The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-18
MINERS CHARGE
RAILROADS TRY
TO ruin union
Pennsylvania Road Closes
Mines by Price EdiCt,
Leaders Assert.
BIZ Times SpecinL

DU 4 tHttN EUtttuL
WASHINGTON. Jan. ia "rail-
road-coal company conspiracy" to
refuse to buy Indiana coal produced
by union miners has resulted in
keeping thousands of miners out Of
work in the Indiana field and has
kept the mines idle, it was charged
by representatives of the United
Mine Workers of America in a
statement to the Senate Interstate
Commerce Committee today.
The union chiefs asked the COM
mittee to take up Senator Johnson's
resolution for an investigation into
the disturbances in the coal indus
try. The Pennsylvania Railroad
was accused of being the leader in
the Indiana situation, but the New
York Central and the B. & o. were
charged with joint responsibility.
In Indiana, representatives of
the Pennsylvania Railroad encour-
aged the Indiana producers to re-
SiSt the making of wage agreement
at the Miami Fla) conference of
operators and miners of the central
competitive field in February, 1927, "
the statement said.
Call LOgSdOn Leader
"E. D. Logsdon. president of the
Knox County Consolidated Coal
Company of Indiana, large pro-
ducers of fuel coal for the Penn
sylvania Railroad, assumed leader
ship of the Indiana operators and
organized the Indiana Bituminous
Coal Operators Association for re-
sistance to the making of a new
wage agreement and to beat down
wages" the statement continued.
Since the official termination of
the strike in Indiana and Illinois,
the Logsdon interests, the Pike
County Coal Company and other
mines heretofore supplying railroad
fuel for the Pennsylvania have de-
clined to resume operations, be-
cause the Pennsylvania Railroad
refuses to place any orders with
these mines for railroad fuel mined
under the existing wage rate-the
Jacksonville scale
THE Pennsylvania railroad is
fueling it's lines in Indiana with coal
brought in from the East and South
east at a higher cost than that for
which Indiana coal could be pur-
chased. While this condition exists,
mines in the Indiana field are idle
and thousands of miners out of
work and reduced to a state of
restitution.
Sets Limit on Price
I'm November, 1927, the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad served notice on In
diana coal operators that, beginning
Dec. /. that company would pay
$160 a ton and no more for coal
in Indiana.
Under this ultimatum from the
Pennsylvania Railroad, Indiana OPP
orators who had been supplying the
Pennsylvania road with coal were
obliged either to close their mines
or attempt to operate nonunion
with strikebreakers in 100 per cent
union organized field. They chose
the former course and closed their
mines, throwing thousands of men
out of work.
In issuing this ultimatum to In
diana operators tine Pennsylvania
Railroad very well knew that the
operators could not comply with the
price terms and pay decent, living
wages to their miners.
1T was well aware that in order
to sell coal to the Pennsylvania
Railroad at SLIGO a ton they would
be compelled to ignore, repudiate
and break away from their contract
with the United Mine Workers of
America, which was negotiated and
signed at Terre Haute in the sum-
mer of 1927.
Other Roads Involved
whether by understanding and
by concert of action; or
mere coincidence, the attitude of the
New York Central Railroad, the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and
other railroads in Indiana in this
matter are parallel with the policy
of the Pennsylvania Railroad. All
are working for elimination of the
United Mine Workers of America
from the bituminous coal industry.
with the miners union destroyed
there would be no minimum limit to
the wage reductions which then
might be forced upon the mine
workers of the country, for they
would be without any means of self
against such nnslauphtS .