The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-27

ton and the outlook. The nth
NiH appear to-morroW.
Special Dispatch to The New YORK HERALD
WINDBEEa, Pa, April 26.-Why should
several thousand soft coal riners who
from the beginning have resisted every
attempt to unionize them and who on
the whole have had steadier work and
earned more money than union men
OF adjacent fields turn over night, join
the United Mine Workers and go on
strike with them?
Here is a question puzzling to out
slders. A correspondent of The New
YORK HERALD tried to find the answer
in Windber, center of operations OF
the Berwind- White Coal Mining Com
pany. which sells a fine quality of
steam coal to steamship companies
and also the PETERBOROUGH Rapid
Transit Company in New York. He
lad no luck so far as the company is
concerned, as the local manager de-
clined to give any information. Union
officers and organizers were not SO
reticent, and the correspondent had to
fall back on them and on miners
themselves and what was to be
learned from townspeople.
Windber clears the coal from group
OF mines, few of which are owned by
the Lochrie interests, and the miners
swear tina. not a ton of coal is now
being sent out from any of these.
Windber is town of about 5000
population. 1t is as unlike the ordinary
mining town as West END avenue in
New York is unlike the lower East Side.
1t has well paved, we'll lighted streets,
good schools, including = high school,
end many comfortable bones. 1t Is not
glued to the side of a s cro hill, as are
many mining communities, but is set
down In a rolling country where there
is plenty OF elbow room. 1t is such a
town as farmers like to retire to at the
end of their working days. Originally
it was not n mining town at all, but a
lumber center. Development OF the coal
mines dates back thirty years and in-
tensive development only twenty.
Fortress Of Unionism.
BerwInd-White did it, and until now
due to wage dispute. In fact, it has
bad only one strike of any kind: that
was in 1906. when the union tried to
capture the field and failed absolutely.
Since then, while the United Mine Work.
ers have had strike after strike in other
Pennsylvania districts. that fortress of
hon-unionism. Somerset county. In which
is Wndber. has been impregnable
Tho Somerset miners, particularly the
Windber miners, were regarded as
prosperous and contented and were
everywhere pointed to as an example of
workers achieving happiness because
the blight" of unionism had never
descended upon them. And, thanks to
an efficient system of resistance and
protection maintained by the operators
the cpvetous union organizers were un-
able to get into Somerset county with
their gospel OF organization.
The Berwind-Wh COMPANY. domi-
mating Windber and all therein (tbe
reader will observe that the name Of
me town is "Berwind" reversed). exer-
cised paternal rule, but on the whole
- conceded TO have. ruled with intelliS
rence and tact II not with complete
enlightenment. This company and the
other non-union operators were In a
peculiarly fortunate situation as re-
CARDS competition, for, unhampered by
castiron union scale and union stipu-
lations. they We're able to graduate the
pay of their men according to the de-
mand for and the profit on coal, and to
undersell their unionized rivals. This
enabled them to get good contracts and
find steady markets for their product
which, In turn, meant steadier work for
the miners and larger annual earnings.
Joined In the waIkout.
In times when coal was in great de-
mand the non-union operators have paid
the union scale. or even higher, to at
tract the necessary number OF workers.
who might otherwise jump to the union
fields. In times OF slackness they could
drop below the union scale and hold
their men. because the non-union miners
even at the lower rate. were still earn
Ing at least as much a. their brethren
OF the union collieries.
Under these conditions II Is doubtful
II Berwind-White and other non-union
operators OF Somerset county had any
idea that their men would join the
union and the strike this April, but
they did.
Why?
Ask the union leaders and they tell
you IL largely was because the nom
union men lived and worked In a state
OF fear" that long resented inability to
get together and talk over their labor
problems became too much for further
endurance, that the non-union mines
and mining towns were full Of spies and
spoilers, and that the beneficent re-
suits or national organization at last
became apparent to the men OF Somer-
set This. the customary union explana-
tion OF accesslons to tho ranks, Is
partly true. but II tells only a little OF
the story The principal causes have
to do with sudden and drastic wage
cut. long standing belief Of the miners
that they were not being paid for all
the coal they mined.
~ cutting wages the operators in
tended to lower them from the wartime
peak and align them with wages paid
In other industries at the present time.
These reductions as announced by the
Berwind-White Company on April 4. &C
cording 10 the miners 1.-THE company. IL
will be remembered. refused to make
any statement. lowered motor men from
$500 to $40 q day, spragers (nnotor
brakemen) from $3.50 to 50. miners
from sf.2s 10 SLOT a ton. and so on
for the other classes proportionately-