Evening star., 1925-09-24
TELLS WHY MINERS
DENY ARBITRATION
Committee Points to Prece-
dents Established by 0per-
ators in Past Troubles.
By the Associated Press.

' By the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA. September "a
The anthracite scale commission OF
the United Mine Workers today sent a
telegram to the New England Coal
Dealers Association, in convention at
Boston, outlining the reasons for the
refusal of the miners to submit their
differences with the hard coal oper-
ators to arbitration.
The message was sent in answer to
an address delivered before the con.
vention yesterday by Walter Gordon
Merritt, counsel for the anthracite op.
orators. Merritt said the miners
union was 'the banner bearer of in
dustral combat as against peaceful
arbitrament
Basis of Refusal.
THE United Mine Workers refuses
to arbitrate the terms and conditions
that are to be written in and consti-
tute a contract" said the unions tele-
gram. 1T will and does arbitrate queS-
tions that arise under the terms of a
contract after the agreement has been
made. No business man would agree
to submit to outside arbitration the
terms and conditions that are to go in
his contracts
Goal operators do not agree or offer
to arbitrate the price at which they
shall sell their coal nor the amount of
proht they may make. \ clothing deal
er would refuse to arbitrate the price
AT which he must sell a suit of clothes
Then why should the coal miner be
compelled to arbitrate the price at
which he shall sell his labor, which is
his only stock in trade.
Cases of Refusal
''Mr. Merritt says arbitration is
, practically the only peaceful solution
N nrNtt ttyr. .
able to devise for situations of this
kind. John d. Rockefeller, jr... is a
good business man. yet his coal COM
pany refused to arhtrate the wages
or its miners in Colorado in 1914.
Judge Gary is a good business man,
yet he refused to aroitrate wages in
the steel strike OF 1919. although re-
Quested by the President of the
United States to arbitrate. Coal op-
orators of Mingo County, West Viz
ginia, who are followers and disciples
of Walter Gordon Merritts industrial
philosophy. refused to aroitrate the
wages of their miners in 1920.
Surely if such great captains of
industry and large employers may
refuse arbitration it is unfair to in
sist that the anthracite miners be .om-
PEELED to arbitrate their wages and
earning capacity: In this controversy
the anthracite miners are merely pro-
tecting the interests of themselves and
their families"
Roads Lose Heavily.
NEW YORK. September "a OP.-
Nine railroads serving the anthracite
coal mines are losing $500 900 a
week in revenue as a result of the
suspension of anthracite mining, 1t is
estimated.
The cut in revenue has forced lay
ing off 1900 railroad workers. Car
loadings on the roads have fallen 40
900 cars week. Where each Of the
nine roads load l 900 cars of coal "a
day in normal times, only 800 cars
day are being loaded out of coal in
storage. and this number is steadily
decrea sing.
The loss of freight revenue is the
chief loss TO railroad owners, as most
of the coal properties formerly held
by the carriers have been divorced.
= Little Relief Asked.
HAZLETON. Pa. September "a Op).
-Notwithstan suspension of the
anthracite coal mines since September
l there has been no increase so far
in calls for relief from the middle coal
field poor district. according to figures
Just disclosed The district embraces
the entire Lehigh field.
So far say officers of the poor dis
trict. the idle miners and their families
are not in actual need-at least they
for assistance. Only the usual re-
lief is being issued. Most of the
miners have sons and daughters whose
earnings are sufficient to meet the
domestic budget. Others had saved
money in expectation of suspension.