The producers news., 1927-03-11
HOW THE SOFT COAL SMOKE is
BLOWING

"The coal industry cannot exist half slave and
half free. That's the gist of Wall Street Jour
nal dispatch although the journal doesn't put It
that way. 1t says that the lean years of the
operators will be over if the operators smash the
union or if the union completely organizes the
entire industry" says Leland Olds Of the Feder-
ated Press.
"A showdown" says the journal, probably win
open the way for a substantially better future for
Che bituminous coal industry proveided one side or
the other gains definite victory. If sliding
scale complete elimination of the union can he
obtained, the mines in this lPittsburgh) district
win resume their former position in the indus
Try. On the other hand if the unions could sue
ceed in completely organizing the entire industry
the double wage scale would be brought to an end
Either eventuality would put an end to the lean
years of the bituminous operators here"
This Wall Street paper admits that the indus
try is hurt not by the union demands but by the
existence of ? sets of working standards In this
case the country hardly afford to see the min
ers union destroyed.
The operators are counting on the nonunion
fields plus the coal hand to defeat the union
this spring. Stocks of coal were estimated at the
end of February at 7OOO0OOO tons with 1000 600
tons added to the pile each week Nonunion pro-
duction is reckOned at about 100000 tons a
week.
The operators figure that the union strateg,
will be to squeeze the central competitive field By
allowing the outlying union districts to keep OF
producing. There are supposed to be about $50.
600 potentially union miners in these outlying dis
tricts who might strike if Pres John L. Levi.
said the word. The Chicago Journal of Commerc,
says:
with the outlying districts and the strppint
operations in the middle west, Mr. Lewis hopes t,
be able to squeeze the operators in Illinois, Indi
ana Ohio and western Pennsylvania. This soueez
is Mr.. Lewis big stick"
The operators wondering whether the non
union miners Of the central field will answer tn
strike call The nature of the eventual settlemen
IS likely to depend on the answer of these min
ers, most Of whom responded in 1922
Illinois and Indiana mineowners, interviewed b
the Chicago Journal of Commerce, foresee stri5
Of at least months before an agreement salts
factory to both parties can be negotiated. Thes
operators want especially to get back their contrC
OF the right to hire and fire. They contend tina
their inability to discharge men under the pres
ent agreement causes irregular operation.
Illinois mines operated pretty steadily durin
January produced s, S9l ,42S tons of coal Their
were 200 MINES reporting 72,259 employees VIII
worked an average Of 2O.2 days in the month AC
coraing to the Journal Of Commerce. industrie
preparing for the suspension in the union field
Aprh are pihng up huge reserves Operator
Z are SAID to be smoothing over petty disputes
obtain uninterrupted operation. Recently howeve
I trouble broke out IN Saline county over the ol
; question OF loading clean coal and the mines
that section have been closed for 10 days pens
7 ing a settlement