Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-30
MINERS UNION LOOK
WITH FAVOR ON PLAN
FOR AN AGREEMENT
Both Sides Holding Separate
Meetings Today to ConSid-
er Gov. Pinchot's Plan
OPERATORS ARE HOSTILE
Not Inclined to Accept Terms
Say Eight Hours Day
Increases Cost
HARRISBURG. Pa. Aug. 80

HARRISBURG, Pa, Aug. 3d.
(By The Associated Press)-
Propositions for settlement of the
anthracite controversy which Gov
ernor Pinchot, of Pennsylvania, laid
before operators and miners yester.
day went today before each group
in separate meetings. S. d. Warri-
ner, chairman of the operators COM
mittee, called his associates to meet
in Philadelphia, but John l.. Lewis
and his scale committee of the Unit
ed Mine Workers stayed at the capi-
toll to deliberate.
Sharp divergence in views of the
governors proposals cropped out
between operators and miners rep
resentatives. The offer of ten pc,
cent. fiat increase for the anthracite
workers, of the universal eight hour
day, of the right to have a union
agent in the company offices for col
lection of union dues, which the
governor made, along with tender
of union recognition and of the
principle of collective bargaining,
won a more than friendly reception
from the union contingent. There
was a growing impression that Mr..
Lewis would recommend and his
scale committee would grant sub
stantial acceptance of the proposal
and call in the orders for a suspen-
sion of work September 1, IL the OPP
orators consented.
1t was considered significant that
Mr.. Lewis and the chief officials OF
the union group met yesterday aft
ernoon with Father Curran,
wilkes Barre Catholic priest, who
(, has been active in strike settlements
since 1902, and that later Father
Curran saw Governor Pinchot. Some
observers thought that Governor
Pinchot's proposal had already ten
tative acceptance from the union
spolkesmen.
But with the operators, the set
t1ement suggested encountered al
most open hostility. Their consis-
tent stand for arbitration of all out
standing issues was almost complete
I,y neglected. There was a disposi-
tion to consider that the proposals
had not adequately measured the in
crease in the price of coal which
would result from the wage increase.
Mine owners calculated that uni
versal eight-hour day would add al
most five cents extra to costs. Fur
ther they contended that all of the
increase would have to be loaded on
the domestic fuel, the steam size be-
ing incapable of bearing it all.
To Keep Pumps Going
An agreement was reached today
between the policy committee OF
anthracite operators and the otn-
cials of the miners union under
which union men employed as pump
men, engineers and maintenance
men will be allowed to stay at work
after September l, even If suspension
of mining now ordered becomes eL-
fective. The men in the classihcS-
tlons named are needed to prevent
the mines from flooding and caying
in during periods of idleness.
By the terms of the agreement,
nren in the maintenance service now
working twelve hours per day Will
receive twenty-three cents per day
less for working eight hours than
they now receive for twelve hours
and will be paid overtime rates II
they exceed eight hours in service"
Men on nine and ten hour shifts
will work the same hours that they
now put in, but will receive wage
increase which is estimated to be
s1.15 per day for those now receiving
the lowest rates, with greater
] amounts proportionately for those
Z who are employed at higher wage
rates.
In addition, any general increase
in wages granted will be made retro
active to September l for the benefit
of all maintenance workers who are
held in service.
The signing of the agreement was
a last minute action of the operators
representatives before departing for
Philadelphia to meet with their as
sociates to consider Governor Pin
chots proposals for settling the main
controversy in the anthracite region.
Failure to keep the mine pumps go
ing for even single day after the
suspension, it was said, would seri-
ously damage anthracite mines and
equipment.