Evening star., 1925-07-28
PLEA
SCOREDBY UNION.
Operators Ad Is Declared
Costly Burden on Coal Buy
ing Public by Miners.
BY the Associated Press.


ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., July Is
Anthracite miners today criticized ad-
vertisements inserted in newspapers
by the anthracite operators CONFER
ence as a waste of consumers
money" The advertisements were
headed: "Why a Suspension Of An
thracite Mining Is Indefensible" and
broadcast the operators plea for ar
bitrauon and a mutual pledge to con-
tinue work after September 1 if scale
differences had not been adjusted.
Philip Murray, vice president of the
United Mine Workers of America and
spokesman of the anthracite miners
scale subcommittee. shortly before en-
tering the conference room with the
mine owners today made the following
comment:
Every dollar that operators spend
IN such newspaper advertising is one
dollar more added on to the price of
hard coal to the consumers, just as
much as every dollar granted in a
wage increase to the men.
Better Spent in Wages.
I'VE suppose that the operators, in
preparing their cost sheets as they
affect production will add to them the
enormous sum they now are paying
for advertising in daily papers in an
thracite-conSuming territory.
This money might we'll be divided
between the consumer and the mine
workers-to give the consumer cheap
er coal and to give the miner a more
Hvable wage
Operators have no comment to
make on Mr.. Murray's statement
nt fn yoIa in,
the public interest.
Hard coal miners date part of their
fundamental opposition to arbitra-
ton as now proposed by operators
in event of a deadlock in the scale
negotiations to what they say hap
pened in Washington in 1920.
Discussed Before Conference.
Discussion of the matter was over
heard today in advance Of resumption
Of the conference this afternoon at
which operators were expected to re-
new request for agreement to this
principle.
In 1920, records show, miners and
operators were about agreed on a re-
newal of the term contract on the
basis of a II per cent wage increase
when rising cost of living caused the
men to change their demand to 27
on the new terms, the operators ac-
cepted the offer of the miners TO
arbitrate.
The proposal was rendered by union
leaders of the three anthracite dis
tricts against advice of some Of the
international officers.
President Wilson appointed an ar
bitration tribunal of three-a miner,
a mine owner and representative of
the public. Hearings at Scranton
were followed by adjournment TO
Washington, where the commission
took stock of itself and found the
miner favored the miners, the oper-
ator the operators and that the third
non-partisan member accordingly held
the deciding vote.
The night before this third member
was to announce his personal deci-
sion, which would have the support of
one of the two disSenters, miners re-
ceived reliable information, they said,
that his recommendation would call
for the higher figure-the q per cent
wage increase.
Counted Victory Won.
Miners asserted they had even seen
the finished report.
The men went to bed jubilant over
the supposed victory, but they awoke
the next morning to find that during
the night the award had been shaved
down to the original, and lower. figure
of II per cent.
Whether the miners were misin-
formed or whether, if correctly in
formed. what they had reported see
ing had been only tentative finding,
has not been disclosed. Miners in
sist, however, that a passing operator
the next day told them with a smile
that some people abated their efforts
too soon, while others kept on plead
ing"
At any rate, there is no doubt, they
say, about their being opposed to leaV-
ing any questions to similar decision
now.