Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
The Coal Conference in Recess.

Adjournment of the anthracite wage
conference in New York until next
Tuesday quenches somewhat the hope
of the public of an early settlement.
of the strike, especially when 1t ap-
pears that there is no definite advance
toward agreement. However, the Of
fetal announcement of the recess puts
the case in a manner that keeps alive
that hope:
While it cannot be said that the
parties are any nearer agreement than
when they met, it IS true that each
side had made progress toward
better understanding Of the problems
and viewpoints of the other and of
the reasons for their respective po-
sitionS.
From this it would appear that the
three days of discussion at New York
have simply brought about better
understanding between the miners and
the operators. But from this ought
to come an agreement. The question
arises, are both sides now more fully
conscious of the fact that the public
interest is, after all, paramount, and
that the quarrel between them is
most severely harmful to the people
who consume the product of the
mines?
At an early stage of the conference
in New York representatives Of the
miners sought to interject into the
discussion the question Of price fixing
along with wage fixing. It was point
ed out promptly by the operators that
under the law there can be no price
fixing of commodities by private agree
ment, or even by arbitration. Unless
the Federal statute is repealed or
amended, no price scale can be main
tanned. The public is, of course, con-
cerned in this matter. 1t would very
decidedly object to any adjustment in
settlement OF the strike that raised
the cost of fuel automatically and
definitely. Yet the public knows that
a revision of the wage scale upward
always means revision of the price
scale, also upward. The public always
pays the bill of any strike settlement
llNOlNIil5 HlSiel pay LUZ the inlIleTS.
The present price of COAL averaging,
regardless Of strike time advances,
more than three times that of twenty
five years ago, is due to the successive
suspensions of mining and increases
of pay at the mines.
In any compromise that may be eff
fected in this case there must be give
and take by the two sides. The
miners must either recede from their
refusal to submit the matter to I'M
qualified arbitration, or the operators
must yield from their contention for
a long-term contract. The check off
system, or compulsory collection of
union dues from the miners by the
operators in behalf of the organiza-
ton, though discussed does not ap-
pear to be one of the obstacles to an
agreement. 1t is evident that the sit
uation turns upon the unwillingness
Of the miners to yield to arbitration,
and the desire Of the operators for a
definite period of peace at the mines
In this latter contention the oper-
ators have the support of tho public,
for it is decidedly to the interest of
coal consumers that the chances of
a strike interrupting the supply should
be lessened, even though a long con-
tract means probably a protracted
period of higher prices. But, mas
much as the prices are always climb
ing, perhaps a f1ve-year term would
be advantageous to those who use
anthracite.
Probably both sides realize that
prolongation of the strike means an
increase in the public use of substi-
| tutes, which may grow into a habit
and permanently lessen the demand
for hard coal. That fact should be
determining influence in bringing
| about an early agreement to end this
| wasteful war of private interests.