Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-20
PAY
PLAN IN MINES
MEETS A SNAG
Anthracite Operators
and Union Men Hit
Proposal in Replies.
Questions of u. S. Coal
Commission Answered
by Two Organizations.

Washington, Nov. 19.-Anthracite
mine operators sent to the federal coal
commission Sunday responses to the
preliminary QUESTIONABLE which that
body sent out in beginning it's work on
ascertaining facts as TO the coal in
dustry, while at the same time q COM
mittee Of the United Mine Workers
representing employees in both bitum-
inous and anthracite regions, made
public the unions conclusions upon
some Of the same points
On one important point, arising
from the commissions request for
views as to the possibility of stand
ardlzlng mine wages and units Of OUT
put from workers, both communica-
tions agreed in repecting the proposals
as impracticable. They We're also in
substantial agreement in treating a
second proposal Of the commission re-
garding the possibility Of closing high
cost mines to maintain production
from more economic mines The anth-
racite employers declared the general
scarcity of anthracite required contin-
uatlon of operations in every mine
which could afford output, while the
miners said normal competition could
be trusted to regulate the whole sub
ject.
Anthracite Industry Alone
The operators letter contended EN-
phatically that the anthracite industry
should be considered as separate and
autonomous from the bituminous in
dustry to prevent it from becoming
as 1t has IN the past, the victim of la
Dor disputes with which it is In no way
concerned
Signed by S. 3. Warriner, president
Of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation com
pany, and five other employers, it re
served answers on a number of queries
by the commission to give
more study to them, but dealt specifi-
cally with labor situations as most i'm
mediately in Importance
Neither the wages of mine work
ers or of any other groups of work
ers can be considered independently
of other wages" the operators letter
said. AT the present time, mine
are receiving a scale Of wages
far above that paid in other indus
tries, with the result that the work
ers in these other industries are pay
ing tribute to the mine workers. Con
tinuation of such condition cannot
fail to have disastrous results upon
the anthracite industry, and therefore
upon those employed in il.
Would Probe Policies
We suggest that the commission
should ascertain the labor policy of
the operators and likewise ascertain
the labor policy of the United Mine
Workers with respect to the anthra-
cite industry, including their funda-
mental aims, the methods pursued by
them and the extent, if any, to which
the policy of either is detrimental to
the industry, and therefore TO the in
terest Of the public
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 was suggested.
should investigate all these items.
The miners letter, signed by Ellis
Searles, Thomas Kennedy and John
Moore. the unions official committee.
dealt at length with the suggestion
that coal mines might be closed by
governmental action if their operation
was decided Unnecessary and uneco-
1cmic Normal competition" they
said, would bring low-cost mines to
sull operation and close down expen-
sive ones
With the standardization of cost
IF living" and work output, sug-
sestions of the commission, the union
committee indicated disfavor.
How this commission can hope to
the cost Of living without
at the same time standardzing the
evel Of living Of mine workers is be-
Continued on Page seven)