New Britain herald., 1922-03-01
COAL PRICES MUST
 to UP 0R DOWN NOW
Depends on Whether Miners Win Strike Next Month.

H s
 Although everyone in touch with the coal situation expects the miners of the hard coal section of Pennsyl~ vana to go on strike the first of next month, there Is no reason for anyone in New Britain having cause to worry, according to n statement made by one of the citys leading coal companies this morning.
 Expect c or & Weeks Strike.
 r. H. Johnson, of the City Coal and Wood company, who has been invcsti- Eating the situation, says those who are conversant with circumstances are planning for six to eight weeks strike. This means that, if the min CTS go out April 1, and return June 1, as they are expected to do, 1t will be another month before shipments of coal begin to reach New England. Local dealers have enough on hand to cover that period.
 Local dealers, while not preaching any such thing as wild scramble to stock Up in the event Of strike, do not advise the people to suffer with the cold now so as to make their coal hold out In case of a strike. If they do strike" said one coal dealer ''it will be during the warm weather when people do not burn much coal any way The bituminous mines will operate and the factories will be en- abled to run as will railway trains and power houses. One man who made it his business to look up the matter of wages, says the non-union men in the hituminous fields are working for half the wages demanded by the anthracite members of the United Mine Workers of America.
 Same Old Story.
 The general feeling is that history will repeat itself in Pennsylvania in the event of a strike and that the unreasonable demands of the miners will be refused, coal dealers say. Al has been the case in times past the striking miners probably will suffer ir silence for a week or so and then the lawless element which is very strong there, will break loose, damage will be {, done, state constabulary will be called |, out and order and peace preserved by the mounted troopers for which that l. state is famous. By this time. if the signs point correctly, the independen thinkers will begin to struggle bach to work and within a few weeks tho coal strike will have duplicated the famous steel strike. This however, i but the opinion of individuals.
 Rule By Fear
 While it is true that people resid ing in the hard coal belt of the Key stone state are unanimous in sympa thizng with the mine workers, n, matter what the atters' grievance are for the reason that mining bein. the sole industry of any consequence it means business suicide, social os tracism and grave danger of persona injury for 9 man to take issue witt the miners.
 Some Of The Demands
 .. Despite the fact that New Englan' people are required to pay a prohibi tive price for coal now, among th demands formulated by the tri-dis trict convention of anthracite min workers, held at Shamokin, Pennsyl vana, January 20, was the deman, for dollar a day increase in wages and a 20 per cent. increase on con tract mining. which would mean al increase in the cost to the consume
 Time and half for all overtim and double time for Sundays and hoi days;
 The check off system whereby tn employer would be required to de duct the miners union dues from hi wages;
 A uniform rate of 17 cents pc cubic inch be paid for refuse up to feet and a proportionate rate be pail for over 1 0 feet;
 That miners working on a ton rat be paid for legal ton Of 200 pounds instead of the long ton o c,240 as heretofore. (The same weigh 2,240, is sold to the miners at a spe cial rebate price, for their own use)
 Not less than 90 cents per hour fo carpenters and other tradcsmer (Mine carpentry is rough work an mine carpenters are not necessari capable of building houses);
 That at Collierics Cor mine opera tions) where employees have bee, working on a six and seven hour da that these men be given the oppor tunity of working eight hours, or a least their wages be adjusted to ih equivalent of eight hours.