Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
SOFT COAL CRISIS
5, SEEN IN MIDWEST
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois Min
ina DeclineS-RivaI Forces
Dispute Cause.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. March 5.-Across the
great soft coal fields of the Middle
West economic forces again appar
emily are moving to a crisis.
The tipples that rise from Ohio's
hills and protrude bleakly from the
plains Of Illinois and Indiana. once
more may be the center of an Indus
trial struggle which has been waged
since the central competitive field
mines lost their lustiness or world
war and immediate postwar days.
The Jacksonville wage scale for the
field expires March 81. The only
thing to prevent another tie-up Is Tor
operators and miners to reach an
agreement, which they failed to do
at Miami
Industry Near Poverty.
Each side has its own ideas as to
what has brought near-impoVerlsh-
Rent to the coal industry in many
sections of the field, and cold figures
indlte the story as the controversy
goes on.
The owners contend they cannot
continue the Jacksonville wage base
rates and successfully compete with
the non.union fields of West Vir-
Einia, Tennessee and Kentucky. They
seek an adjustable wage which can
be changed to meet the production
costs of their rivals south or the
broad Ohio River.
The miners hold that actual over
head is lowered by the employment
of union miners, and that the remedy
lies in an adjustment of freight rates
and the application of more scientific
management and marketing.
Ohio Mining whitening.
Western Pennsylvania is the fourth
unit OF the central field. which sets
the standard for bituminous mine
wages for the rest Of the country.
Ohfo's coal mining industry is with
ering. In 1918 there was a peak pro
duction of 4S, 000, 900 tons of fuel. But
in 1925. the last year for which COM
plete figures are available, the pro-
duction was 27,500, 900 tons.
Ohio operators, whose holdings lie
comparatively close to the Lake Erie
ports, from which the coal supply of
the Northwest is dispatched in lake
freighters, may f1guratively stand on
their doorsteps and see coal-laden
trains from West Virginia and Ken
lucky putting toward these ports,
while their own mines are idle.
Would Cut Rates.
The Ohio government has entered
the fight from time to time. The
legislature now has before 1t a bill
intended to bring about a reduction
of freight rates within the State.
The coal Consumption of the State
in estimated at 100000 tons an
nually, Of which the Ohio mines are
figured as capable Of producing 55.-
600 900 tons.
In Illinois O. generaf strike would
stop the operation Of more than 200
mines, throw more than $4,000 men
out of work and mean an estimated
daily loss in miners wages Of $500, 900.
The mine payroll in Indiana has
shrunk to almost half since 1921. A
total Of 80 AIS miners were employed
in that year and received $43. 1886. 527
in wages. Last year the number of
mine workers in the State was 1897,
and their wages Appropriated $685.
5000
Production in 1921. was 22,771 ,56S
tons: in 1925. 1888, 400 tons.
Time Held Opportune.
The miners consider themselves in
b. better tactical position to wage a
successful strike than at any time
during the last decade. They figure
the demand for coal is such that
shutdown of large majority OF the
bituminous mines will throw q pro.
duction burden on the non-union
mines and the union shafts outside
the central field which they cannot
carry.
Operators are said to view this as
an opportune time to force a show
down on wages. pointing to the last
report Of the United States Bureau
Of Mines, which declared more than
SIS per cent OF the bituminous coal
is mined in non-union fields. Some
take the opposite view of miners and
believe the unorganized sections OF
the West Virginia, Kentucky, Ten
nesgee and Pennsylvania fields would
be able to supply the demand.
With funds from a special levy set
for December and January, the emer-
Kency fund of the union will con-
tain more than s1,600,000. Further
more, under constitutional change
affected at the Indianapolis conven-
ton, executives of the union are
empowered to levy special assess
ments as long as they deem neces-
Gary.