The Connecticut labor news., 1924-09-20


 1 supply which we could have secured if you had allowed the men to remain , at work.
 That we have always been in favor ot union operated mine. and that our sympathies are with the Miners Un- ion, has certainly been proven by the record of the Brotherhood of Locomo- tive Engineers. When the miners of resources, and were hungry, members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers contributed more than $100,000 to their support, and made it possible for them to live through the winter of the strike. 1 have the statements of your state officers to prove that this IS correct.
 1 MT. Percy Tetlow, president of Dis trict No. IT, has not sought any con- ferences with our local representatives until within the last sixty days. They have had, two conferences I believe and expect to have another in the near , future
 If your miners are on strike, as you state since April 1st, it is news to us because there has not a day passed from April 1st up until now that every miner on the property, with the ex- , ception of three, would have gladly gone to work had we said the word. They have been allowed to live in the houses without rent, and i'll addition to that, when their funds were exhausted and some of the families were hungry, we have fed them from our supply store That does not look very much like there was a strike there, Brother Lewis, nor that we were trying to do anything to hurt your organization.
 We have good set of men, and we are anxious to keep them. You state:
 "The Coal River Galleries Company while not a member of the Kanawfha Coal Operators Association and while ] not utilizing the eviction instrument is in all other respects apparently CO., operating with the coal operators. This is an intolerable position for coal company whose stock is largely owned and whose affairs are directed by union men to occupy
 l You either do not know the true | facts of the case, or you are making statement that is not in accordance with the facts, or else you are laboring under the impression that coal mine is operated wholly and solely for the benefit of your organization. The members of the Brotherhood of Loco motive Engineers, who have invested over $3,OO0,O00 in these properties, are entitled to some return on their in vestment, and I think you will con cede this, and yet at the present price at which coal is selling, and the cost i of mining uder the Jacksonville agree ment, it is Impossible for the union mines to break even.
 Under the 1917 agreement, it cost us l $1.12 per ton loaded on cars the actual wages paid to miners without any charge for depreciation or overhead. Under the Jacksonville agreement of 1924, it costs $1.63 per ton, without charging any overhead or any return on the investment. The average price at which coal is selling FOB. is $1.50 per ton-not much incentive to open mine or work 1t under these con- ditions. We want to run union mine, and expect to run one If we run 1t at all, but it is impossible to do so when the union fields around us can produce coal so much more cheaply, and have a monopoly on the entire market.
 I have requested our representatives to again meet MT. Tetlow in the hope of reaching settlement, but ii 1t comes to the point that we have to pay 13c more a ton than we can sell the coal for after 1t IS loaded on the cars, without even considering any re- turn for our investment and without taking care of our overhead, we are up against a serious problem, and I think you must realize 1t.
 You talk of the Coal River Collier ies supporting the Coal Operators Association. I know of no one who is doing more to support the Coal Op orators Association of West Virginia i'll their fight against organized labor than you are by your present policy, for you are putting those who want to operate union mines i'll a position that makes it impossible for a union mine to operate under the present price of coal, while our competitors are go- ing right ahead and supplying the market.
 I shall be glad to meet you and your representatives at any place and talk