Evening star., 1923-08-02
MORE CHECK-0FF
DEMANDS limited
II Miners Win Coal Dispute
They May Seek to Extend
Plan to Other Industries.
BY j. c. ROYLE.
Specinl Dispatch TO Tie Star.

By j. c. ROYLE.
Specnl Dispatch to Tie Star.
SCRANTON. Pa. August 2.-The
check off demand of the anthracite
miners may possibly become an is
sue in the other industries of the
Jnited States. Both miners and op-
orators predicted freely today that if
the United Mine Workers were to be
given the check off in the highly or
Eanized basic anthracite industry,
demand would be made by union
workers in many basic industries.
IF the United States government
We're to take over and operate the
anthracite mines, as II did the rail-
roads said Euoch Williams, who
represented the United Mine Work
erS at the Atlantic city wage confer
enCe, the first thing the miners
would say would be Where's your
contract? Then we would present
exactly the same demands that we
presented TO the operators.
Might Extend Demands.
we could not consistently do any
thing else. If those demands are just
and we are entitled to have them
granted by the operators we would
he no less entitled to have them
granted by the government"
The collection of union dues. fines
anu assessme from every employe by
Ihe government, when is what the
check oft entails, would establish
precedent that would have wide,
sweeping and permanent effect i'll the
other industries. Even without any
| i,,ta iN,, ln off of
The granting of the check off would be
tremendous, according to William 4.
1uglis of the Glen Alden Coal Company,
one of the spokeSmen of the operators.
The agitation for the check off here
has already been followed by demands
for it by the steel workers in Nova
Scotia, he added.
Cannot Use Strikebrenkers.
There can be no question of the op-
Grafton of the anthracite mines by strike
breakers The mines. +. II. Hemel-
wright, president of the Temple Coal
ana Iron Company, pointed out, must
be operated by the men now employed,
or not at all. The Pennsylvania law
provides that miners must be licensed
and that no miner is eligible TO a license
until he has worked two years in an
anthracite mine. There are but hand
tui OF men in the country who could be
called on even by the government to
replace the 10000 men now working
In the anthracite field.
Neither side gives indication of
any desire tor government interVen-
tion Even the miners. who have
taken formal stand for nationali-
ZatIon Of the mines, show no eager
ness TOR recommends tiOnS to that
end, doubtless because they would
nave to negotiate a contract with the
federal authorities if work were to
continue.
Firm Against Check-of.
The operators bitterly oppose the
Check-off because. they say, it would
mean an absolutely closed shop and
take the management of their own
put it in the hands of union officials.
The only thing We would be free
to do" said Alr. lnglis, would be to
close down entirely; We could not
iery and operate others or that we
would close one gallery or cease
operating one vein. l could not give
man job in our mines. l could
neither fire nor hire a miner with
out the consent of the union.
The local union might make
regulation that no miner should load
more than a certain number of cars
of coal. If worker loaded more
than that amount or otherwise Yio-
lated the rules of the union, he
would be fined, and we would have to
collect that fine. no matter what it
might be, and turn the money over
to the union officials. If orders of
our officials were contrary to these
union regulations we would have TO
collect the fines imposed on all who
executed these orders.
Reasons for Opposition.
There is no limit to the amount
of the dues. fines or assessments we
would be called on to collect. In
western Pennsylvania the mining
companies have been compelled to
hnlh al
men were working only three days
a week. That has now been reduced
10 So, but we could never tell when
the present dues here, now 81. might
be raised. This Check-off would come
first. no matter what the require
ments of the miner or his family for
food, clothes or shelter might be-
Zach man would be forced into the
union. whether he wished to join it
or not. He could do only as much
work as the union permitted and we
would be asked to put into the hands
OF union officials not employed by us
for such purposes as they see fit. We
claim it is both un-American and IL
legal. and we will never concede it,"
Union OfciaIs' View.
THE operators take out money for
rent of company houses, for supplies
and for taxes from the pay of the
miners" Mr.. Williams said. 1--WE
an SSC ~ Ill
union dues. They look to the Unied
Mine Workers to preserve peace in
the anthracite fields. They enter
contracts with us. All the workers
in the mines derive benefits from
betterments in wages and conditions
obtained through the mine workers
organization, and they should all
have to contribute to the mainte-
nance of the organization.
IF the United Mine Workers were
to pass out of existence in the anthra-
cite fields the operators would be far
worse off. for there might well spring
up an organization of radicals, with
which they would have more difficulty
in dealing"
Fields Fully Organized.
Asked if the check-off would not
violate the spirit of the present agree
ment, which provides that no discrim-
ination or pressure shall be brought
10 bear on any man by reason of mem.
bership, Mr.. Williams declared that
this now was a dead issue
THE anthracite fields are practical
ly fully organized" he said. There
is no compulsion in the matter"
Representatives of each side placed
emphasis on the fact that if the OBJ
stacle of the check-off could be sur
mounted. agreement might readily be
arrived at. The operators pointed out
that the wage demands of the men
had not even been touched on.
Both Firm on Check-off.
The miners spokesman declared
that If it could be shown them that
@hair demand were inDOSsihl of fl,I