Evening star., 1922-03-26
cerned. and to that extent. &hey are
in violation of the agreement

cerned. and to that extent. &hey are
in violation of the agreement
Producers Reply to MT. Davis.
Responsibility for breaking this
present agreement is placed upon the
miners themselves In statement is
sued by r. w. Gardiner commissioner
of the Pittsburgh Coal Producers AS
sochtion. in which reference is made
TO the answer of the association to
Secretary of Labor Davis suggestion
that operators fulfill the agreement
and meet with the miners in prelim-
mary session.
The Pittsburgh operators. Mr.. Gar
diner explained. replied to Secretary
Davis declaring that they could not
agree with him chat the Pittsburgh
operators were under any obligation
to attend the preliminary meeting.
because they already had decided
not again to be party to the four
state agreement"
The miners had no such record of
charged. The miners deliberately
broke the agreement before 1t had
been in effect six months by forcing,
under strike threat. an increase in
the wages of day men of $l.5O per
day in this district"
Rebelled Against Agreement.
"As matter of fact" the asso-
agreement of March 81. 1920, was
abandoned at this time. 1t seems
that shortly after the four-state
agreement was entered into. certain
miners in Illinois and Indiana had
reoelied against the rate for day
Woik nNed in the contract. demand
ing a Sl.oO per day increase. and to
enforce their demands had coma on
strike" o'
After a convention had been held
under authority of the Attorney Cen
eral. to take up the matter, the
orerators refused to grant the in
the convention adjourned sine die,
win the understanding that each
district would settle the matter as 1t
saw mt. The four-state machinery
mad broken down. The agreement
or March 81. 1920. was broken by
!he miners and passed out of ex-
istence; state settlements replaced
IN correspondence between Secre-
tary Davis and the operators the lat
Yer explain that. in addition to other
ouJectlons TO making new four state
agreement. they had grave doubts of
the iesality of the arrangement"
Would Raise CsaI Price,
laration that the present basic wage
scale must be continued the letter
said: The unions demand for a six
hour day and five-day week would
cause a great increase in the cost of
mining; IT would cause a great in
a reduction in the capacity of the
mines. all of which must be met with
the public "
In their last letter in the corre-
Spondence with Secretary Davis. the
Ilttsourgh operators concluded by de-
claring: We are ready and willing
70 meet with the men in this district,
union or non-union, to negotiate a
wage scale for the district, without
the check off feature, when the men
OF the district indicate a desire or
Willingness to meet with u.s."
George H. Cushing, managing di-
rector OF the American Wholesale
Coal Association, has made public a
series OF attacks upon the attitude
OF the miners. He declared the price
OF coal would be greatly increased BY
the proposed six-hour day and five
day week. The miners demand pay
for time spent regardless of whether
any results were produced in that
time" said Mr.. Cushing. They de-
work"
Sees Too Many Mines.
Too many coal mines is another
trouble with the situation, according
to Mr.. Cushing.
The difference between the price
of coal economically mined by ma
chinery and that mined by a man
with a pick, Mr.. Cushing declared,
is ridiculously small. In some fields,
he said, there was no differential. If
the pending quarrel between the
miners and the operators goes to the
likely extremes, Mr.. Cushing predict
ed. the operators will raise and settle
that question once and for all time
If they ever do. high priced coal will
be thing of the past. because high
cost coal will have disappeared.
But the biggestissue between the
operators and the miners. according
to Mr.. Gushing, is the CHECK off y
the practice of operators deducting
union dues from the pay envelopes
of miners on payday, and turning it
over in lump sum to the treasurer of
the local union.