Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
COAL INDUSTRY REORGANIZATION
MAY COME FROM WAGE FARLEY
Union Mines i'm Bituminous Fields Facino Strike pos
sibility-Both Sides See Need of Instituting
Economies

lack of steady employment. It is not
true that this entire result can he
charged to the Jacksonville agree
ment of 1924.
The situation finds the coal CON.
sumner sitting in a position of relative
ease. The one who usually plavs the
role OF the innocent bystander, with
the characteristic sad results typical
OF that part, has less at stake than
ordinarily is the case At the same
time strike in the unionized mines
undoubtedly would lead to advancing
prices for all available coal which
easily might result in a panic narkat
with consequent cost to the public.
III is In the matter Of supply for
immediate needs that the Consumer
mas httie TO concern himself about. In
other words, while coal would be more
gear there would be coal to be had
me element of suffering, therefore. Is
eeiIoteo from the situation as It ef.
1ects the consumer alone. That there
would be hardship for miners arS
operators In the union fields there
can De no question, and in the recoeni.
.,on OF this fact rests the hone of
tnose VINO feel confident there viii he
no coal strike this wear van VIC
STOCKS or soft coal in the hands of
consumers on January / were la reer
Iiah on the same date of any Yea
sln a the war, with the execution Of
1874 In the face Of heavy consumn.
tIoh Tor industrial purposes and Win.
Ter consumption for household uses
pius abnormally large exports. stocks
OF coal increased 10000, 900 tons he.
tween october l and January l.
NOn-UniOn Mines Gain.
More than 60 per cent of all the soft
codi now being produced in the United
a.es comes from non-union mines.
AT the peak of production this Win.
Ter only 40 per cent of the soft coal
came from union mines. This was in
period of advancing prices. when the
unionlzed mines were encouraged in
tnelr operations. At the peak non.
union mines produced 9.00O,0 900 tons
IN a week. In contrast to this it NAV
De recalled that in 1919, when the
union was at the height of its power
and In which year a strike was called
non-un1on production was only 1000
VOO tons a week.
A recent study by the Bureau of
Mines shows that in 1925 1902 soft
coal mines, producing $4,000. 900 tons
IN year and employing 217,O00 men,
ii'u wage contracts with the union.
that 4,l52 mines. producing 314 900 900
tons a year and employing 316. 900
men, recognized no contract with the
union, and that from the beginning to
the end of that year 213 mines, pro
ducing 100000 tons and employing
$4,000 men, changed their policy from
union to non-union.
What the union Is seeking is a wage
agreement which will provide not less
than the present scale. Operators have
been Offering at the outset a sliding
scale agreement, by which they will
pay 10 per cent more than the wages
of the non-union fields of West Vir.
ginia apd Kentucky.
Sterilization of the soft coal indus
try is its outstanding need. Both
operators and miners recognize this
fact. Economists who have been
studying this situation for some years
believe that the time is now ripe for
a move toward sterilization by change
ing operating conditions, and thus
working conditions, SO as to take adj.
vantage of al economies possible in
oroduct16A