New Britain herald., 1923-03-24

Tn 1909 through the mediation oi President Roosevelt the strike wal settled on october 23. with the m. derstanding that questions in dispute would be submitted to commis. sion. A 10 per cent. increase in wages and a reduction of hours were granted to the miners.
 Tn e9O6 the strike was finally set tied through agreement between operators and miners themselves. Not through q third party.
 100000 Quit in 1910. "on April 1, 1910. 300,000 miners went out. The agreements were sub mitted to the miners and rejected. The strike was finally settled on Sep tember of that year. A slight in- crease was granted and cetrain other concessions. The miners union paid out $674,000 in strike benefits and mines were idle from April to Au- gust &.
 "A conference was called on octo- Der i6, 1919, in an effort to prevent a strike. but the operators refused to negotiate as long as the strike order was in force. The miners contract which really did not expire until April, 1920, was disregarded. The presidents appeal to the strikers failed. The attorney general issued an order restraining union officials from putting the strike into effect. This failed. An injunction demand ed that the officers rescind the strike order, the order was rescinded but the miners went on strike November 1, just the same. On December 10 an offer from the president direct to the miners granted 14 per cent i'm mediate increase and question of fur ther increase to be determined by the commission.
 "The story from the publics point of view, has been the same in {, all these cases, exorbitant prices, poor quality. suffering and no end of in- convenience.
 No Important Results.
 After studying this record, and after having shivered through a fire less winter, one may feel little skep- tical as to what our present coal commission is going to accomplish. So far it seems to be running true to form. Last September commission was appointed by the president to in- and find all the facts that would have a bearing on the solution of the coal problem. In a report to congress on January 18th of this year, it took care not to commit it. fn 40 It did find that one fundamental cause for instability in bituminous coal mining was surplus of both mines and miners.
 "The other findings of the com indicate that 1t is really the problem, but it looks as though it must suffer the fate of most such commissions.
 Now there are three of us in this coal problem. Both miners and | operators have been loud in pro- claiming their rights and in demand ing that their particular pet schemes be enforced. should like to pro- pose platform for the most impor- tant member of this argument-the general public.
 Operators Are in Safe Way.
 The operators arguments boil town to the contents of the present method. It is apparently just as profitable to do business half of the year at twice the profit and take a for the other six months as t is to work the year round at a normal profit.
 The miners plan is ingenious and we'll calculated insofar as the wei are of the miner is concerned. They would have the goevrnment buy all he coal mines at figure which they et at s4,500,0 100000 and would then rave the government carry on opera ions and sell coal to the public. The cheme involves much machinery for