The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-24
CONTINUED from yesterday


The present question is not one of
a 30 per cent wage reduction with
more work and prosperity on one
hand and the present wages and lit
tel or no work on the other, as the
operators are presenting it.
Let us analyze the problem:
First, we must take into consider
alton the fact that the nation re-
quires a certain amount of coal.
When it has secured enough to meet
all requirements it ceases to pur-
chase. We are now consuming suffi-
cient coal for all those requirements,
yet unemployment is widespread. If
the miners accept a reduction, it
would obviously not create additional
requirements. How then would such
reduction provide more work and
more prosperity, when living costs
for the miner are higher, if anything,
rather than lower?
The results Of 80 per cent reduc-
ton would mean
80 per cent less money for miners
80 per sent less of miners money
for Merchants.
80 per lent less Of miners money
for merchants.
We must also consider the effect
a wage reduction in Central Pennsyl-
vania would have on the mining in
dustry in the country as whole. We
must remember that West Virginia
and the various non-union fields are
not the only bituminous coal produc-
ing districts. Were the miners here
to accept a wage reduction, the
Western Pennsylvania operators, the
Ohio operators, the Indiana, Illinois
and all the operators who are parties
to the Jacksonville agreement would
demand, and most justly so, the same
/ concessions. The non-union fields
would Immediately follow suit and
any slight advantage that might be
gained by making the first cut here
would in the course of a week or two,
be wiped out and the same relative
position would maintain between dis
tricts. The only result would be less
money for the miners and conse-
quently less for the merchants and
the community at large.
/ The miners Of District 2 are fully
aware of the futility of the wage
reduction remedy" This is evidenced
by the fact that in spite of months
of unemployment and of privations
and sufferings, there is not a single
local union in the entire district that
has suggested the acceptance of a
wage reduction. On the contrary,
many of them are urging that we
stand firmly for the present agree
ment.
This is the position of the Inter
national Officers and the District Of
ficers, but more than that, it is the
position of the union miners of the
country for whom we are but the
spokesman.
The present agreement is for a
period of three years ending March
/ 81, 1927. That agreement was en-
tered into after a joint conference
at which all these various matters
were carefully considered. There
fore, we can see no advantage in hav-
ing a joint conference now to dis
cuss questions which are closed for
a three year period.
The whole bituminous coal indus
try is in a chaotic condition and no
stability will come to it until some
form of regulation controls it. If
/ the operators are not able to do So
then these people whose interests are
dependent on the coal business, should
appeal to Congress for the necessary
regulatory laws that will make the
coal industry stable and serviceable.
Yours truly,
John Brophy
I President of District No. 2
Contract Reputation.
In the early part of 1925 the Roch-
ester & Pittsburgh Coal & Iron Co.,
began reputation of contracts
through a leasing system with their
Adrian operation in jefferson county,
| following with Lucerne Mines in Midi
ana county and various other oper-
ations until they had considerable
number running on the 1877 scale.
These included other subsidiaries of
the B. r. & P. r. r. as well.
Other concerns followed the lead
of the B. r. G. P. Coal companies and
repudiated their contracts with the
union, either openly or through a
leasing system, such as the b. Z S
Allegheny River Mining Co, Heisley
Coal Co., Middle Pennsylvania Cor
poration, Woshannon Coal Co., Nor
risdale Coal Co., and numerous
smaller concerns.