Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
Dropping Jacksonville
Scale May Lower Prices
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

July temperatures may tend to OBJ
Scure In the public mind the impor-
lance OF the action of the policy COM
mittee OF tn: United Mine Workers of
America this week In receding from the
unions position that the basis OF wage
negotiations be the Jacksonville scale.
But 1t foreshadows that when wintry
blasts begin TO blow the consumers will
be able to fill their bins with soft coal
at less cost than in the last 10 years
After having been In session a week
at indianapolis, the policy committee,
which controls important affairs Of the
international union of coal miners be-
| tween conventions of that organization,
reached the conclusion that district
unions may negotiate individual con-
tracts with operators.
Unless there Is an agreement among
district leaders which does not appear
on the surface of~the official announce
ment. this action means the end of a
uniform scale of wages In the unionized
coal fields for an indefinite period in
the future. the first time this condition
has obtained since the United Mine
Workers came into power 80 years ago.
UnioniZed mines will be in a position
to compete with non-union mines, and
union districts will compete with other
uIliUI UkStIlELS IOI Tic CCdA ulaTkSls
This competition. with a lower labor
cost In the unionized fields. will tend
TO force even lower prices to the con-
Sumers.
Another result of this action by the
International union probably will be an
intensiflcation OF the bitter feeling over
the lake cargo case In the struggle be-
h,
operators for the markets of the North
west. With wages In the unioni2ed
fields OF the North and these Of the
non-unlon fields Of the South more
nearly on parity, as made possible by
the unions recession from the Jackson
vile scale, every penny In freight rates
is going to count more heavily In the
battle to reach the consumers.
How far the railroads will continue
to go in this fight between coal oper-
ators arises now as a serious question,
and there have been rumors that man
ayers OF important carriers have con-
Guided that price war between coal
mine owners should not be permitted
10 bring rate war between railroads
and that compromise rate agreement
may be attempted.
Three years ago Pennsylvania and Ohio
operators petitioned the Interstate Com
merce Commission for a greater dif-
ferential between rates from their fields
to lake ports and rates from Southern
fields to the same ports. The commits
sion first denied a greater spread, then
reversed itself and increased the diff
ferential 20 cents a ton. Southern
carriers voluntarily cut their basic rates
90 cents, thus multiplying the commits
sion's order. The commission directed
them to restore the old and higher
rates, but temporary injunction was
obtained against this order. which case
il pending on appeal. The Northern
roads cut their rates 30 cents, again
increasing the spread, In the mean
while, the Senate rejected one nomina-
ton TO membership ON the Interstate
Commerce Commission because OF this
coal rate case
~
Under the Jacksonville agreement,
made In 1924, the Government Coal
Commission wage scale OF 1870 was
continued for three years In union
bituminoua mines, The market broke
and non-union mines, producing at a
lower labor cost. were able to get bust
ness from some of the union mines.
Some union mines closed; others went
on an "open~shop" basis; some were
able TO compete at the scale, and IN
1927, when the agreement expired, there
was widespread cessation OF work In
union mines because operators insisted
upon q lower sealew-the old agreement
being $3.50 for day labor and 81 90
per ton for piecework, Temporary
agreements were made for operations
ia certain OF the unionised fields last