Evening star., 1925-08-27
Miss Tarbell's Coal Strike
Observations Corrected
To the Editor of The Star:

TO the Editor Of The Star:
The article by Miss Ida NJ. Tarbell
which appeared in The Sunday Star
Of August %, under the caption of
"Old-fashioned Coal Diplomacy" is so
unfair to the anthracite operators that
L feel justified in entering protest
against it,
The natural inference TO be drawn
from Miss Tarbell's article is that the
anthracite operators have refused any
form of arbitration in the present con
troversy with the United Mine Work
ers of America. The fact is that at
the very beginning of the negotia-
tions, when the anthracite operators
and the representatives of the mine
workers met in joint conference at
Atlantic City on July 8. Mr.. s. d.
Warriner, as spokesman for the oper-
ators, proposed If, in the negotiations
which were about to take place. an
agreement could not be reached that
all matters upon which the conferees
could not agree should be referred to
an impartial board of arbitration.
In order that there may be no mis-
understanding, l quote Mr.. Warri.
ner'S statement in full:
Because of the differences which
now arise between us, you asking for
an Increase in wages and we asking
for reduction, we wish to urge that
provision be made at the outset
against the possibility of a suspension
on September l.
Such joint action on our part
would deserve public confidence. 1t
can be accomplished by an agreement
to the effect that If our respective
committees are unable to agree upon
any issues, such issues shall be re-
ferred to arbitration, upon the under
standing that production shall be con-
tinued at the present wage scale until
the arbitrators render an award
Let me say to you here and now
that the operators are prepared to CO.
operate in any fair and practicable
| plan, not only to prevent q susDen-
sion next September. but to provide
means to prevent suspensions in the
future in order that public anxiety in
this respect may be put at rest This
| can be accomplished by long. term
! agreement, with provision for the ad-
| justment Of wage rates during that
| term, so that wages may be conform
| ed to changing economic conditions"
| During the negotiations at Atlantic
| City Maj. w. w. Inglis. chairman of
| the operators negotiating committee.
| urged the representatives Of the
| miners to agree to proposition of
| this character and that mine opera
| tions should continue uninterrupted
| after September l at the existing rate
| of wages and that no award of the
arbitrators should be retroactive to
| September l. 1t should be remember
ed that the operators offered to SUBJ
nit all questions in conflict to de.
| cision by the arbitrators.
! The representatives of the miners
| refused to agree to any arbitrary SUBJ
mission. and as you know on August
I Mr.. Lewis, at the first meeting OF
the negotiators which he had attend.
| ed, abruptly terminated the confer
| ence.
| In 1922, preceding the protracted
! strike of that year, the anthracite
| operators proposed arbitration of the
| matters at issue. The miners refused.
! In 1928 the operators again offered TO
| submit the matters at issue to arbi
tration. The miners again refused.
How is it possible under these cir.
cumstances, for Miss Tarbell to say
| that nothing of this kind has been
| tried by the anthracite bargainers. -
Also that from the beginning of the
! negotiations there has been hardly a
! sign of that will to peace which is the
very heart of agreements"
| Miss. Tarbell also states that the
| anthracite operators have not spread
I before us that full accounting of the
| costs, expenditures and profits of the
| business on which alone arbitration
| can be based and by which public
| opinion can be guided" If Miss Tar
| bell will consult the reports of the
/ United Coal Commission she will find
very full statements regarding the
costs, expenditures and profits of the
| anthracite operators over a period of
! 10 years.
f. w. PARKER.
! Director Anthracite Bureau of In
! formation.
| Philadelphia, August %, 1925.