Evening star., 1925-08-12
MINERS COUNT ON
! US. TO AIR CLAIMS
United Action Move to Bring
Out All Grievances of
"a, Workers.
By the Associated Press.


ATLANTIC CITY. \. j., August Il.
The United Mine Workers of Amer
lea expect any Government interVen-
ton aiming TO avert or shorten a hard
coal suspension September / TO con-
slider their grievances in the soft coal
industry as well. il is learned on re-
liable authority.
Redress of alleged wrongs grow
ing out of what the miners say Is
wholesale wage cutting and repudla-
ton of the Jacksonville agreement IN
bituminous coal territory has become
virtually the unions price OF peace
in the anthracite fields, according 10
this information.
Hard coal mine owners have been
asserting that the miners union
planned such a dual alliance in ad-
vance of the scale negotiations, when
the miners broke off a week ago yes
terday.
Miners officials today emphatically
denied this They said the hard coal
break has merely absolved them from
their pledge to the operators to keep
hard coal and soft coal problems
divorced. Freed. they mean to in
woke any public tribunal appearing
with jurisdiction to consider grleV-
ances in the coal industry. A tribunal
competent to intercede in behalf OF
nara coal COtSullleIS, lileS SStiN'' on -
be competent also to intercede in be-
half Of aggrieved soft coal miners.
EventuaIity Problematical.
What will happen if the eXpecta-
tions Of the union miners were not
met were described as problematical.
Both President John L. Lewis and
Van A. Bittner, his chief organizer
in West Virginia, have warned OF a
national shutdown of coal mines II
the alleged regulations of the Jack
sonville agreement were not rectlhed.
Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Com
merce, union officials said, has not
yet replied TO a telegram to this effect
sent by Mr.. Bittner- Phillip Murray,
international vice president, accord
ingly remained away, 1t was said,
from the conference Mr.. Hoover called
in Washington last week to discuss
organization of the United states
Bureau of Mines.
Large bituminous coal operators
contend that the Jacksonville agree
ment is impracticable,' because West
Virginia non-union mines paying a
lower scale can underSell them. 1t IS
for the union miners themselves to de-
eide whether to accept a wage reduc-
ton, and remain at work, they say, or
insist upon the higher scale the opera
tors 1OllQSllN dSIttu " pay dI4O NC
idle.
Miners Answer Claim.
The union replies the operators
know that the only factor affecting
production is the amount of coal the
market will take. This is fixed
figure, it says, and would not be in
creased by wage cut. Such cut,
it was said, would mean merely re-
duced income for the miners.
The union further cites from recent
coal history that the Jacksonville
agreement was sponsored not by the
union, but the United States Govern
ment. as represented by Secretary
Hoover. That is one reason why the
Government, if it acts in hard coal
now, will be asked 10 extend its pur-
view to take in the evil days on which
its offspring has fallen, it was said.
Until the Government takes action,
however, according to the union posi-.
ton, the union will insist that union
operators live up to their signed
agreement.