San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-19
Both Miners and Opera.
tors Afraid Of Loss of
Their Market.
A THREAT FROM U. S.
Government Announces
Anthracite Burners Will
Not Suffer.
Nv ROBERT T. SMALL.


New York, Aug. 1S.-The anthra-
cite miners and operators have been
brought together for n further confer
ence prior TO the threatened walkout
on September l only by a realiza-
ton that a stoppage of anthracite
mining this fall and winter will mean
n further and perhaps a permanent
loss of the anthracite market.
The renewal of the Atlantic City
conferences does not mean the threat
of strike is eliminated. Not even
the most optimistic members OF the
Federal Coal Commission will go so
far as that. As for the miners ana
the operators they shake their heads
and do not see that any great progress
in any direction has been made.
The truth of the matter is that
neither the operators nor the miners
could afford to appear before the
public so "hard boiled" as to refuse
further attempts at negotiation. But
there has been no adjustment OF any
of the points at issue, no arrange
ment of any differences and unless
one side or the other completely re-
verses itself in the few remaining
DAYS of August, the stoppage seems
as inevitable today as ever.
There is no understanding beneath
the surface of the agreement to resume
negotiations. 1t has been felt all
along that another meeting Of miners
and operators was likely before the
expiration date Of the agreement I'M
der which the mines are now being
kept open. This meeting was neces-
Ia% 18th r,fnarC md
operators might once more present
their respective cases to the pubic.
Work On Minor Points.
The miners have withdrawn none
of their eleven demands; the operators
previously had agreed to three of the
miner demands and matters will be
resumed at Atlantic City Monday just
where they left off on July 20.
II is the purpose of both miners and
operators to proceed with the consid-
Grafton of more of the minor points
before approaching again the big prln-
cinles which have brought about the
split. Many of the minor demands
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
increase in the pay of all classes OF
miners. There was a proposal from
the miners to abandon the demand for
the "check off" system which means
simply the collection by the mine own
ers of dues for the union by deducting
the latter from pay envelopes, but it
was said later the proposal was mis-
understood. and in the end it amount
ed to nothing more than a gesture.
The one impelling motive apparent
ly that remains to bring miners and
operators together is the prospective
loss of the anthracite market. This
is not mere bugaboo. The operators
have held it up to the miners in sim
cere concern and have presented sta
tistics to show how easily the market
may slip away.
1t was still more significant, how
ever, that President Coolidge should
have announced at the White House
that in the event of a walkout in
the anthracite fields, all arrangements
"had been completed" for furnishing
the people with a constant and suf-
ficent supply of hard coal substi-
tutes.
President Coolidge said there would
be no suffering among the people Of
the east as there was a year ago.
This statement was more calculated
10 awaken the operators and miners
10 a realization of their situation than
any other which could have been made.
Without suffering there could be no
great pressure Of public opinion to
gNr rr-tth Co. mo
there would come a realization that
millions of persons heretofore thought
dependent upon hard coal, could get
along without it.
Market Constantly Diminishing.
Just before the breakup Of the
first conference at Atlantic City in
July, Samuel d. Warmer, chairman
of the operators committee, warned
the miners that a suspension of min
ing on September l would mean ,
further and permanent loss of tht
anthracite market. He stated thai
the profit in anthracite mining comes
from the sale of the so-called domestic
sizes of coal, used in stoves and fur
naces in eastern homes.
Mr.. Warmer said that the mar
ket for kitchen Goals constantly wa
being diminished. No new houses wer
being built with coal ranges in tn
kitchens. Gas for cooking was sup
planting coal in most of the olde
=. houses: gas was predominant in al
new homes. Furthermore, Mr.. War
riner said that oil was being intro
duced for use in furnaces to
: greater and greater extent. Add t
:; al this the high price of domestic ar
-. thracite. and a further raise due t
d. the demands Of the miners. and h
declared the loss Of the market was i
sight. As a matter of fact. Mr.. Wal
riner said he thought the present pric
: of anthracite was about all that tn
- market would stand. This is on
= point of agreement between the ope
ators and the householders of II
east. even if it does not affect IL
negotiations at Atlantic City.
And now on top of Mr.. Warmer