Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-21

WASHINGTON, July 21.-A short
age of anthracite coal again this win
ter, which will work h%ardships par
ticularly upon householders, is feared
| by many who are in close touch with
the situation.
This fear is not predicated neces-
sariIy upon another miners strike or
suspension of production pending the
working out Of a new agreement
with the operators, although it is
recognized as possible that there may
be a strike or that mining will be
stopped. There are many things in
the hard coal situation, it Is said,
| that may contribute to a shortage
and make the lot Of the consumer as
unhappy as ever when the cold days
are come again.
The labor problem is worrying
many well informed people who have
not liked the course of events in the
! conference between miners and OPP
| orators at Atlantic City. The pres
| ent wage agreement terminates Aug.
| 31st and mining will terminate on
that date unless one of W things
happens-either a new agreement
will be negotiated prior to August
31st, or a temporary agreement will
be made to continue work on the
present basis pending further nego-
tiations.
It is significant that the miners
| through their officials have been in
sistent that there should be no diff
| Guilty in working out a new agree
ment before August 31st, whereas the
operators have been equally deter
| mined that the first thing to do was
| to agree that there should be no in
| terruption of mining if the new
agreement without a prolonged fight,
possibly a strike, probably an arbi-
tration, and in all likelihood. Gov
eminent intervention of some kind.
At best this a condition OF
uncertainty for both producers and
consumers of anthracite for a con-
siderable period at just the time OF
year when production should be at
a maximum and distribution should
be working out smoothly. Nothing
upsets distribution so much as a
panieky competition among consum-
ers, such as has been indicated by
heavy buying during the last three
weeks in quarters that ordinarily
would not be taking on much coal
at this time.
Buyers May Make Shortage
Buyers who become alarmed over
the outlook and are able financially
to place large orders on an immedi-
ate delivery basis may thus Great a
shortage, or what has all the effect
Of a shortage, later on for less ia
vorably situated consumers. And
this may come to pass without any
interruption in production whatever
and with a total supply assured that
would insure everybody all the coal
needed this winter.
1t is evident that the leaders of
the miners are determined to insist
upon their demand for a twenty per
cent. wage increase and not to make
any concessions on that score before
August S1st. They are not threaten
ing a strike, but they leave 1t to be
understood that mining will cease
after the date named. That, they
will explain, will not be their fault,
because they are ready and glad to
continue work provided their just
demands have been acceded to.
On the other hand, the operators
are equally determined to resist a
wage increase which they declare tc
be unreasonable, and they claim
lthey nave SHOWN tnelr anxiety u
protect the public interest by thei1
willingness to make a temporary
agreement to continue operations
after August 31st on the basis of the
present scale. Thus they would place
the responsibility for a strike OF
stoppage of production on the
miners.
In the circumstances the observers
see little prospect of either
sides making any important conces'
! sions before August S1st, or at leasi
not until just before that momen-
tous date, unless the Federal power
is asserted in some way to force the
Atlantic City conferees to come tc
! terms.
August list Limit Suggested
Presumably anything the Govern
ment may do In this direction will
come through the Coal Commission
although a situation ma arise IL
) which it will be necessary for Attor
ney General Daugherty to take SOM
action. 1t has been reported tina
the Commission has already erv
notice on both miners and operator
that there must be some kind of al
agreement not later than August Is