The New York herald., 1922-05-27
OPERATORS INSIST
ON MINE PAY CUT
Conference Adjourns for Week
After Failure to Agree
Upon Scale.
SAYS ISSIIE Is DQnGED
SAYS ISSUE is DODGED
Employers Spokesman De-
clares Workers Try to De-
lude Public.

Failure of the anthracite conference to
agree on a new wage scale seemed i'm
minent yesterday when an adjournment
for week was taken. following the
positive declaration of the mine workers
thai they would refuse to consider any
revision downward.
The operators were equally positive In
their determination not to grant an
increase in wages and not to maintain
the present scale. The opinion was ex-
pressed that only Government interven-
ton could end the strike.
Samuel d. Warmer, spokesman for
the operators. expressed their attitude
In this statement after the meeting:
The mine workers reply is disap-
pointing in that 1t so completely ignores
facts and so persistently clings to mis-
conceptions Of real conditions. The rep
|resentatives Of the miners apparently
think this is an occasion for an ex-
change of claims and counter claims.
In our opinion II is nothing of the kind.
THE proposition we made Is most
/ fair in that it maintains the purchasing
power of wages as established by the
Presidents Commission of two years
ego. 1t more than meets the increase
| in the cost of living since 1914. We.
therefore, had reason to assume II
would receive careful consideration and
afford a basis on which it would be
possible to reach an agreement by col
lective bargaining. Instead. the answer
IS flat refusal even to discuss our pro-
position and q renewed insistence on the
miners original demands.
Wage Cut Imperative.
I'VE have stated from the outset-and
We repeat-the granting of these de-
mands is an impossibility and wage
reduction Imperative. Our attitude in
this respect is unchanged.
Neither side of the controversy will
get anywhere by self delusion as to
facts. That, it seems to US. IS what
the miners representatives are doing.
They have attempted to throw a smoke
screen of alleged excessive freight rates,
excessive profits, &c, in the hope the
public mind might be diverted from the
real issue. which is excessive wages.
''As indicating the nature of the
miners reply. their representatives sug-
gest that freight rates to tidevater
might be reduced by $2.63 ton. The
total freight rate at present is S266. so
that the miners proposal would cut
the freight rate from $2.66 a ton to three
cents ton. The mere statement OF
this proposition disposes of it,
railroad companies and coal companies,
although it is thing Of the past. is
dragged forth as a reason why anthra-
cite miners should retain wages above
the war time peak. Further. we arc
asked to consider the profits in the
wholesale and retail trade, matters
over which neither we nor the miners
have any control.
What Figures show.
I'VE are told that the wage reduc-
tions would make little difference in the
price. notwithstanding that seventy per
cent. Of the mine cost Is labor, and 1t
is the mine cost with which We and the
miners must concern ourselves. We are
told that present wages are inadequate.
when the figures show the average an
nual earnings in the industry are far
above those in any other basic industry.
"Our plan for five year contract.
with yearly adjustments as to wages. Is
refused because 1t Is alleged II would
destroy collective bargaining. although
1t is expressly provided that arbitration
should not be resorted to unless colIec-
tive bargaining had failed. The fact
that this plan would have prevented con-
stant suspensions OF mining and. there
fore. been of benefit to the entire in
dustry and the public Is ignored.
'In a word, our offer Is rejected and
in it's place there are reiterated the
original demands.
"The proposal of the operators was
submitted after most careful study and
analysis. 1t is not subject to change,
unless it can be shown 1t was wrong in
its premise and conclusions. The miners
reply does not attempt to challenge our
statement of facts. We cannot grant
an increase in wages. We cannot agree
to a maintenance OF present wages. We
will insist on a reduction approximating
that laid down in our offer. Any other
course would simply result in inestim-
able hardship to the industry and to
those it employs"