New Britain herald., 1928-03-26
COAL HEARING IS
 BEING CONTINUED
More Testimony Heard by Bitu-
 miD0uS Committee

Washington, March a6 tP. - A
 statistical defense of the abandon
 ment of union operation by the Consolidation Coal company of
 West Virginia was given 10 the sen ate committee Investigating the lltiminous industry today by George Anderson. executive vice president.
 Testifying last week, John D. Rockefeller, jr., a stocl1holder in the Consolidation company, sug- gested that Anderson be allowed 10 answer for details of the concerns S labor policy.
 Anderson read statistics of opera - tions for 1924 and 1927, explaining that the mines were on a union basis in 1924 and on "open shop basis in 1927. The comparative sta 'istics for these two years indicated increases for 1927 as follows:
 Men working per day: 31s or [ 1-2 per cent.
 Increased annual earnings per man: s322 or 27 per cent
 Payroll increase: s1,sS1.ooO or SC per cent.
 "Increasod productions; c,oSS.o 900 or 66 1-2 per cent.
 Increase in days worked per man: 125. or 95 per cent"
 Turning to the struggle between the United Mine Workers and tho operators, Anderson characterized it as industrial war"
 '1t is a war not a battle" he went on, and has already been go- ing on twice as long as the World war;
 The operator referred to the membership of the miners union as "2S6,oo0 men constantly in the field as standing army" adding that 'on the operators side, how ever, we have an unorganized mob"
 He disayowed any bitterness to- ward unionism as such. while at the same time blaming much of the distress in the soft coal indus 1ry upon the stand taken by the union for maintenance of the mystic s75o day wage" after post "eadjustmcnt.
 Anderson referred 10 the union army as composed Of "woll disci- plined conscripts.' He described John l.. Lewis, president of the | nited Mine Workers. as great general and a two-Gsted fighting man,
 But this army doesn't believe in compulsory arbitration,' he con tinuod, and what else is avail 1 .,blo?"
 The operator quoted the late ] President Harding as saying that inc country was at the mercy of | inc United Mine Workers except | for the coal from the non-union | 1ieIds.
 Anderson then traced the history of the Jacksonville and Baltimore l wage conferences of 1924 and 1925, 1 the northern West Nir- 1 einia territory had not been repre- s'ntcd at the first conference and l saying that the West Virginia operators were told to accept the ; 50 basic wage scale obtained al or nothing at the at Baltimore.
 They refused 10 arbitrate," he added.
 Anderson asserted that the fight on the Baltimore agreement had been hard and close among the operators. explaining that it had been ratified by the operators at Fairmount, w. Va, by 1 IS to II vote. Some operators withdrew from the organization to operate on non-union basis. he said.
 Within GO days" the operator continued, the officers of the union in that vicinity were all i. hanged, in an effort to save the "reckage of the union"
 From that hour, the acts of the iuly appointed officers Of the United Mine Workers in northern West , lrglnia had no more to do with he wishes of the rank and file of he men than with mine" he added. { Senator Fess asked Anderson for l lis ideas concerning solution for he soft coal problem, but the wit 1eSs said he could advance none. le expressed the opinion that the operators and miners alike opposed he creation Of coal commission | Senator Wagner. New York, in !. ured whether the Consolidation , soal company considered that il , lad broken the Baltimore agree , lent when it abandoned the wage i cale it specified. We certainly did not" said An S erson. arguing that the agreement I Id not remain binding when the ' ondlt,ons under which it had been C rived at were altered. V