Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-18
THE COAL SITUATION

advanced oy the coal operators 1ot
their refusal to meet with the min
ers' union organization to negoti-
ate scale of wages for 1922. Sec
retary Of Labor Davis severely
condemned the coal operators for
this. So did the attorney general
Of the United States. So far as we
have seen, the coal operators made
no reply, but one Of the newspapers
that speaks for the operators, the
Coal Age, printed an editorial say
ing that coal operators were now
under indictment and being prose-
cuted by the attorney general TOR
doing the very thing he now blames
them for not doing. It seems that
the department Of justice obtained
these indictments year ago on the
theory that such general wage
agreements were in violation OF the
antitrust act. Attorney General
Daugherty recently went to Indian
apolis to get these indictments dis
missed, but Judge Anderson Of the
federal court there, refused to con-
sent to their dismissal. This leaves
the attorney general in a rather
singular position, advising people
to do a thing for which he Is prose-
cutting them as law-breakers.
It would seem that the objection
Of the coal operators to negotiating
a new agreement with the miners
rests more on the inclusive char
acter Of the agreement. They want
to make separate district agree
ments instead Of one inclusive
agreement.
B. M. Clark, president of the As
sociation Of Bituminous Coal Oper-
ators Of Central Pennsylvania, has
sent a letter to James ]. Davis,
United States secretary Of labor,
setting forth the position Of the
Central Pennsylvania operators or
gapixation in the present coal strike
situation and suggesting that Secre-
tary Davis should most severely
criticize the United Mine Workers
of America for calling national
strike In direct violation Of their
contract obligations because Of a
difference Of opinion between min
ofity group Of operators and United
Mine Workers Of America of the
central competitive field. Contents
of the letter, together with previous
correspondence between President
Clark and Secretary Davis in con-
nection with the strike were made
public in an open letter.
In letter addressed to Secretary
Davis on April /, President Clark
charged that the secretary of labor
did not know the real facts concern
ing the central district of Pennsyl-
vania. Il therefore" said Presi-
dent Clark, believe it my duty in
the interest of fair play to make
4 statement Of the fact, with the
request that you give these facts
the same publicity as was given to
your statements contained in the
public press under date Of March 80
and April l.
II am president and have been
for number Of years Of the Asso-
citation Of Bituminous Coal Operat-
ors Of Central Pennsylvania which
has functioned solely for the pur-
pose Of negotiating, concluding and
executing scale agreements with
the United Mine Workers Of Amer
ica, district No. 2, which has a
membership Of union miners with
in the district varying from time to
time from 10000 to $4,000. The
members Of the operators associa-
tion are employers of union labor
and have through its association
met in conference with the officials
and scale committees of. the United
Mine Workers Of America of dis
trict No. and successfully negoti-
ated and concluded wage scale
agreements for about 23 years.
These contracts have only applied
to the central district Of Pennsyl-
vania, which district has never been
a member or taken part in the nego-
tiating of scale agreements in what
is known as the central competitive
field, consisting Of Illinois; 1ndi-
ara, Ohio and Pittsburg district Of
western Pennsylvania.
ION March 6, 1922, !, as presi-
dent of the association wrote to
Mr.. John Brophy, president of the
United Mine Workers Of America
of district No. 2 at Clearfield, Pa,
as follows: Please advise me at
.s1a ...:x e>~ e~ue>e>~~A