Evening star., 1925-11-23

| So far as the Government has been
| able to learn, thousand or more
| bituminous operators are 1althlullF
living up to the Jacksonville agree
| ment despite the fact that they say
| they are losing money under IL. "o
| or three" il was said. have backed
| down and refused to luuger recognize
| the pact on this ''tiimsy basis the
| United Mine Workers officials are
! prepa airing Ito penalize the whole Ma
ton and the vastly greater numner or
| operators who have kept good faith
| in the face of financial losses.
| L. S. Restrictions Cited.
The ultimatum that the union heads
have virtually laid before the admin
| istration is that il should severely
| reprimand the hituminous operators
| and practically assume the jurlsdlc-
| rion of the courts of justice. In the
| first place. officials declare, the ad-
| ministratiVe branch OF the Govern
| ment has no authority, and. even II II
| had there is grave doubt among those
| in pOSition to know that IL would IN
| terCede under existing circumstances.
The Jacksonville wage agreement
| covered all OF the union bItuminous
| fields II is to run for three Years
| When the agreement became opera
/ tive last year number of bltuninous
| mines were obliged To work on part
| time because non-union fields. located
| chiefly north OF the ohio River. were
| operaling on a lower wage rate. Now,
| the United Mine Workers hold. some
| Of the signatorieS have resumed full
| time operation al the lower rate.
The text of Mr.. Lewis letter to the
| President follows.
| The President,
| white House.
Sir: In February, 1924. the opera
| tors and miners of the central compeu-
| tive bitumionus coal nelds consum-
! mated "A wage agreement designed TO
| expire by limitation on March 81, 1927.
With this instrument as a base, supple
mental agreements of similar nature
were executed between operators and
miners in contiguous and outlying
coal districts. The plishment
met with general public approval. as
| the agreement gave promise of Sc
| curity and advantage 10 the public
| with respect TO the factors of contin
uous supply and price. Agencies of
the Federal Government co-operated
in making possible the agreement. the
Depa artments of Justice. Commerce
and Labor participating. The twelfth
annual report of the Secretary of Com
merce for the fiscal year ended June
| so, 1924. at pages 13 and "A, states
as follows:
Through cooperation by the de-
| partment with the unionized operators
and with the leaders Of the Unit ed
Mine Workers a long-term agreement
has been entered upon which insures
| Industrial peace in the industry
The industry is now on the
road to stabiliZation No bet
ter example of cooperation to secure
the elimination of national waste can
be presented. The past year. as com
pared to the year 1920. shows saw
ing to the consumer of about $1,000
600. 900. which must he reflected in
decreasing costs Of production in
every avenue of industry and com.
merce'
| Without question. the foregoing
| declaration of accomplishment by the
Federal Government In the public in.
terest was heartily approved by every
thoughtful citizen
Charges Violations.
Notwithstanding the acknowledged
virtue of the before mentioned con
tract. | am compelled authorttativelv
10 advise YOU that substantial coal
| producing interests signatories 70
the arrangement, have violated and
Irepudtated their written word of
honor and in so doing have impaired
| 'hc iNlNSIlIN OF I6e wage STRUCTURE
| throughout the entire hituminous in
dustry. Among the coal companies
thus trampling npon and dishonor-
| ing their wage agreements with the
| mine workers are four Of the largest
| coal-producfng groups in the nation
| Wis. the Pittsburgh Coal Co. the Con
solfdatton Coal Co. the bethlehem
| Mines Corporation and the coal in
terests Of the Buffalo. Rochester and
rl, T
operations being located in northern
West Virginia. Ohio and the central
and western Pennsylvania coal fields.
ITO attain their immoral objective
these companies and certain others
or lesser consequence have utilized
coercive and oppressive methods.
! Their actions have been destructive
of all confidence between employer
and employe and constitute an un-
warranted. indefensible blow at the
| universally recognized, principle of
collective bargaining. The savage
and dishonest acts of the before men
toned group have added TO the bur
den of those honest coal opera tors
who desire in every particular to
operate in accordance with their wage
agreements. The most full inforrna-
tion as affecting the representations
which / make is available in the De
partmentS OF commerce and Labor.
Asks Government to Act.
THE Federal Government upon oc-
casion, and from time to time, has
interviewed in the coal industry. Not
alone the operators but the miners
have felt the weight of It's influence
and regulated their policies according
ly. In all respect. the mine workers
/ now inquire whether the Federal
Government desires to intervene to
maintain the morality and integrity
of the existing agreement in the
bituminous coal industry.
IF 1t should occur that the Fed
eral Government is disposed not to
intervene for the protection of a
meritorious wage agreement. might
the mine workers believe that their
own efforts In that direction may be
considered as being justified?
Respectfully,
JOHN l.. LEWIS, President" 4"