The Connecticut labor news., 1922-08-04
MINERS WAGE HAS LITTLE EFFECT ON
 HIGH COAL PRICE
National Board Executive Tells New Haven Strikers Some
 Pertinent Facts.

No matter what the miners get, or if they got nothing for their labor, the price of coal to the consumer would still be at least $II a ton and more according to distance from the mines, according to John J, Mates of the national board of the United Mine Workers, who has been in this district this week, addressing the railroad strikers and telling them how closely allied are their troubles. In company with John C. Ready, chair man of the System Federation Board, MT. Mates toured the district and ad- strikers. MT. Mates has worked in the coal mines since he was nine years of age, starting as a breaker boy and knows therefore of what he speaks. As to the price of coal he said:
 "The United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite field are not responsible for the high cost Of coal to the consumer, and the union miner IS justified in his present fight against a reduction in wages and in his opposition to arbitration. He IS prepared to carry the fight on i'm definitely in opposition to any wage reduction. The wages are too low at present in the anthracite field when you consider the laborious and dang erous work of the anthracite miner.
 There were I3,7oo cases of com pensation agreements entered into III 1921 and 54I men lost their lives pro- The operators claim that a reduction in Wages from $40 a day to $3 day for day labor and that an IS per n~t %oSt will give the consumer cheaper coal, in my opinion, is ridiculous. The present labor cost of anthracite coal prepared for market is $3.o2 ton ac- cording to the operators own state ments The mine workers contend it is only $3.5o, whereas the increase in the retail price of coal since 1913 has been from $8 to $Io a ton, and if the mine worker worked for nothing anthracite consumers would still be compelled to pay about $II per ton for coal
 Freight rates can be reduced $1.3o a ton, according to the Anthracite Coal Consumers Association of New York city. Let the operators reduce freight rates, royalties, re4sales agen- >cies, etc, and give the people real reduction on anthracite coal.
 "The mine workers want their wages set on their productive ability and the profits of the industry, and their wages and working conditions agreed to on a collective bargaining basis. ts-I <a--j-@->-+---l-'. ~l''-.- l-, ? H4n the bituminous coal field the cause of the strike IS to be found iii the failure of the coal operators of the central competitive field, compris- ing Illinois, western Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio, to abide by their agreement signed in 1920 whereby they shall meet in some city before March 3I, 1922, to arrange with the representatives of the coal miners a basis for future agreements affecting wages and working conditions. This conference has never been held, al though the provision was put in the agreement by the United States Bi- luminous Coal Commission.
 'I believe if such a conference were held speedy settlement of the strike would be reached in a short time. This is the real issue of the soft coal strike. The objection ito coal operators is based on their fear of the growing strength of the mine workers organization and the great advantage which has come to the mine worker through the collective bargaining principle involved in the national agreement policy. The mine operator wants to break up the solid, ity of the mine workers organization and disintegrate it into large num- Der of weak units.