The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-04-04
|Fu|s AGAIN DECLARES AGAINST
SEPARATE WAGE MINING SCALES
Willing, However, to Meet
Substantial Number Of OPP
orators From Central Com
petitivc Field-Attacks
West Virginia Operators As
"Ishrnaclites."

Washington, April ".--DiscussinS De
fore the house labor committee today
reasons Why 100000 anthracit" ana
b!tuminOus coal miners stoDped WorE
last Saturday In tho United States anu
Canada. John l.. Lewis, president OF
The United Mine Workers or America
and Official leader Of the strike &c
clurcd that the anthracite workers had
gone out merely TO await the results
of 4 peaceful negotiation over a ne"
WAGE scale. but that the bitumlnonS
workers we're out indefinitely, II need
be, to obtain the signing OF q Oa5ic
wage contract.
The bituminouS workers. Mr.. Lewis
declared before the committee when
is considering the Bland resolution 10
direct appointment by the president ot
n Commiss ion to investigate the coal
industry, are out Ito stay indefinitely.
If need be, until the operators OF the
central competitive field Of Ohio, lndi-
ana, Illinois and Western Pcnnsyl-
vania sign up basic wage contract,
according to their pledge, on which
the other coal mining districts or the
United States can settle
Against Separate Contracts.
In rculv to questions by Representa-.
tive Black. Democrat, Texas, as 10 why
the union would not settle with oper-
ators in states and districts where
work could be resumed under satisfac-
tory conditions, Mr.. Lewis insisted
that competition would not permit the
operators to fix wages locally without
r. knowledge Of the wage scales their
competitors would have.
Even if the operators Of Illinois, for
Instance" he added, are willing to
sign I'd 4 new scale for themselves,
without regard 10 their competitors.
the United Mine Workers are unwill-
Ing 10 have its members in Ohio,
Western Pennsylvania, Indiana and
Vest Virginia dragged into the suffer,
ing Of long strike. while the Illinois
mine owners take the markets.
Offer From Lewis.
Although holding that a rational
wage scale was the first essential, Mr..
Lewis told Chairman Nolan Of the
house committee, il congress or any
body else could get - representative
number Of operators from all the cen
trail fields into a confererc2, those con-
trolling a substantial tonnage, | mean,
{ shall advise the United Mine Work.
crs-and | think they will take my aG-
o., ia uTith fnnlD for 4
new contract
Short Of this step, he added. miners
and operators comforting by districts
would Just be talking, doing no good.
In speaking OF the general condition
. Of the industry, Mr.. Lewis referred for
the most part TO hituminous matters,
/ In view Of tho wider scope and i'm
portance Of that industry as compared
with the anthracite. Although the
| United Mine Workers stood for ma
iionalization Of coal mines, with ade-
! quate assurance TO property owners
involved" he classcd government
ownership as impossible at this time"
Government Ownership.
Miners know that they cannot hope
to get more than 215 days work year
as things stand" he declared. and
that part time operation tends TO in
crease its scope year after year. l.oath
as some people may be To the difficult
ties and hazards, if private industry
cannot work out this problem, regu-
Iarize employment and stabilize out
puts, it may be necessary for the GOV
! ernment to assume the burden. be
Iieve congress- could we'll set UP 4 tri-
q bunal or a bureau TO investigate. at
least. and give the facts which might
determine policy.