The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-04
MINERS
SEEK REGULAR
EMPLOYMENT
Lewis, Union Head, Describes
Issues Involved in Strike
as Move to Force Steady
Jobs for Men.
DEBATES With BLACK
tBy Associated Press)


Gay week, issues involved in the ma
tional coal strike, were described by
John L. Lewis, president of the United
Mine Workers, in continuing his test-
mony today before house committee,
as largely move to force regularity
of employment
Men employed by the day." he
said would receive the same wages
they are now getting and put in less
time, but the miner who digs coal
would be paid as they are now for thu
number of tons they produce"
Representative Black, Democrat,
Texas, calculated that 'if the five-day
slx-hour demand was granted the pub
llc would pay $244,000,000 additional
1or the same amount of coal they are
now getting each year."
Who will that come out Off" Mr..
Black demanded.
Nobody" Mr.. Lewis reported, "be-
cause your figures are absurd. | can't
follow your mental gyrations on this
subject in the field of mathematics"
Efficiency Increased.
congressman, when the 12-hour day
was changed to the 10-hour day." Mr..
Lewis said, .'the efficiency was in
| creased and the production percent
per man day increased. The same
effect continued when the 10-hour day
was cut to eight hours. The effic-
iency increased more than sufficient
to make up the loss. The fact has
| been authorized, authoritatively deter
mined, and universally recognized"
! Mr.. Black declared that "While Il Q
wages of anthracite miners can M.
chase Is per cent more than they
| could in 1920, the purchasing power
F.; of the farmer in my territory has
been cut so per cent since 1920" and
! asked Mr.. Lewis: do you think tha.
industrial and transportation workers
can long withstand the pressure t,
/ have them take some of the loss, too?'
Replies to Black.
1t is we'll to remember that during
the war the farmers got the advantage
of great initiation in their prices and
profits" Mr.. Lewis replied; while we
| contend that mine workers were never
F, able to get the full increase in livine
/ COSTS represented in their wage ad-
| vances"
Representative Collins, Democrat
! Mississippi asked Mr.. Lewis what
sort of action the federal government
might take in the bituminous industry
There should be board first to
make study, and second. to exercise
authority" Mr.. Lewis explained
| Without using arbitrary powers il
might forbid certain practices and re
tard development of new mines until
consumption caught up with present
| demands"
Meyer London, Socialist, New York
asked Mr.. Lewis if miners did not hope
! first of all to settle differences and
Icto ho ind -ct, Nv int
of employer and employees, and the
miners leader agreed.
Strike Effective
The strike in all union districts.
both anthracite and bituminous, is 100
per cent effective, Mr.. Lewis said, af-
ter going over reports to him from
union leaders.
Every man ordered out has gone
out and is staying out" Mr. Lewis de-
| clared. From the non-union districts
| where we have hopes of sympathetic
| action by unorganized men, my re-
ports are scattered and insufficient to
| allow me to make a statement"
NEW YORK, April 4.-Strike lead
ers announced here today that the an
thracite miners general policies com
mittee would meet in New York to-
morrow to act on the reported offer OF
several independent producers to grant
the strikers 10 wage demands immed-
lately if they would return to their
jobs.
Acceptance of these offers, hailed
by the union men as "the first break
in the ranks of the operators" may re-
suit in the negotiation of separate con-
tracts and the reopening of the mines
affected, according to district presi-
dents of the United Mine Workers in
ternational.
Some of the 40 delegates Of the
three district unions composing the
policies committee arrived here to-
day. C. ]. Golden, president of dis
triet No. 8 at Shanokin said that at
least one anthracite mine in the Unit
ed States is operating regardless of
the strike.
Search For Victim.
1t is the mine of the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal company at Locust
Cap, Pa, where for three months 80
men have been digging frantically in
search of miner, Stanley Zuliski,
who disappeared under an avalanche
OF hard coal early last January.
Union leaders here today elaborated
on the United Mine Workers program
| Ior nalonailZatlon OF the coal industry
as it was broached before the house
, labor committee yesterday by John L.
Lewis, president of the international
, union. The first step according to Mr..
Golden who is a member of the
unions committee which is drafting
the naturalization legislative pro-
gram, will be the introduction in con
gress of a bill providing for appoint
ment of government "fact-finding''
committee. This body, he said, would
be charged with making a thorough
investigation of mine development,
alleged waste, profits, working condi-
tions, wages and markets.
Will Ask Control
I'VE are confident" said Mr.. Golden,
|. that the revelations of such commit
! tee would cause the public to de-
, mand that control Of the industry be
!. taken from private interests and
!, placed under government supervision.
: : Zone of the planks in the platform
! I of the unions when the time arrives
Continued on Page Twenty