Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-13

off system should be p~erpetuated
while the operators were equally
set upon its abolition. The check
off. be it remembered, is the ar
rangement whereby the union dues
and fees are withheld from The min
ers pay by the operators and turned
over to the treasurer of the union.
In the anthracite branch of the
coal industry the miners demanded
a wage increase and asked for the
establishment of the check-off sys-
tenn, which has never prevailed in
those fields. The operators, on the
other hand, commended that there
should be a wage reduction. There
were other issues, but none of suffi-
cient Importance. to have caused a
strike or lockout.
Now as to what TRANSFERRED during
the strike it may be said that in
the bituminous mines production
ceased wherever the miners belong
ed to the union and in some indie
pendent fields the workers went out
as evidence of their complete SYM
pathy with the strikers. The union
miners held their forces intact
throughout the period of the
strike, and the only soft coal that
was produced came from the non
union mines. This amounted to
$500 900 to 1000, 900 o n weekly
as against a normal production or
( demand of 10000 0 to 10000, 900
tons per week.
In the anthracite fields produc-
ton came to an absolute stop. MOI
all the miners there belong to the
union, but the operators are close
" organized, they have always con-
Quoted their business on the basis
of the agreement with the unior
and none of them would undertake
to mine coal with Independent min
ers or strike breakers. There wa:
no attempt to break the strike AM
there was no independent or non
union production to meet or partl
aIlv TO meet the demand from con-
sumers.
Only One Serious Outbreak
For the most part there was lii
one black blot was the Herr
lawlessness during the strike.
massacre which is not to be dis
cussed now that the affair is befor'
the grand jury. There were SOM
| unSeelllN uGIflOIlSL dllpD III SiiiSy .
vania. but nothing happened tina
was serious unless it be held VIII
the strikers that their rights OF fire.
speech and free assembiage wer'
invaded and that that is a seriou
matter. In any event, it is not TO o.
forgotten that almost every Goa
mine would be ruined within a com
paratively short period OF time un
less the pumps were kept workln
and certain other things done regu
larly and that the striking miner
did in every instance leave enough
men on the job to preserve the Goa
properties. OF course in h lcni
run it was to their interest to d
this. but it was equally to the inter
est of the operators, so the miner
should be given due credit.
When the strike in the bttumin
Gus field was called off, or rathe
when the bituminous miners bega
to return to work. it was as the re
suit of an agreement with certai
of the operators that the old wag
scale and working agreemen
should be continued until March 8
next and that the check-off syster
also should continue where 1t ha
prevailed.
In the anthracite fields the oil
agreement Is resumed and Will 0
continued until August 81 next.
In neither field is there a wag
reduction or a wage increase. Tn
bituminous miners did not ask nc
more pay and 1t is well known tina
they would have been glad TO nav
accepted a reduction of only 10 o
Is per cent last March had the ma
ter been settled then. and II the
had not been asked TO yield o
other points which they regarde
as vital to their organization an
to their individual interests. the
may he said to have won a victory
therefore in so far as wages ar
concerned. although of course the
lost a tremendous amount OF none
during the months they We're idle,
The anthracite miners asked re
a wage increase and they do M
get it, so It may be claimed VII
some justice that they lost the
strike in so far as the wage issu
was concerned. However. there
every reason to believe that the
would have been glad to rem
their wage agreement last March
the operators could have prousi