Evening star., 1925-08-21
FACTS IN COAL CONTROVERSY
BY WILLIAM p. HELM, JR.

commission, that while one was rob
bing up the gangway the other could
rob back. BY this arrangement they
could earn one-third more for them
selves and the company got several
more cars of coal per day.
The union took up the matter and
decided that no man or set of buddtes
could work in two places at the same
time. This action cut down pyoduc.
ton as we'll as the income of the
men"
A third case:
The assistant general manager of a
large company says that restriction
OF output is a real factor. He pro
duced receipt made on union sta
tionery to a miner who had been
fined for loading more cars than his
local permitted. He also had A COPY
or the minutes Of the meeting which
passed the measure to restrict output
and the fine for violation"
In still another case the vice presi-
dent of a large coal company pre-
sented to the Coal Commission COPY
of the minutes of local union meet
ings. The minutes are quoted as fol-
lows in the commissions report:
Local Union. u. NJ. w. A.. Penna
NO. 2ll %. A motion moved by
and seconded, should any man or men
working together load more than four
cars be fined S25: the runner. $40:
driver, IS. An amendment by -
made to the motion that a. four-car
shlft applied to the colliery. If q
case should be that a man cannot
make wages on four-car shift, he
Is to be considered and made up by
the mine foreman. The amendment
carried
mo. Al Al % slope committee was
requested to make a report. The re.
port follows: Man cannot make days
wages on four cars. 1t Is not allowed
TO load any more, due to resolution.
Statement was met by strong de.
bate"
Not in All Mines.
The commission reported that 'it
is not to be understood that restric.
ton of output exists in all mines. or
anything like all the mines." The
report continued:
During the war, an extra car was
added Ito the usual supply given daily
to each miner) as the miners bit
toward winning the war. This car
subsequently was dropped. At present
1929 men load more than the shift II
conditions permit with no reprimand
nor fine by union Qn the case of the
particular mine) in such cases.
But when a miner loads extra cars
the company Immediately issued an
order inquiring why. Such men com
plain it is subsequently arranged, by
reducing number of cars to him, or
by Withholding supplies, timber, etc.
to prevent him from loading more
than the customary shift.
"One or two cases of this kind dis.
courage miners. Very strong feelins
exists among miners that such action
is always taken, whatever the com
pany's explanation may be. They put
1t this way: The company will not lei
us load more than a shift"
, The working agreement between
| miners and operators provides that
there shall be no concerted effort or
the part of the mine owners of any
| colliery or colleries to limit the out
| put of the mines or to detract from
| the quality of the work performed
unless such limitation of output be ir
conformity to an agreement between
an operator or operators, and an CIR
ganization representing a majority OF
said miners in his or their employ
District union leaders at times, says
the commissions report, "seek to pre-
vent a large output because they say
the earnings of the men will be cited
by the operators as normal when they
are the result, in fact, Of extra effort.
--. ScopyrigiA 1s26a