Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-19
The Miners Capitulate.

Inc JACkSOuNliie WhRe SCAlCs hFt DS
the Federal Coal Commission in 1920
and reafirmcd at Jacksonville in 1924.
has collapsed like a pin-pricked balloon.
The United Mine Workers of America
have applied the pin as an heroic meas
ure TO prevent an explosion which other
wise might have found the United Mine
workers the only casualty. Their act
is capitalization TO economic laws and
cannot be fairly construed as surrender
to their traditional enemy, the coal
operators. II was step taken in the
face of fact that was being demon
strated With increasing force. the fact
that the operators can mine coal with
non-union labor cheaper than. with
union labor under the Jacksonville
scale. Abandonment of the Jackson
vile scale means that the United Mine
Workers of America are determined 10
make one final effort to compete on an
even footing with the unorganised min
ers. The coming test is one which
must witness either rejuvenated
union or its complete collapse.
The wage scale set by the Federal
Coal Commission of $3.50 a day and
Sl.0S a ton is not too high. Few min
ers ever got rich by it. 1t Is not
wage scale that even guarantees a de-
cent standard of living. But it was
scale OF wages higher than the soft
coal operators in the Southern and West
Virginia fields had to pay their unor.
ganiged miners. Operators paying the
Jacksonville scale we're unable to COM
pete with operators paying lower
scala disgracefully lower scale-to
non-union workrnen. As an experiment,
the Pittsburgh Coal Co, one of the
largest bituminous operators, abandon
ed the Jacksonville scale three years
ago and began operating its mines on
q non-union basis. The Pittsburgh COM
pany had signed the Jacksonville agree
ment. In abandoning the agreement
1t was accused of bad faith. but it
countered with the argument that while
1t guaranteed to pay the Jacksonville
scale to union labor. 1t was in no man
ner forced to continue to treat with
union labor. Most Of the other COM
panies considered themselves morally
bound TO stick to the agreement. how
ever. until 1t expired. The expiration
was April /. 1927, and on that date
thousands OF miners became idle, while
operators went non.union or entered
into short-tern agreements. paying the
Jacksonville scale.
This action resulted in idleness last
Winter In the soft-coal regions OF
Pennsylvania and elsewhere. and the In
vestigation OF those conditions by
Senate committee, which did little but
throw the spotlight of publicity on suf-
fering. hunger and want. In the mean
time. the companies which went non
union mined their coal in increasing
quantities.
The action OF the United Mine Work
ers at Indianapolis yesterday will prob
ably bring about situation unprece-
dented In miners union history. In
each district the miners are empowered
to make separate agreements with the
operators. This win undoubtedly mean
different wage scales In different dis
tricts. For time, at least, coal viii
be mined at price the. operators are
willing to pay. not at price the union
members believe N necessary to insure a
fair standard Of living. There is moth
ing permanent about such an arrange
ment. Prom Union labors standpoint,
IL Is distinct step backward. It Is
artificial respiration to a sick and ema-
ciated cause.