The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-08-14
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Anthracite Miners Strike Is
Due Sept. President
10th to Intervene.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD


a LII the signs point to- strike Of
"A American anthracite miners on
September /. Negotiations between
the, workers and the operators for a
new wage contract, which were being
conducted at Atlantic City, broke down
last week, and Immediately afterward
the general scale committee of the
United Mine Workers of America con-
ferred on the subcommittee of six Off
GERS full power to issue the strike call
to manage the strike. The subcom-
mittee also was authorized to arrange
with the operators for the employment
of pumpmen and other maintenance
men after September l. in order that
the mines shall not be flooded or fall
into disrepair during the strike.
Ostensibly the main reason for the
break at Atlantic City was the re-
fusal Of the operators to include in
their subcommittee Presidents War
riner of the Lehigh Coal and Naviga-
ton company and Richards of the
Philadelphia and Reading Coal COM
pany. President John L. Lewis of the
miners had demanded this, asserting
that the subcommittee was composed
of minor officials and was without
power. When the negotiations ceased,
neither side had fully presented its
case, but the operators had plainly
indicated that they would not agree
to wage increase and the check-off
a N Yrfr no Vyfrsf ypol Ivy
to submit the matters in dispute to
arbitration, pointing to letter by
President Lewis, in which he alleged
that in previous arbitration the mine
workers lost $60.000,O00 in two years
to acquire the knowledge that they
now possess concerning the anthracite
operators well-known policy Of keep
Ing close to an arbitrator
In this letter, written to Mr.. War
riner, Mr.. Lewis said the price of coal
already had been advanced and that
the operators conferees had promptly
vetoed every constructive suggestion
of the mine workers representatives
that might reduce the market price Of
anthracite to the consuming public.
Dispatches from Swampscott said
President Coolidge would not inter-
vene in case Of strike unless the
suspension Of mining should last long
|. enough to bring, about fuel famine.
He has been assured by Secretary of
Labor Davis, who Is now in Europe,
that there will be no strike, and 9TH
ers tell him the miners will be willing
to continue work at the present scale
If the operators will concede the
check-off. which is the system by
which operators deduct union dues
from the pay envelopes and turn such
collections over to union officials.
There are persistent rumors that
the workers in the bituminous coal
fields will quit when the anthracite
strike begins. At the recent tri-dis-
trict convention In Scranton where
the mine workers prepared their de-
mands for wage increase of 10 per
cent to contract miners and a dollar
a day to day men, Mr.. Lewis threat
ened soft coal strike If large BIZ
luminous operators continued their al
legged violation Of the Jacksonville
agreement.
~ REAT BRITAINS threatened coal
NJ strike was delayed for two weeks,
II not entirely averted, by conces-
sion Of the operators, who withdrew
their shutdown orders. The govern
ment, to help prevent the strike,
agreed to grant a subsidy to the coal
industry, but when it came to a mat
ter of finding the source Of the esti-
mated $15O,O00O0O necessary it was
up against it. Rumor said 1t had de-
cided to add tax of penny point
on beer, which would just aboutN raise
the sum, but this measure admittedly
would arouse the deep anger of the
British workingman. So Prime Min
lister Baldwin and his government are
facing something of dilemma.
ELGIUMS debt-funding commits
- sion arrived in Washington. and
negotiations with the American debt
commission have been begun. The Bel