Evening star., 1925-07-10
HARD COAL MINERS
SPURN ARBITRATION
viii Win Demands by Sep
tember | or Strike, Union
Leaders Decide.
BY the Associated Press.

ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., July TO-
this time to proposals of operators to
agree upon arbitration in event of
deadlock in the coming scale negotia-
tions, or to agree to remain at work
after September l, whether a contract
has been signed or not.
The miners subcommittee of six
reached this decision at a morning
meeting in advance of the opening of
actual negotiations this afternoon.
No official statement was made, but
it was learned from a responsible rep
resentative of the miners union that
the objection to the proposals was
based upon two grounds.
Scent Operators Plot.
First, the miners were said to feel
that with seven weeks until Septem-
Der /. there was still plenty of time
to reach an agreement, II one were
possible. Second, according to this in
formation, the miners frowned upon
arbitration in belief that operators
would try to make 1t the substitute for
the present negotiations. Once the
miners agreed to submit any differ
ences to arbitrators, ii was said. they
would be uncomfortable for fear the
being reached here at Atlantic City
In play for a judicial decision
later on.
Operators today declined to discuss
this disclosure, other than to say they
stood upon the proposals made by
Samuel d. Warriner, chairman of the
anthracite operators conference Ar
bitration and non-strike pledge were
simply measures calculated to serve
public interest. they said.
Having heard denunciation of arbi-
tration by John l.. Lewis, a conference
OF representatives of the United Mine
Workers and mine owners has re-
ferred the unions demands to a sub
committee which meets this afternoon.
Operators Amazed"
The operators object strenuously to
the miners demands for a 10 per cent
wage increase for contract men and
81 day for day men and the reten-
ton of the check-off, the collection of
miners union dues by the operators
for the union. They expressed won.
der and amezement" at the terms.
John L. Lewis. president Of the
United Mine Workers, denied at an
open conference yesterday the exist.
ence of justification for arbitration.
Samuel d. Warriner, president of the
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co. and
chairman of the operators general
committee, suggested arbitration to
prevent injury to the industry by sus.
pension of work.
Recalling that 1 900 miners were
killed and 10000 manned since the last
wage conference in 1928, Mr.. Lewis
said that an arbitration commission
virtually determines what price a
miner may die for. Arbitration is de-
manded only of the man who works
with his hands, he said, and neither
the professions nor capital surrenders
to others the right to fix what fees or
profits should be. He defended only
arbitration of disputed interpretations
of contracts already signed.
Retail Price at Peak.
MIR. Warriner said inroads on the
hard coal market by oil, gas cleo
tricity and bituminous coal had so i'm.
periled the industry that reduction
of labor costs was needed. The miners
demands, he declared, would add $780,.
100000 to the existing labor bill of
$500, ,0O0, 900, an increase which oper-
ators cannot afford to absorb even in
part, and which cannot be passed on
to consumers without curtailing the
demand for anthracite, already selling
at peak prices.
He warned the miners" representa-
tives that insistence on the wage in
crease would force the same condi-
tions that exist in bituminous fields,
where non-union operators have. taken
over 20 per cent of the production. He
rejected demands for retention of the
check-off.
Mr.. Lewis declared the world would
stand aghast if the crippled miners
and widows and orphans of the dead
could pass in review on the Board
walk.
Every bit of anthracite produced is
smeared with blood" he said. I'VE
hold that the interest of human life
and limb " superior to that of the
dollar"