Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-04-01

| CHICAGO March 81 R)-soft cocl
mining in the major American fields
! headed toward staleinate at mid
fright tonight-the hour of expira
]tien Of the Jacksonville wage agree
me1lt.
4 The impasse between operators and
miners, one of a long series that
lias marked bituminous coal mining
in recent years, was regarded prs
| marily as neither a strike nor q
lockout Rather, it appeared to be
a tacit understanding that work
| must cease because operators have
refused to renew the wage agree
mcnt and the miners have bornd
themselves to- accept no other.
The third party to the threatened
Interruption of soft coal mining
the general public-found itself some
what better situated than on previ-
Ious occasions. More coal IS in stor .
age, today than ever before. Govern
ment estimates of bituminous coal
above ground are Between 75,000,0OG
and S0,000,000 tons. Because Of the
advantageous position of the public
coupled with the approach of the
season when demand is not so ure
gent for fuel, there have come pre-
dictions that the shut down will be
protracted.
Some operators have said there
would be no need to operate the
mines for so DAYS or even longer. a
large and steady supply of coal from
non union fields, too, makes the
situation much easier for the con-
sumer. The miners and operators
committee failed to arrive at a
mutual agreement at their Miami
conference.
Operators in Illinois where $780,
600 tons of coal are mined monthly
said that it is impossible to tell
with any degree OF accuracy how
complete the suspension may be for
several days. Illinois mines nor
lnally employ approximately 72,0OC
men.
The viewpoint of Illinois operators
was succinctly voiced today by Rice
Miller, president OF their association.
Illinois operators will not sign to
continue the Jacksonville agreement.
The reason is simple:
"They cannot survive. Six years
experience under an absolutely non (.
competitive arrangement has result
ed in the closure of more than half
the mines in the state and the
slrinkage in output or 100000
tons.''
Union officials seemed equally as
determined. President John L. Lewis
of the United Mine Workers of
America mad nothing 20 say, but
district leaders made overtures to
operators for conferences.
In Ohio the operators took the
initiative by inviting union repre-
sentatives to confer with them to
negotiate new wage scale.
Operators in the central competi.
tive field, which embraces Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio and western Fem
sylvania, sought unsuccessfully 20
find a basis Of accord
In the southwestern district which
includes Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas
and Arkansas; all hope for new
agreement was abandoned by the
coal operators association. Between
sc, 900 and $4,000 men are employed
in this area.
The western Pennsylvania biti
munous areas employ Approximately
10000 men, who are expected TO be
affected if a general suspension
takes PLACE. Numerous non-union
mines here, however, have Indicated
that work will continue.
Several mines will continue In
operation under temporary agree
ments calling for payments of the
Jacksonville SCALE
In Iowa, President George Heaps,
Jr., Of the operators, was called into
| conference with Governor Hanmili
in an effort to prevent cessation Of
work The Washington government
has indicated it will take no part i'll
| the matter