Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-11-23
COAL COMMISSION
PROPOSAL RAPED
Plan For Standardlzlng Wages
/ and Output Rejected.
AGREE ON ANOTHER POINT
Operators and Miners Protest sugses-
tion to Close Down High Cost Mines
in Interest of Economy.

ton to Close Down High Cost Mines
IN Interest of Economy.
Washington. Anthracite coal op-
orators sent to the federal coal
commission responses to the prelimin-
AIRY QUESTIONABLE which that body
sent out in beginning Its work for
Ascertaining facts as to the coal in
!. dustry, while at the same time COM
mittee of the United Mine Workers.
representing employees in both blum
tnous and anthracite regions, made
public the unions conclusions upon
some Of the same points.
On one important point, arising from
the commissions requests for views as
TO the possibility of standardizing mine
wages and units Of output from work
ers, both communications agreed in
rejecting the proposals as impractic-
able. They were also in substantial
agreement in treating second pro-
p0sal Of the commission, regarding the
possibility of closing down high cost
mines, In order to maintain produc-
ton from more economic mines. The
anthracite employers declared the gen.
eral scarcity Of anthracite required
continuation of operations in every
mine which could afford output, while
the miners said normal competition
could be trusted to regulate the whole
subject, and to close down the more
expensive operations.
The operators letter contended en-
phatically that the anthracite industry
y should be considered as separate and
autonomous from the bituminous in
siustry to prevent it from becoming,
''as it has in the past, the victim of
tabor disputes with which it Is in no
way concerned" Signed by S. d. War
Tiner, president of the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation company, and five 9TH
ar employers, it reserved answer on
q number of queries propOunded by
the commission to give more study to
them, but dealt specifically with labor
situations as of most immediate i'm
portance.
1--WE are unconvinced of the wisdom
or practacability of attempting to
standardize the cost of living for in
dividual workers." the letter said, with
respect to the commissions sugges-
tions of labor, "or of Standardization
that would necessarily ignore individu-
al abilities and requirements. Human
beings can not be standardized.
"The labor problem of the anthra-
cite industry is one of the most impor
tant to be considered and especially
so by reason of the serious loss and
Inconvenience to the public which
have been caused y the cessation of
mining during five months of the pres
ent year"
In the matter of coal prices, the
operators said that ''one of the many
sources of misunderstanding is the
great difference between the mine
price and the consumers price, the
latter including expenses of transpor-
tation and charges of middlemen and
retailers, over which the operators
have no control.
The commission, it suggested, should
investigate all these items. Anthra-
cite mining, it was said briefly, is not
subject to irregularity, while the meth
DDS followed in it result in only negli-
> gible waste of coal.
The miners letter, signed by Ellis
Eearis, Thomas Kennedy, and John
! More, the unions official committee,
Z dealt sharply with the suggestion that
coal mines might be closed by govern
mental action if their operation was
decided unnecessary and uneconomic.
4Normal competition" they said,
would bring low cost mines to full OPP
Grafton, and close down expensive
ones.
ut would be manifestly unconstitu-
tional for this government to elemin-
ate any number of coal mines from
operation by any sort of selective pro-
cess" the committee added, there
fore, we have no suggestions to offer
in regard to the possibility of closing
down any number of mines, unless this
end can be brought about through en-
enlargement of open competition. In
order that such competition might be
encouraged, we suggest that every eff
fort should be made to improve Trans
portation facilities.
ssWe do believe, however, and we
recommend TO tn!S COMMISSION. that
some means be fonnd~to prevent the
opening up Of any new mines i'll the
United S ates at least for cons;d-
cradle period Of tinc. There are too
many mines in this country now"
With the STANDARD ~ation of cost OF
living and work ersalt' suggestion
es the commission, the union commit
tee indicated disfavor