Evening journal., 1922-08-25

basis or by districts or at most by
States. complete unionizatiop OF the
coal industry, and the system OF col
lectlng dues for the Union. known
as the check -off, an agreement
whereby Union dues and assess-
ments are collected from the miners
by the operators through the sim
pie process OF withholding such
dues from the pay envelope.
"All conferences held between the
officials OF the miners and the coal
/ operators having failed. President
Harding IN the early part of July,
summoned the representatives OF
both sides 10 conference az Wash
ington. and after they had failed TO
reach any agreement, the President
submitted a proposal which involved
return to work on the old scale
Of wages In effect prior 10 April ist,
the appointment OF a coal commits
sion TO determine a wage scale 10 be
effective until March 81, 1923, and
solution Of the other outstanding
issues by arbitration binding upon
both parties.
The anthracite operators and the
majority OF the bituminous oper-
ators accepted the Presidents pro-
pesai but the mine workers rejected
the plan for arbitration. The Pres
ident then invited the Governors of
coal producing states TO encourage
the opening OF the mines and TO af-
ford the necessary protection. With
the exception OF a few states. this
was done, but the result so far as in
creasing production was concerned,
was immsterial.
Rail Strike Started
Early In August President Lewis. !
OF the United Mine Workers. issued t
call for a joint conference OF bi- I
luminous operators with the policy I
committee OF the workers at Cleve- !
land. and an agreement was enter .
ed into with the operators repre-
senting an estimated annual pro-
duction OF approximately 6O.00O.O0O |
tons. providing for the old scale OF
wages and working conditions, a re-
tention OF the check-off and the ap-
pointment of a fact-flnding COM
mission. The result OF this agree
ment has yet TO be determined, as
the majority OF bltuminous oper-
ators throughout the~Various produc- ?
Ing states have not signed this agree
ment. Immediately following the
Cleveland convention a conference
with the anthracite operators was
arranged to be held in Philadel-
phia.
During all this suspension and
while the existing stocks OF coal
we're being depleted. a railroad
strike was called on July /. and is
still on, the direct results Of which,
80 far as the coa' industry is con-
,erned, was TO affect materially the
production OF coal in the non-union
districts, upon which the entire
country was depending for supplies
o supplement the fast declining
'oal stocks. The production OF nom
iniOn coal Immediately showed. the
'ffect OF the rail strike. the tonnage
lropping from a little over 5000, 900
ons during the last week OF June 10
approximately 3.692.OOO tons during
he week OF July %. since which
ime there has been a gradual in
rease until the week Of August 19
he hgures reported are 4.576,000
ons In the corresponding week OF
921 the output OF bituminous was
10000 tons and OF anthracite
10000 tons, a total OF all coal
aised OF 9.54O.OOO tons. the year of
s2O the total was 12.2SO,OOO tons.
considering anthracite and btu
ninous coal as a common source OF
upply the present weekly output IS
I've or six. million tons below nor
nal
Serious.
THE maximum production OF bi-
coal was in the year 1918.
he tonnage being just under $50
10000 tons-the average monthly
reduction for the six months Octo-
er to March being 45.OS3.OOO.
The production OF. anthracite coal
DR. the year 1921 was sO.77s.S67
'ns. s,7l4,O9S tons OF which were
sed for power, 2,51l, zoe tons sold