Evening star., 1923-06-24
Anthracite Miners Elect Of
ficiaIs Expected to De-
mand Pay Raise.
WAGE NEGOTIATIONS
BEGIN NEXT TUESDAY
Harding Stressed Necessity of
Keeping Mines Going Before
Leaving on Western Trip.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Coal Commission is rushing to
completion its report on wages,
profits and costs In anthracite min
ing, in order that it's findings may
be brought to bear in a labor. situa-
tion of increasing intensity now aris-
ing In the industry. 'r
Miners wage contracts expire Au-
gust 81, and a strike is threatened
unless negotiations for replacement
are successful. In recent union cleo
tions supporters of John L. Lewis.
present national head of the United
Mine Workers. have met with a sharp
defeat. and it is considered certain
that when delegates Of anthracite
workers meet June 26 to frame new
wage demands the element newly
come to dominance in the official cir
cles Of the unions will at least set
out to gain substantial wage ad-
vances The commission is required
to make a report by July 1 to aid in
the wage negotiations.
Harding Takes Hand.
President Harding was advised of
impending dangers to the anthracite
supply just before leaving for the
west, and he wrote letter to John
Hays Hammond. chairman of the
commission. stressing the necessity
of keeping the mines in operation.
The commission, in behalf of the gov
ernment, is shaping its policy to take
an active hand as soon as the miners
union representatives meet with the
committees representing mine opera
tors and will insist upon a settlement.
While the commissions reports as
to the facts of costs, profits and oper-
ating conditions in the anthracite
be partial---sAnce major
conclusions as to public policy affect
ing coal production will be left to
formulation in it's final report on the
bitumi inous branch of the industry
next faIl--its members hope to have
a considerable amount of data usually
at issue In wage negotiations clearly
defined and placed above controversy.
Digest Experts Work.
Chairman Hammond. with former
Vice President Marshall. Clark
Howell, DR.. George Otis Smith,
Charles p. Neill and DR.. Edward De-
vine, the other commission members,
have digested reports of an expert
staff and returns of all the mining
companies concerned. In the matter
of wages the commission will show
the actual earnings of practically all
the anthracite workers employed,
grouped on a scale running from
$500 per year to $4,000 and $4,000,
according to number of days en-
ployed and rate Of pay. The largest
group Of anthracite workers. 1t is ex-
pected, will be shown earning annual
incomes Of s1.700 to $500. at ap-
proximately 270 days of work per
year.
When the report comes to finding
the costs Of anthraciteT-now some
where around a base Of $500 at the
mines-commission members expect
to find another vexatious problem.
Some big anthracite-producin COM
panies are inclined to deal with pro-
duction costs on the assumption that
the unmined coal in the ground was
worth 10 cents per ton, while a num-
Der Of independent producers. leased
land owners and leased land de-
velopersss value It all the way up to
$2.40 q ton.
Three Average Scales.
Thus the value of anthracite in
the ground comes into the industry's s
price and cost equations in fashion
with which the commission cannot
entirely deal. Tentatively 1t has
been decided to set UP three sets of
average cost figures in the report.
CONTINUED on Page IA, Column l.