Evening star., 1924-05-18
CHEAPER SOFT COAL
APPROACHING IN U. S.
Operators Efforts TO Revise Wage
Scale in Union Fields
Responsible.
INDUSTRY IS IN PERIL
Mine Workers Also Dissatisfied
With Scant Work.
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Cheaper bituminous coal seems on
the way as the result OF enorts TO re-
wise the wage scale in the union
fields. Although the wage agreement
signed last winter at Jacksonville
remains in effect for three years. un-
less revised, and thereby precludes a
strike. there is a growing sentiment
among union operators that the time
is at hand when wages must be low
cred if the industry is to survive the
competition of the non-union pro-
ducers.
Within the next few weeks a meet
ing probably will be held with min
ers' officials to discuss the situation.
Although union officials pooh-pooh
the talk of wage reduction, the rank
and file Of mine workers is dissatis-
fed with the scant working time
which now prevails in the union
fields. In the non-union field, where
wages are much lower, more steady
employment is assured. it is asserted,
and average pay, month in and month
out is greater than in the central
competitive field.
AS a result OF the lower wage
scales, coal can be produced more
cheaply in the non-union fields of
West Virginia and Pennsylvania than
IN the great fields of Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio. These non-union fields are
thereby enabled to underbid their
union competitors and are getting
enables the non-union operators to
give more steady employment and
pay out higher wages during the
course of month than the union
mines, although the latter's scale is
higher.
Industry In Dependency.
Here in Illinois the soft coal in
dustry is deep in the miro of de-
spondency. Hundreds of mines are
closed all over the state and the rela-
tive few which remain in operation
are running, for the most part, on
the basis of half time or less. Thou
sands of men are out of employ
ment in the coal fields here, out of
funds and without prospects for bet
ter conditions before fall, If then.
These men are turning TO other work
only to find that there is little other
work which they are fitted to do
and that there is little demand for
their services.
The employment situation in the
z
acute today than it has been within
a decade. AS a result, the union
is reported to have lost many mem
bers In the unionized fields Of West
virginia the situation is reported
even worse. Twenty-Five thousand
union miners are reported to have left
the organization in West Virginia to
go into the non-union fields nearby
and dig coal
More than that, the southern IIli-
nols coal fields are having hard sled
ding for another reason. The manu-
facturers of Illinois have not forgot
Ten the Herrin affair where strike
breakers met bloody and violent
death during the 1921 strike. Will
hanson County coal has been a drug
on the market ever since that day.
idleness in Williamson, so far as coal
mining is concerned. Herrin's chick
ems nave come home to roost.
Eleven million tons of bituminous
Goa lie at the lake docks, or are in
the northwest. Although the season
has been open less than a month.
more than half Of the supply has been
dumped. Mining this coal has fur
nished employment to some union
mines. but these mines are eating
their cake fast. And non-union coal
is flowing from West Virginia
steadily steadily to the lakes in increasing
Is lower. And the reason for that
union operators agree, is that wages
are lower
Cause of Wage Revision Move.
Hence the movement for a revision
IN union wages. Nobody in Illinois.
Where the union reigns supreme, or
In other union fields expects a lower
wage scale to result in a larger de-
mand for coal. But the opinion is
unanimous among union miners that
lower scale would distribute the
scanty orders more evenly among the
union, and non-union fields. AS it is
now, the non-union fields seem to
have all the best Of it.
Coal production, normally at an
average of from 5000, 900 to 10000
geo tons weekly, is down to about
o.00O,000 and is expected to drop to
100000 The country is stocked up
with coal, there being more than
oo,oOo,oOU tons in consumers bins, ac-
cordlng to careful estimates. There
is virtually no market for union coal
and 100000 union miners face a slack
season, when conditions will be likely
to grow worse instead of better for
another four months
The industry is overmanned, OF
course, as the government has pointed
out time and again, but who is to
down permanently and what men are
to go off the pay roll forever-these
are questions that haven't yet been
solved It begins to look now, how
ever, as IL there would be a solution
before long to the high price of coal.
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