The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1927-12-16

By International Labor News Service.
indianapolis, Ind. - The solution
offered by Vice President Philip Muir
ray, of the United Mine Workers of
America, for the ills of the soft coal
industry, in statement given out by
him from union headquarters has at
tracted considerable attention. The
statement was made in answer to
question propounded by the Pitts
burgh Press: "What is the remedy
for the present situation in the bit
luminous Industry"
/. Creation of continuing joint
conference body composed of repre-
sentative miners and representative
operators whose duties it shall be to
work out complete equitable policy
of stabilization, keeping in mind the
fact that capital invested in the coal
industry is entitled to fair return of
profit and the men engaged in it are
entitled to full opportunity to earn a
decent wage with which to support
themselves and their families.
2. Complete 100 per cent organiza-
tion of all mine workers on the one
hand and of all operators on the other
hand, so that each side would possess
a responsible body with power to
speak and act in its behalf.
3. Elimination of the suspicion, dis
trust and ill feeling that now exists
between the parties interested in the
coal industry, and substitution of con-
fdence and good will.
4. Elimination of the high-powered
rife, revolver, blackjack and the arm
ed gunman from the coal industry.
S. Honest-to-God cooperation be-
tween operator and miner in the effort
to stabilize the industry and place it
on solid, substantial basis.
g. Maintenance of the status quo
with the Jacksonville wage scale
while the joint conference body is en-
gagged in the formulation of definite
and lasting policy.
The United Mine Workers of Amer
lea proposes and offers the above plat
form of principles as sound method
by which peace and prosperity may be
brought to the coal business of this
country. The proposed program is
fair and just, fact that will become
clearly apparent to any citizen who
will study it for moment
Unfair Policy Adopted
But it seems the Pittsburgh Coal
Company and certain other companies
of its type have no desire for fairness,
justice and stabilization. Apparently
they have embarked upon clear-cut
policy of brutality through the use of
rifles, revolvers, blackjacks and gun
men; starvation of their employees
through the payment of poverty
wages; destruction of community life
through the importation of thousands
of rough-neck floaters and inexperi-
enced men to take the jobs of men
who have lived and worked here for
many years; lowering the standard of
citizenship by permitting the most
frightfully immoral conditions to exist
in their mining camps; stagnation
of business among local merchants by
compelling employees to patronize
company stores.
There is no public demand for wage
reductions in any industry. Wages
are not being reduced anywhere. In
stead, whenever you read of a wage
readjustment in the United States ii
invariably is readjustment upward
The American public is not demanding
wage reductions in the the coal indus
try. That demand comes only from a
limited few large producing compa-
nies who, by reason of their foolish