Evening star., 1925-11-30
Strike Settlement Proposals.

Two steps have been taken toward
the resumption OF hard-coal mining
In settlement Of the strike, which is
now at the end of its third month.
These are proposals by Gov. Pinchot
Of Pennsylvania for an adjustment by
arbitration. with coal mining resumed
at once. and acceptance of those pro
posals by the president of the United
Mine Workers. II is not at this writ
ing indicated whether the opera tors
will likewise aCCede 10 a settlement
based upon the governors proposition
In the eleven points which Gov
PinChot lays down as a basis for set
tlement provision is made for an i'm
mediate resumption of mining like
wise for the maintenance Of the 1925
coal prices whatever readjustments
may be made in wages: also for a five.
year contract. In one respect the gov
ernor's proposal IL III line with the
contention Of the operators, that the
question of wages should be settled by
arbitration. In another respect II is
favorable to the contention OF the
miners, that lOng-terrn contract
should be made. The stipulation re-
garding the maintenance OF coal prices
Is in some degree that If the opera
tors during the August negotiations.
The mine owners then insisted that
they would not consent to a scale re-
vision that added I, the cost Of pro
duction. Whether this present pro
posal that wage revision must not add
10 the cost to the public will be viewed
by the operators as identical with
their contention remains to be seen.
Naturally it follows that if there is
revision Of the wage scale upward
without a chang in the price which
the public will pay. the added wages
will come out Of the present margin
Of profit enjoyed by the operators. But
II is not assured that the adjustment
will effect material increase in the
scale. Gov. Pinchot in his proposal
refers TO readjustments rather than to
general advances. One of the griev-
ances of the miners is that there are
unjust differences between the com
pensations of different grouns of mine
workers.
Should the operators definitely re-
fuse to make this proposed agreement
hased upon the PinChot plan of set
tlement, the onus for continued sus-
pension Of work will undoubtedly rest
upon them. They may demur to one
or another point Of the governors
program, but in the main this prono-
SitiOn embraces their own stipulatior
for an arbitration. They may resist
the suggestion that no advance in
coal prices he made. Certainly if they
do SO they will challenge public feel
Ing. And public feeling is a factor OF
decided Importance in this matter. Al
ready heavy inroads have been made
upon the anthracite market by the
adoption Of substitute fuels While
many Of the users Of substitutes in
this present emergency viii return to
anthracite when the supply is re-
neWed upon the resumption Of mining.
many others Will continue TO use
hitumlnous, oil and coke A certain
part Of the market has been lost def
initely, and more will he lost I'm pro-
portion to the weakening Of public
confidence in the ability Of the mine
operators TO produce fuel without in.
terruption and rrithout excessive ad
ditons to the cost. For it is. after all
the mine owner to whom the con-
sumner looks for his supply. And the
mine owner, whatever may be the
sutferin:s and losses Of th, miners in
strikes, whatever the equities of the
strike contentious. is in the last
analysis the one who is held liable IN
public opinion for supply and for
prices. It will be well therefore. for
the operators in this present situation
10 accept the opportunity which Gov.
l'Inchot's proposal offers and which the
miners have accepted, to settle the
strike and to put the anthracite in
dustry upon a basis Of peace for at
least five years.