Evening star., 1926-02-18
500 Men Strike Over Wage
Rates at Pittston as
Others Resume Toll.
SOME FUEL HOISTED
TO COLLIERIES TODAY
Radical Drop in Coke Price Comes
as Shafts Are Reopened in
Anthracite Region.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SCRANTON. Pa, February 1S.-
Mining was resumed in the anthracite
region today when the vast army of
underground workers returned to their
duties after being absent more than
five months because OF the strike.
Thousands of workers thronged
around the shafts of the different coal
companies everywhere in the hard
coal fields at m. at which hour the
cages began lowering their loads OF
human freight to the bowels of the
earth and begin the actual production
of anthracite. the first since the strike
went into effect September l. Some
coal was hoisted TO the collieries and
run through the chutes at Z O'Clock
this morning The coal was mined by
shifts that went to work in the mines
last night.
The whole region became active as
the mine whistles blew this morning
for the first time in nearly a halt
year. and thousands of workers en-
tered the pits in compliance with the
five-year peace pact, formally signed
here yesterday afternoon.
PrOduCtlOn ID fer tent.
Leading coal operators said they
expected to produce about % pei
cent of the daily average of 5000
tons. All, however, will not be ship
ped away, because much of 1t is need
ed for boilers at the mines.
There are about 125 producing com
panies in the anthracite fields. The
companies will try to spread their
product so that a little will go &c
everybody rather than all to few
The maximum output will be attained
about the end of the month.
John L. Lewis. president of the
union, said 1t was the greatest con
tract ever drawn up in the history OF
organ nized labor. involving wages ag
gregating billion and a half dollars
in five years.
Mine workers who went to work to
day will not receive any pay for at
least 20 days. They are paid twice
month in normal times. Their pay
for the remaining days of this month
will come to them between the 10ts
and 18th of March. In the meantime
relief will be continued where neces
sary.
500 Men Go on Strike.
WILKES BARRE, Pa, February
IS Up)-Trouble marked the reopening
of the anthracite mines here today
after nearly six months of idleness.
Five hundred workers employed by
the PENNSYLVANIA Coal Co. at the
No. shaft at Pittston went on strike
a few minutes after the resumption of
operations.
The dispute arose over wage rates
a sore spot in the upper hard coal
district for years.
Trouble was also reported at the
Woodward mine Of the Glen Alden
Coal Co. on the west side, but op
erations were continued. A score of
company hands were turned bach
from various operations shortly after
the opening of the mines because OF
the failure of the miners to report for
work.
The walkout was not unexpected
Prior to the expiration OF the contract
last September there had been trouble
a this operation, the workers demand
ing $3.50 to $3.50 for a shift, which the
company refused to pay.
Usual Procedure.
The usual procedure in trouble OF
this sort is to place the matter before
the general grievance committee fol
adjustment and II satisfaction Is not
obtained, to arrange for a complete
tie-up of the Pittston area. Thi.
would involve 10000 workers.
A K. Morris, general manager OF
the Pennsylvan mia Coal Co, announce:
that he would confer with officials Of
District No. /, United Mine Workers
and members OF the colliery grievance
committee during the day in an eff
fort to end the dispute.
The miners in the Pennsylvania
operations have figured in many un
authorized strikes in recent years
Company officials said they had worked
a total of only two months In 1925 Ths
charter Of the local OF which these
workers are members was revoked by
the union last year because Of alleged
disobedience Of orders from interna
tional headquarters.