Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-22
OPERATORS INSIST
MINERS WAGES Be
CUT, NOT INCREASED
Union Leader Urges Congress
Compel Resumption Of Work
Under 1920 Scale.
PERMANENT COMMISSION
Hy Associated Pres, 10 Every Evening

hs Hssoclhteh tres7 10 EVERY Evening
Now York. Apr. 22.--s. u. warri-
ner. spokesman for the anthracite
operators. laid the foundation for de-
msnds for a lower wage scale .yester-
day, when no told the sub scale com
mittee OF the United Mine Workers
that there is neither warrant for. nor
possibility OF. serious consideration of
their nineteen demands. while on the
contrary there Is warrant and eco-
nomic necessity that wages be reduced
IL the men. are to have ateady work &"
This statement. equivalent 10 n fiat
refusal or the demands for 20 per
cont Increase for contract miners and
VI day for day men. was not ac-
companied by a definite counter pro-
posal. Mr.. Warriner contenting hin,-
self with submitting exhibits covering
bank deposits in tho hard coal country
for n number Of years. TO show that
instead or suffering from an insnf-
hcient wage. the miners have been en-
joying wages that have enabled them
to live better than they ever had
before. buy houses and accumulate
funds In the bank
We are" he said. glad that they
can do that. but we have TO make a
scale that will permit that condition
to continue"
Philip Murray. Vice-President OF the
United Mine Workers OF America. at
dinner OF the Survey Associates in
the Hotel Astor last night. proposed
an Immediate settlement or the coaI
strike by Congressional action 10 be
followed by the appointment n a per
manent national commission 10 gather
facts and work out a permanent poll
cy for the coal industry. under which
the interests OF labor, capital and the
public would be safeRua rded.
Mr.: Murray's plan was the most
concrete and specific OF the several
put forward at the dinner. which was
held for the purpose OF hearing all
sides Of the controversy. The other
speakers were Harry A. Garfield,
president OF Williams College and for
mer United States fuel administrator:
Thomas H. Watkins, chairman OF the
board OF directors Of the Central Penn
sylvania Coal Producers Association
and Robert w. Bruere, director OF
the Bureau OF Industrial Research.
Explaining his proposal, Mr.. Muir
ray said:
Congress should pass a law ex-
tending the award Of the Presidents
Bituminous Coal Commission Of 1890
to all operators. union and non-union.
this award TO be universally observed
until national conference could be
held and a new agreement as to wages
and working conditions adopted.
The law should further provide that
after the award Of the President s.. Bi-
luminous Commission had been put
Into effect IN all districts, the BIZ
luminous workers should return 10
work. pending the negotiation of a
now agreement.
After they had returned to work.
the President should summon a ma
tional conference composed OF the
representatives of mine workers and
Of the operators from all district. TO
negotiate new agreement.
The application Of the award Of
1920 TO both union and non-union
fields would remove from the union
operators the menace Of the vicious
competition Of non-union operators
and bring uniformity in wages and
working conditions"