Evening star., 1923-08-18

Iore the explra tion date OF the agree
mcnt under which the mines are now
being kept open. This meeting was
necessary in order that both miners
and operators might once more pre-
sent their respective cases to the
public.
TIL" miners have withdrawn none
of their eleven demands; the oper-
atnrS previously had agreed to three
Of the minor demands, and matters
will be resumed at Atlantic City Mon
day just where they left of on
July %
II is the purpose Of both miners and
operators to proceed with the con-
sideration OF more of the minor points
before approaching again the big
principles which have brought about
the split: Many of the minor de-
nlands of the mine workers are so
technical in character the general
public would not understand them
The stumbling blocks are the COM
plete recognition of the union. the
| "check-off' system. and a material
Of miners There was proposal
from the miners to abandon the de-
i mand for the CHECK off" system,
which means simply the collection
by the mine owners Of dues for the
union by deducting the latter from
pay envelopes. but il was said later
the proposal was misunderstood. and
| In the end IL amounted to nothing
more than gesture.
Fear Loss OF Market.
The one impelling motive appar-
emily that remains TO bring miners
and operators together is the pro-
spective loss of the anthracite mark ct.
This is no mere bugaboo. The oper-
| ators have held 1t up TO the miners
! In sincere concern and have presented
/ CT fkff TIC l..
ket may slip away.
| 1t was still more significant. how
ever. that President Coolidge should
announce at the White House that
| In the event of ii walkout in the an
| thraCitc fields all arrangeme had
been completed" for furnishing the
people with constant and sufficient
supply of hard coal substitutes
| President Coolidge said there would
| he no suffering among the people Of
! the east, as there was year ago.
This statement was more calculated
to awaken the operators and miners
| to realization of their situation
than any other which could have
| been made. Without suffering there
could be no great pressure OF public
| opinion TO settle strike; without
! suffering there would come a reali-
cation that millions OF persons here
tofore thought dependent upon hard
coal could get along without it.
! PrOht from Home Owner.
Just before the breakup of the
| first conference at Atlantic City in
July. Samuel ID. Warriner. chairman
! of the operators committee, warned
! the miners that a suspension of min
| ing on September l would mean a
| anthracite market. He stated that
the profit in anthracite mining comes
| from the sale of so-oalled domestic
sizes of coal. used in stoves and fur
naces in eastern homes.
| Mr.. Warriner said that the market
| for kitchen Goals constantly was be-
! ing diminished. No new houses were
I being built with coal ranges in the
kitchens. Gas for cooking was sup
! planting coal in most of the older
1 houses; gas was predominant in all
new homes. Furthermore. Mr.. War
! riner said, that oil was being intro
/ duced for use in furnaces to a great
er and greater extent. Add to all this
! the high price of domestic anthracite.
/ and further raise, due to the
! demands Of the miners, and he de-
! clared the loss of the market was in
! sight. AS matter Of fact, Mr.. War
| riner said. he thought the present
price of anthracite was about all that
the market would stand. This Is one
1
| ators and the householders of the
| east, even If it does not affect the
negotiations at Atlantic City.
Coolidge Issues Warning.
| And now on top of Mr.. Warriner's
| plain statement of market conditions
! has come the statement by the Presi-
dent of the United States that the
governmental itself would see that
the people get proper and plentiful
substitutes for anthracite In the event
| Of a continuance Of the present dead
| lock between the stubborn repre-
sentatives of miners and operators
| 1t has caused both sides to the con-
| troversy to stop, look and listen.
But reason has not always guided
in labor disputes in this country
| There was, for instance, the recent
| strike of the railway shopmen, which
| virtually wiped out the shopm en- S
union in many sections of the coun-
! try. 1t remains to be seen whether
seif-interest will prevail at Atlantic
City even If reason fails
| Copyright 1921
1