Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-12
LABOR BOARD FOR COAL INDUSTRY
BY Frederic J. IIaskin

Warrington, May 12e--The tribunal
created i'm the proposed Kenyon bill 70
regulate labor affairs In the coal in
dustrv il patterned closely after the
Railroad Labor Board, established by
| the law which returned the tranapor-
tation systems Of the country 70 pii-
yate operation. II ie designated as the
| National Coal Mining Board. ana ~
10 be composed Of nine members.
Three members, constituting the 10
Dor group and representing the coai
miners, are To be appointed by the
President Of the United States ana
shall be selected from men proposeo
by the United Mine Workers or Amer
lea. Not less than six nominations
shall be made by the union. Three
members Of the board shall constitute
the mana cement group, representing
the coal operators, and they snail be
choeen from not less than Six noml-
nees proposed 10 the President by the
National Coal Association and the An
thracite Coal Operators Association
Az the bltuminous branch Of the coal
industry In much larger than the an
thraclle Il is assumed that the btu
minous operators will name two II
the three employer members or the
board. but there is no proyieion to
that effect In the bill.
The third division Of three memHe RS
I OF the board will constitute the public
group. representing the public inter
est in the great fuel industry. and they
will be chosen by the President entire
, ~ on his own initiative. All appVnt-
!. ments to places on the board must
: lbe confirmed by the United States
Senate.
II either the employees or employers
!, fail 20 make nominations and offer
. nominees within 30 days after the
!, passage of the bin in case OF any orig
y. inal appointment 10 the Office oi
member Of the labor board. or in case
Of n vacancy in any such office, with
= in 10 days after such vacancy occurs
then the President shall make the ap
- pointments on his own motion. bu
'r ne shall select individuals associated
in interest with the groups they ar
Y appointed To represent.
IS Any member of the proposed boart
Z. who during hs term Of Office Is a.
Vi active member or in the employ 0
In or holds any office In any organization
r Of coal miners or operators. or owns an
stocks or bonds thereof or in otherwis
ID financially Interested therein, become
1e at once ineligible for further member
Y ship on the board. but none Of tn
B. members viii be required to relir
is quish honorary membership in or hi
no rights to any insurance or pension q
other benefit fund maintained by an
organization Of employees or by an
M operator.
to Ten Thousand Dollar Men.
l. The members Of the board Will dra
nd salaries of $4,000 a year, which
as the same az the pay of the nine men
~. bers Of the Railroad Labor Board. TT
w. term Of office will be nve years aft
ris the first appointments have be'
ss made.
-g Coat miners and operators are e
AZ pected TO do their utmost to sett
their quarrels without appealing
ai1 the proposed labor board. Section
y Of the Kenyon Bill declares that
-. shall be the duty OF both operate
-, and their employees to exert eve,
- reasonable effort and adopt eve
- available means 20 avoid any inte
49, ruption to the operation OF any co
p rnine which might result as the ct
mination of a labor dispute. All su
- disputes shall be considered and 81 DC
sible decided in conferences betwe
the representatives designated and a
'a' thorized so TO confer by the employt
IN and employees directly interested.
: II The proposed law thus contemplat
ian tho application of the principle
'no collective bargaining in the Greats
H." 80 ,,,,o.aot,I s,,a,,,,1,.-,, r,,.,oL, -
adjust minor differences and CT
troversies. but when this machin.
cannot accomplish the desired e
then appeal must be taken 10
labor board which represents not o
ing the miners and operators, but
rite public as well.
ieh' Three ways are proposed by wh
nm a dispute may be brought before
board. First tho board shall Z,
'ho' Jurisdiction in a case upon the appli
ton of any operator or orsanizat
~ Of employees whose members are
- rectly interested in the dispute; &
for 1--' .'.,1 80 ''''.' -
-" WRITTEN Peelli"H VI HOI ie79 IMAM
unorganized or non-union emplo
who are directly interested in the
= ~ pute in question; or. third. the DO
ar+ may act on It's own initiative II il
ssb, of the opinion that the dispute
,Ilor likely substantially to interrupt cC
Ter merce." The board may thus act
any dispute with respect to wa
hours OF labor and other working c
for ditions.
nix" The board, once 1t has taken Ju
go. diction in case, must render its
Vile cision within 90 days. unless
period is extended by agreement
the parties. and there can be no
sold cision by the board except by the c
aler currence of at least five Of the 7
lool, members, and at least one member
, to the public group must join in the
Ston cisiou.
No Penalty TO Enforce Decisions
,,o,, No penalties are provided for
ntee lations of the decisions OF the Ia
oce,, board. When the transportation
sir was under consideration in Cong
this question of creating a board W
out giving it power TO enforce its
par crees was debated at length. but
hing the end 1t was decided wisest to le
some such persons as would not abide
n to the decisions Of such a tribunal