Evening star., 1922-03-18
HAVE BUT 10 DAYS
TO AVERT STRIKE
Mine WaIkout Sure and May
Last at Least Three
Weeks.
BY the Associated Press.

ny 'He HssotldteO freSs.
NEW YORK, March 1S.-The arbi-
tration committee of eight of anthra-
cite coal miners and operators, charg-
ed with the task of negotiating wage
agreement in time to avert a suspen-
sion of the mines. April J, today re-
duced the margin of safety" to ten
days by deciding to delay its first
session until next Tuesday
President John l.. Lewis of the
United Mine Workers. a member of
the committee. announced that the de-
lay was due to desire of labor men to
consult their organizations and amass
data concerning the wage contro-
versy, before opening the conference
1t is generally agreed the new con-
tract cannot be drawn and acted upon
within the ten days.
Negotiations of previous agreements
have required from a month to seven
weeks, they point out. and It is prob
able that. the, suspension of mines,
of the present contract. April I, Will
continue for at least three weeks
Operators expressed a belief that the
new agreement would be drawn and
effective before the consuming public
began to feel a coal shortage. as the
supplies on hand would be sufficient
for a considerably longer period.
The whole mining industry, from
the digging of the coal in the COL
lieries to the shipment, distribution
and sale to the consumers, will be
taken into consideration in negotiat-
ing the new contract, it was said.
VIII Take Up Every Angle.
The miners expressed a determine
ton to get down to the bottom Of
costs and profits" The owners were
equally emphatic in asserting that
every angle OF the industry should be
gone into.
Despite the great divergence of
views with which we begin negotia-
tions. believe the committee intends
honestly to try to work out a solution
of the wage problem in the anthracite
mines." was the statement OF Mr..
Lewis.
Neither he nor Mr.. Warriner, speak,
ing for the operators, would predict
upon what basis wages of the miners
would be computed; whether the de-
mands of the universal adoption Of
sidered; or for how long it was de-
sired that the contemplated new con-
tract should extend.
'The labor situation Is constantly
changing" said Mr.. Warmer. 'The
cost of living Is going down, there
wages in the coal industry are i'm
possible at this time. The public
would have to pay the increase, and
it is not prepared to do So"
Loss ON 40 Per Cent.
Mr.. Warmer refused to estimate
what portion Of a possible cnt in
miners wages might be reflected in
reduced prices Of coal to the con-
sumer.
at costs $3.50 a ton to produce
, anthracite coal at the mine," he as
serted. Seventy per cent of this is
the labor cost. But, inasmuch as
40 per cent of the coal mined is of
buckwheat size, and only suitable for
steam purposes, we sell it at below
the cost of labor, thereby losing
money on 40 per cent Of our busi-
ness.
ut becomes necessary, therefore. to
| make up these losses in the nut and
stove sizes, which we sell to the
individual consumer. That partly &C.
counts for the SIS coal you buy in
Ine cities, anu Is purity Ino EedoOLi
why the total of possible reduction
in the miners wage scale cannot be
expected to appear in reduced prices
of retail COAL"
Refusal of bituminous coal opera
tors in the central competitive field to
confer with the United Mine Workers
on a new wage agreement. announced
at Washington by Secretary of Labor
Davis, will inevitably force suspen-
sion of the bituminous mining indus
try on April IT,, President Lewis de-
clared.
Mr.. Davis statement places the re-
sponsibility for any suspension or
strike which may occur sQuarely upon
the shoulders of the operators" said
Mr. Lewis.
1.-THE operators refusal to meet with
US constitutes a complete reputation
of the terms Of their contract with us.
TT certainly is not an honorable
course for them to pursue. II the
operators maintain this attitude, or
ganized labor in the bituminous in
dustry will be forced to suspend oper-
ations when their present contract
expires"
MAY STRIKE IN CUMBERLAND
Miners in GEORGES Creek and Upper