
ditions which, in the opinion OF the
board, are just and reasonable"
The bill then provides that in de-
termining the business and reasona-
bleness OF such wages or working
conditions the board. in addition to
\ other relevant principles, standards,
and facts. shall take into considera-
| ton and be guided by eleven fun
damental principles. These basic
principles. which comprise what may
be termed the coal code. are as fol-
lows:
Eleven Fundamentals
l.. Coal is a public necessity, n
in its production and distribution
the public interest is predominant.
2. Human standards should be
the c~onstraining influence in fixing
the wages and working conditions
of mine workers.
3. Capital prudently and honest
ly invested in the coal industry
should have IN adequate return.
4. The right of operators and
miners to organize is recognized and
affirmed. This right shall not be
denied, abridged, or interfered with
in any manner whatsoever, nor shall
coercive measures of any kind be
used by employers or employees, or
by their agents or representatives, to
compel or to induce employers or
employees to exercise or to refrain
from exercising this right.
5. The right of operators and OF
miners to bargain collectively
through representatives of their own
choosing is recognized and affirmed.
g.. The miners who are no men,
bers of a union have the right to
work without being harassed by fell
low workers who may belong to
unions. The men who belong to a
union have the right to work with
out being herassed by operators. The
organizations have a right to go into
/ HOi-u HCido NV Dl PCdCtdoAc
methods try to persuade men to join
the unions. but they have no right
to try to induce employees to violate
contracts which they have entered
into with their employers, and the
operators on the other hand have
the right by ~peaceable means to try
to persuade men to refrain from
joining the unions.
Z. The right of every unskilled OF
common laborer 10 earn a living
wage sufficient to maintain a nor
NAL family in health and reasonable
comfort. and to afford an opportun-
ity for savings against unemploy-
ment, old age. and other contingen.
cies is hereby declared and affirmed
Above this basic wage for unskillet
workers. differentials in rates of pay
for other mine workers shall BIZ
established for skill. experience, haz.
ards of employment and productive
efficiency.
8. The right of women to en-.
gage in industrial occupations 1,
recognized and affirmed: their ratei
of paw shall he the same as those
iof male workers for the same OF
equivalent service performed: the,
shall D. accorded all the rights and
. iguarantess Granted to male worker