The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-27
Producers Of District to
Meet Here Friday to
Make Plans

[.I..M .aHH.HN
Histoty Of the 1920, or Baltimore
egreement which expires on April
J.. and points Of dates back to April
! 1890 nndis affective until March
7fs The memorandum Of agree
nent was madeland entered into at
Baltimore on April 20, 1920.
N many respects the last agree
ment has been under fire for the
greater portion OF a year. During
the first year, working conditions
wefe fair and. with the peak OF
prices generally speaking, things
won't sItpothly, Move by move on
The chess board Of public opinion.
both sides sought to check.mate
tho other by publicity and con.
tnclne argument. However It was
dirtng the final year Of the two
year agreement that the high rate
OF mining became burdensome to
tae coal operators many Of whom
suspended operations In December
1890 and have not resumed opera
Tons since Others cast aside the
agreement and worked non.union
ar leased their plants to compan-
les who obtained a lease Of sevor-
~ Years and proceeded to work
HON npnsunion.
Hemmed In on all sides, tho op.
ators of Northern West Virginia
sought relief from the keen compe.
stion Of the Westmoreland, Fay
ette and Somerset non-union fields
~ Pennsylyania, but their cause
went by the board as far as the
nttners were concerned. n was
on July 10 1921, that the North.
! I'm West Virginia Coal Operators
Association called a meeting for
Beer Park, Md, where the wage
situation was discussed from all
angles William B. Reed, secre-
taty and John Callahan, traffic
manager National Coal AsBocIa-
ton acquainted the membership OF
pending legislation at Washington,
y. q Another conference was
called at Deer Park again on July
q. whenlseyenty five coal compan-
les were represented. This was
f9llowedb by q third meeting of the
operators and President Keeney
ana Officials OF District II. United
me Workers Of America.
KeeneS took the stand at that
time that there would be no wage
reduction during the life OF the
existing contract and SO informed
the operators. AT this meeting, a
committee was appointed to make
survey Of the working and wage
conditions in the HEX and thin
atls In Ohio, Western Pennsyl-
genta and tho n%on.unlon fields OF
Nestmoretand, Fayette and Somer-
ret fields. which cornered the bulk
whatglimited bushes was afloat.
Again on August "a, the North
West Virginia Coal Operators
association called a meeting at
peefGPark for the fourth. time, at
8hieh time 1t went on record thar
the policy Of the association
times to adhere to the letter
the contract between tho North.
m West Virginia Coal Operators
Asslclation and tho United Mine
Workers OF America. 1t disapnroY-
ed OF any violation OF this agree
3nent. Nothing was heard Of the
problem then until President:
John Il. Lewis delivered an al.
in Charleston. this state, and
clafed there would be no reduc.
ion in wages during the time Of
existing contract.
Nothing significant in regard TO
new wage scale was apparent
until January q. when President
Heeney and William Blizzard, st.
AfbanE W. Va. president Os sub
stftctg2. district II. United Mine
Workers Of America, came 10 the
y shortly aftar being released
fromthe Logan County jail, where
es were held for participation IN
miners march. Several visits
mado later BY President
euey, who has been doing his
Vel best to pave the way for a
heYal OF a contract In Northern
takeNlEElulh
The question OF wages did not
then again appear until February
When the international policy
pmmittee of the United MTe
Workers OF America, met in Indi-
apapolls Just before the biennial
Convention Of that organization.
Mooney, secretary Of district
made one Of the great speeches
tho miners convention on Feb
90, when he warned the Tad.
clement Of the DANCE: upon IN
sittng upon unpopular demands
result Of the futllIty nf
nmerops exchanges OF correspond
eRes between operators Of yar!ou.
3tates Of the central competitive
delds and officials OF tho United
AIine Workers of America, SecIe.
taIy Of Labor DAVIS suggested frat
hoth sides meet, but the operators
generally refused on the basis that
the officials of the United Min0
Workers wanted the conference on
fhe Interstate or central compst!.
we field plan. With the arrival Of
Msrch Al the strike ballots came
ID tie coal fields. and the following
week the miners in Northern Wea.
VIRGINIA like other fields voted 10
stfike April91 II. the miners DE-.
ipsnds we're not granted. March IL
bfptghk President Keeney and
other officials to conference at
Baltimore, While nothing was
worked out, Keeney gladly met the
opefatorsfo for fear that his attitude
might be misunderstood. However,
he candidly told the operators he
Ma NOT In position to talk scale
sntioritatively at that time, but
ESnnestedla further conference last
saturday IN Baltimore, He set the