Evening star., 1925-08-31
COAL STRIKE BEGINS
At MIDNIGHT WITH
100000 AFFECTED
Virtual Paddock on 828
Mines Effective as Con-
tract Is Ended.
WORKERS FIGHT TO LIVE
IN TIE-UP NOW ISSUE
Maintenance Will Cost $500, 900
During Idleness, Survey Of
Overhead Shows.
Rv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, August 31.-An-
thracite mining in northeast stern Penn
sylvania will stop at midnight by or
der of the United Mine Workers.
The stroke of IL marks expiration of
the two-year working contract of 15S,-
900 workers, who have been unable to
agree with the mine owners upon its
renewal and who decline to work until
some renewal is negotiated.
Maintenance of the mines during the
suspension when they will be earning
no compensating revenue, will amount
TO about S., TOO, 900 a month, according
to figures made public by the anthra-
cite bureau of information today.
Overhead $5,733,OO0 Monthly.
The full overhead" on the mines,
including maintenance, investment and
all fixed charges, was computed on
the basis of 81 per ton of production
per day. With an estimated annual
production of 100000 gross tons of
commercial anthracite, the theoretical
figure for daily production would be
about 191 900 gross tons. This would
be on the basis of the 65-day year the
overhead" charge applies, rather than
the 270-day year the mines actually
operate. Extending these figures, the
bureau accordingly found the daily
overhead" to be in excess of S191 900,
or s5,733. 900 a month.
Samuel D. Warriner, chairman of
the anthracite operators conference,
and w. w. Inglis. chairman of the
operators scale committee, left today
for the coal region.
Advices from the Panther Creek
Valley, in District Z, indicated that no
new work would be begun there after
the day shift comes off at 4:30 O'Clock
this afternon. Night men going in
would only be timber men, gang men
and cleanup men, and no new coal
would be cut. Some of the mines re-
ported they were short handed this
morning.
In Wnkes-Barre preparations were
under way to bring mine mules to the
surface.
Paddock 82S Mines.
The walkout will place a virtual
paddock upon S2S mines in 10 counties.
1t will involve, in addition TO the bulk
of the miners. another army of their
dependents. The full number of those
dependent upon the mines, and for
whom bread winning accordingly
stops, is put at 100000 About 5000
maintenance men will remain in the
pits by mutual agreement to prevent
flooding and to attend to their gen
eral upkeep. They will be assessed
days pay every two weeks for the
unions emergency fund.
Something like 10000 railroad men
employed in handling of coal ship
ments and in shops and car repair
work will probably be thrown out of
work
The suspension will be practically
100 per cent effective. The region
has been thoroughly organized by the
' union and the handful of men the
union has permitted its members to
associate with despite the lack of
unions buttons is expected to quit as
well.
Union officials contemplate no
picketing and the owners, so far as
can be learned, plan no importing of
non-union help.
At many mines contract miners quit
work Saturday after blowing down
enough coal to keep their Iaborers
occupied for the remainder of the con-
II ct. Many heavy tools have been
removed by the men and stored away
against such time as a new contract
is signed.
Yesterday at special meetings held
by most of the 325 union locals the
union suspension order was read.
The reading was received with en-
LnUSldSn anu eApreSSlOHS VI IoydltS.
Seek Soft Coal Jobs.
Many anthracite workers are pre-
pairing to set out for the soft coal
fields on the hunt for other jobs. The
ability of unionists to subsist, by jobs
picked up elsewhere now is half the
battle.
A general exodus is being predicted
of miners seeking vacations but the
excursionists also will include the
thriftier quota seeking temporary
work in other industries.
The miners are demanding 10 per
cent increase in tonnage rates. 81
day more for day workers, the check
off, a two-year contract, equalization
of rates, and other adjustments. The
operators insist all demands must first
absolve themselves of any likelihood
of increasing production cost before
they can be given consideration. The
men in turn refuse the proposal of the
owners to leave the matter to arbitra:
ton, and hold that negotiations are
useless until the owners agree to con-
slider demands on their merits regard
less of cost. Negotiations were broken
off at Atlantic City on August 4.
PLAN STRIKE IN SOUTH.