Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-29
SWeeping Shutdown
of Industries Near
Continued from Pasc Ono

tohuhuco from F0Gc Ono
to bituminous production, is that the
great coal mining corporations maintain
what are known as sales agencies.
These corporations, or combinations,
are made up Of officers of the producing
companies to whom they sell their own
COAL
These sales corporate purchase the
coal under contract from the operating
company, paying 1t figure far above
actual cost and profit of mining. These
corporations resell the coal to whole
salers and other dealers, and thus two
profits are realized by the producing
corporation.
Miners representatives assert that
this Is only another method Of beating
the devil around the bush of keeping
up the price Of coal.
When demand is made for an in
crease In wages, or any change In the
schedule, the companies raise the is
sue that the cost Of mining and dis
tribution is so excessive that 1t is i'm
possible to grant the demand.
Exorbitant freight rates, from the
anthracite fields particularly, is another
reason for the high cost of this fuel to
consumers everywhere.
Claims Of Operators
Coal operators meet the argument
for a national agreement by pointing
out:
1T Is impossible, owing to location
OF mines ranging from Pennsylvania
to Georgia and rs far west as Utah,
to consider any national basis for an
agreement OH wages.
Anthracite operators insist that it
Is absurd to demand that their In.
dustry,. which produces different
Kind OF product, shall be placed ON
level with bituminous coal, which
Is mined under varying conditions
and goes largely to different class
OF consumers.
Operators in the btuminous fields
insist upon district conferences on
the ground that transportation, and
me widely varying conditions of
mining, to say nothing of cOmpeti-
lion between the districts, renders
my agreement on national basis
fallacious.
They demand that local conditions
IN each district must govern the scale
OF wages paid to miners in that district.
/. mat Utah and Georgia cannot, from
the very nature of the industry, be
PERMITTED to meet in conference with
pennsylvania and Illinois and fix
nasis upon which wages shall be de-
tSsrl1ihed IN the northern competitive
Each side has stubbornly maintained
Its position. Neither one has Welded
an iota. 1t is with these widely di-
vergent interests that President Hard
ing and Secretaries Davis and Hoover
nave been wrestling, as, 4. Satur-
uay conference will discu- g.
A. nnd there Is anything but an on
tlmlstic feeling here In Washington
over the prospects of the Administra-
uon success in bringing about set
uement under the conditions I have
outlined. Saturdays outcome Is n prob
Drastic Action Required
+, Diastic action must be taken b. the
conference.
"A gentleman who is familiar with
ootii sides advanced the idea that even
IL drastic steps are taken by the Ad-
m,histration very little will be accom-
pushed. Should the miners concede
certain points insisted upon by the
tEperators 1t is doubtful If their men.
a. their present frame of mind, would
'haorse their leaders actions.
On the other hand If the operators
aunt any of the vital claims of the
miners majority of them would
9eIrcely acquiesce In the decision.
A. PRESIDENT Lewis action In wiring
me me-, Anthracite Scale Committee in
MMl,kes-B Barre to withhold action on
Geclarlng strike Is capable of varied
interpretations.
~ does not by any means indicate an
immediate settlement of the strike, as
1Uhs nh OF the more optimistic of the
public imaginc.
IT was, in the first place, Il strategic
move. 1t can be interpreted on the
rhft OF Mr.. Lewis as an indication to
hs operators of a willingness to. with
SeoIa extreme action In the interest of
I1e calling Of an absolute strike IL
sesesa ~ ~ withdsaxsl es pump.