Evening star., 1923-08-30
Pinehot's S Plan.

AT noon tomorrow representatives
of the anthracite operators and min
erS will meet Gov. Pinchot and render
their decisions upon the proposals
which he has advanced furnishing the
basis for a settlement of the con-
troversy. If the answer is favorable
there will be time to work out at
least a provisional agreement before
Tuesday, which. in the peculiar cir
cumstances of the situation. is prac-
tiCally the first working day after
the expiration of the present contract.
The miners are in the habit of knock
ing off for part of each Saturday, they
never work on Sunday. and Monday
is Labor day. Hence, Tuesday morn
ing will be the real beginning of a
strike, if a strike comes. or of the
resumption of mining, if settlement
is arranged.
The governors proposals are four
in number. as follows: An eight
hour day for all employees. with over
time when additional work is neces-
Sary; uniform increase of 10 per
cent to all workers; full recognition Of
the union by the operators. without
the check-off, but with the union en-
titled to have a representative present
when the men are paid; complete
recognition of the principle of collec-
tive bargaining.
Recognition of the union is. in point
of fact, rather a form than otherwise
in this case, as the anthracite field is
fully unioniZed and the operators have
been dealing directly with union rep
resentatives in wage disputes for a
long time. The eight-hour day was
conceded at the Atlantic City con-
ference. The check-of had been prac-
tically nullified as an issue by the
abandonment of company check off
practices proposed by the miners and
granted by the operators. Thus the
wage increase is the only matter that
has been, in effect. proposed by the
governor TO meet the situation. \ 10
per cent horizontal increase is by no
means what the men have asked. and
is more than the operators have been
willing to cOncede.
One feature of the Pinchot proposal
that interests the public greatly is
his urgent suggestion that if the wages
are raised the increase in the cost of
mining should not be passed on the way
to the consumer. In other words. he
proposes a 10 per cent wage advance,
which is to be absorbed by the oper-
ator. the distributor and the retailer
in the course Of the spread between
the mine and the ultimate purchaser.
Just how Gov. Pinchot proposes to
safeguard against the public being
mulcted in this wage advance, with
the additional toll that a wage in
crease always takes as the product is
moved along to the consumer, re-
mains for him to suggest. He indi-
Gates that he has a. plan TO this ef-
feet, which he will later disclose.
There is plenty of time for il, mas
much as the immediate business in
hand is TO insure the continued min
ing of coal.
\ ray of hope appears in the situa-
ton. In the dispatches from Harris
burg it is stated that both the union
representatives and The operators We're
surprised by the governors proposals,
the former being disappointed over
the concessions and the latter agitated
by the recommendation for a wage
increase. From mutual chagrin to
11at thar Si6 r
isfied each can afford to accept a COM
promise to avoid a conflict with the
public interest is but a short step. BY
noon tomorrow the compelling factor
of that public interest may bring
about acceptance.