Evening star., 1932-08-28
COAL TRADE PLANS
WAGE DISCUSSION
Operators and Miners Rep.
reSentatives Will Confer
on Pay Scales.
BY BRADLEY w. TRENT.
Special Dispatch to The stal

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 27-The sharp
rise in shares of hard-coal carrying
| railroads, the seasonal expansion of BIZ
luminous coal demand, labor disturb
anceS in the mines of Illinois and advo-
cation of central planning to save the
industry, along with the coming an
thracite wage discussions. explain the
keen interest in coal in Wall Street.
Five prominent coal carriers, four Of
them haulers of anthracite, monopoliZed
the attention of ticker readers in the
final minutes of Wednesdays Stock
tions in the Street wore that these
moves resulted from pool operations
and the squeezing of shorts.
Shortly before the skyrocketing of the
shares Of Delaware & Hudson, Della
ware, Lackawanna & Western. Lehigh
Valley and Reading, few in the Street
learned from coal trade circles that six
representatives of the anthracite unions
and six representatives of operators
would meet at the Anthracite Institute
! here on September 6 to discuss wages.
Gist Of Conferees.
Under the wage contract of August
8, 1880. wages of anthracite miners may
be discussed at any time at the request
of either party. 1t is understood that
because of the diminishing household
demand in the East for anthracite and
/ the virtual shutting out of that fuel in
Canada-due to foreign exchange fluct-
uations-the operators plan to seek
wage cuts ranging from 20 to 40 per
cent. 1t is felt that If anthracite wages
can be reduced the price of hard coal
will be cut and that industry on a
price-appeal basis will make vigorous
effort to expand its household markets,
which were narrowed as a result of
competition from oil, gas, coke and elec-
tricity.
At the conference there will be pres
ent for the miners, John L. Lewis, Phil
lip Murray, Thomas Kennedy and
presidents of the three anthracite To-
Gals, Nos. l, 8 and 9. For the operators
the presidents of Philadelphia & Read
ing Coal and Iron, Lehigh Coal and
Navigation. Pittston Co., Madeira Hill
& Co., Glen Alden Coal and Lehigh
Valley Coal will be in attendance.
With last weeks output of bitumin-
GUS coal equaling the previous peak
dealers hope for changes in prices, but
none came about Stocks of soft coal
as OF July l equaled about Al days
supply at present use, compared with
33 days supply on July /, 1881. Al
though the disturbance in Illinois prob
ably will result in an early reopening
OF Indiana mines, industrial demand for
soft coal, except in Chicago, Cleveland,
Cincinnati. Buffalo. Minneapolis and
Duluth, continues at low ebb with the
Eastern section dulleSt of any in the
country.
only through some method of spec
ialized planned economy can the coal
industry be saved" according to Charles
E. Stuart, president, Stuart, James g.
Cooke, Inc, mining engineers, who
minous coal industry even in 1929 was
Improbable and today is insolvent."
Mr.. Stuart, it will be recalled, sub
mitted report in May, 1881, to the
Soviet government which, so Moscow
dispatches stated, influenced Stains
edict OF June, 1881, empowering indus
trial arrangements to recognize energy
! and ability by increased wages and to
Encourage individual initiative and
responsibility. Mr.. Stuart as chief of
the power conservation section of the
Fuel Administration during the World
War originated the "skip-stop" sys-
tenn of electric railways and the inter-
connecting Of electric power systems
LA Va oSA W saw 4uCl
Suggest British Plan.
Writing in the current issue of Black
Diamond, an industrial magazine, Mr..
Stuart suggests reorganization of the
American coal industry along British
! lines. He says
Individual mines should be grouped
together for joint action by geographic
, cal districts. Each district should have
governing committee composed of
coal owners and operators. National
| coordination Of the work of the dis
trlct committees should be secured by a
| central committee. 1t should estimate,
at least three months in advance, the
amount Of coal that will be sold in the
country, and allocate production quota
to each district. Minimum prices, be-
low which coal may not be sold, should
be fixed in each district.
Wages should be considered a sepa-
rate issue, as they are now in Eng
land, and should not be involved in
| the operations Of the production plan
ming and price fixing boards. In Eng
land, the miner receives 80 per cent
Of the proceeds Cthat is, the sum left
after deducting from the price of coal
the cost of production other than
wages and also a definite minimum
wage"
! Copyright, 1922