The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-11
COAL OPERATORS AND MINERSIN
DEADLOCK AS STRIKE THREATENS
TO TIE UP NATION ON APRIL

in which the union is kept out or
driven out by armed gunner and
thugs in the employ OF the coal
companies Mine workers in these
non-union fields are helpless. They
are unable to enter any protest
against wage reductions or any 9TH
er whim of their employers by
which their standard of living is
lowered Wages always have been
lower in the non-union fields than
in the organized fields, because of
this fact Non-union miners have
no protection and must take what
is offered if they are to work at all.
When two large and powerful
groups of operators in the Pitts
burgh field and in Southern Ohio
served notice that they would re-
fuse to meet with the United Mine
Workers this month to negotiate
a new wage and working agree
ment they served notice in effect,
that they were out to break up the
miners union Should they succeed
in this attempt it would mean that
the miners of those two fields would
be reduced to the level of the
wretched non-union miners of West
Virginia. The United Mine Workers
will not permit this to be done.
zone of the prime objects of these
operators in staging their refusal
and their violation of contract was
to bust the union But it must be
remembered also that there are mill
lions of tons of soft coal on hand,
and a strike scare always boosts
the selling price, thus giving the
operators a fine opportunity to
gouge the public pocketbook and
clean up enormous profits. 1t has
been done before, and why should
it not be done now?
''Bituminous mine workers in the
union fields were employed only
an average of about 125 days in
1921. This is about 40 per cent of
full time. AS nearly as it can be
ascertained at this time, they earn
ed an average of approximately
$500 in 1921, which is about $3.50
a week Every person who has to
buy food, clothing and everything
else for a family at present prices
knows that it is impossible to keep
a family above the poverty level
on $3.50 a week.
Statistical experts say an an
nual wage of S1,S70 is necessary to
keep a family of man, wife and
three children in health, decency
and a minimum amount of COM
fort in the bituminous coal mining
fields of the country. Mine work
ers earned less than half that sum
last year. Yet the operators pro-
pose to reduce their wages
Coal miners are not responsible
for the high retail price at which
coal is sold throughout the country.
j. d. A. Morrow, vice president of
the National Coal association, COM
monty known as the Operator s
Union,' testified before the inter
state commerce commission a few
weeks ago that the average selling
price of bituminous coal in the
United States in October, 1921, was
S10.41 ton, and that the miners re-
ceiyed $1.97 a ton for producing it.
In other words, the miners got s1.97
for producing a ton of coal that was
sold to the consumer for $1041.
Who got the other $8.44? There
is a gouge, but the miners do not
get the money. If the public is in
terested in bringing down the sell
ing price of coal they must look
beyond the miners for the way TO
do it, for the miners are not to
blame for the high prices.
Goal companies have sought 10
arouse a prejudice against the Unit
ed Mine Workers of America be-
cause the convention of the union
declared for the six hour day and
the five day week, and the position
of the miners on that issue has
been both misreperesented and mis-
understood. Operators say the
miners want more pay for less
work. That statement is not cor
rect Working stadily 80 hours a
week, the miners can produce more
coal than the country can possibly
consume They say they prefer
reasonably steady employment six
hours a day rather than irregular
and unsteady employment eight
hours a day. If they can dig all
the coal that is needed in six hours
why should they be required to
work eight hours, they ask.
"They want the assurance that
they will have the opportunity TO
work steadily six hours a day. In
that way they can make a living.
But they do not and cannot make a
living under present conditions"