New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
Miners Policy
Board to Meet
Within lODavs
Lewis Says Call Will BE Is
sued This Week and Re-
suit of Conference With
Operators BE Discussed
Warns ofWagcTampering
Union President Does Not
Believe Summer Shut
down Will Injure City

John l.. Lewis, president Of the
United Mine Workers of America, said
yesterday at the Hotel Continental that
a general meeting Of the policy COM
mlttec Of the coal miners on the wage
situation would be called within a
week This meeting will have laid be-
fore it the results of the conference
o the joint scale committee of opera
tors and miners here on Tuesday
The policy committee is composed o.
l3l members from the various coal
mining rcCioH-. the international ex-
ecutlve committee end the three ex-
ccutive officers There will be eight
representatives each from Ohio, In
diana, Illinois and Western Pennsy-
vanla, the other members coming from
outlying districts.
Opposes Scale Changes
Mr.. Lewis reiterated yesterday his
prediction that. if the wage scale is
tampcred with at the meeting with the
operators on Tuesday, there will be a
general shutdown April /. He said
that the high cost cf coal was not due
to the present miners wages, but to
exorbitant profits "all along the line i"
from the mine to the consumers fur
mace. The attitude Of the bituminous
operators in refusing TO accept Secre-
tary Daviss proposal for Z conference
left little room for hope. he said, that
d strike could he averted.
While Nj. Lewis said he DOUBTED
very much that there was two or
three months supply Of anthracite in
the vicinity OF New York. as reported
by big retailers, he saw no reason for
fear thai there would be much incon-
Veniencc to the city bccause OF shut
down for six or seven weeks during the
summer, when the demand is lchtcst.
Operators were getting out ali the
coal they could now, he said. Tne har-
bor craft around New York alone con-
sumed 6 per cent Of the total aathra-
cite supply, he said.
Union Meeting Delayed
II was learned yesterday that the
meeting of the policy committee had
been fixed Cor last week, but that the
request Of The operators 70 put of
the wage conference until TUESDAY
would cause a corresponding delay in
the general meeting Of the union. T:
probably will be called for March 2I
o. 29, either At Cleveland O. Chicago.
The operators asked Tor time to con
side1 data they have collected, al
though the union Representatives. were
seady to begin tho conference On FRI
day
Il the 10000 anthracite and 100000
b;tuminous miners cult OF April the
usual forces viii be lett behind. Mr.
Lewis said. 10 look after the proper
ties. Men to operate the pumps and
keep the mines in serviceable con-
dition will be detailed BY the Local
union officials.
The American Coal journal" re-
ported that the soft coal business here
vas increasing, due to the threatened
strike, bus THAI non-union fields would
probably be able to meet ali demands.
With this competition, it said, btu
nlinous strike would not last long.
British Ready to Supply Coal
Consumers III New England terri
tory are being solicited" t.lo article
says, "by British firms as to the pos
sibility Of buying foreign coal st prices
tAat are lower than ali-rail shipments
from the mines.
"With the conference tall, upper
most in the minds Of the trade, Il is
generally thought that prices TO the
householder must come down along
with freight rates. Just now much thiq
reduction will be "a prooomatica! q,
present, but, It is said, that when re-
! ductions are brought about il is pos
! sible that the housenolder may get his
anthracite ct least $3 cheaper than a.
| preeent
''Is is no9 believed there Will be any
immediate shortage o. anthracite
should strife occur April !, For pro.
duction IS being maintained at Z fairl!
normal rate and much storage has bee!
done by tAe larger companies.'