Evening star., 1933-09-08
COAL men CONFER
ON OBJECTIONS TO
Be MADE TO CODE
Dissatisfaction Evident
Among Both Union and
Mon-Union Operators.
REPORT OF COURT TEST
UNCONFIRMED AT PARLEY
Johnson Expects Agreement to Go
to President Monday Sub.
stantially Unchanged.
BY the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press.
| A committee Of Is Appalachian COM
mercial coal operators conferred today
to decide what amendments they would
offer and what objections they would
raise to the administration bttuminous
coal code, handed them late yesterday
Dissatisfaction with the draft was
evident among both union and non
union operators. The Appalachian
| group, however, refused to discuss its
| attitude before meeting at hotel.
Union operators for the most part
were dissatisfied with the wage DIFFER
| entails.
A report that the Appalachian oper-
ators, who for years have opposed
unionization Of their fields, would carry
case against the code into courts
went unconfirmed.
John D. A. Morrow, president of the
Pittsburgh Coal Co., and one Of
committee Of four which has repre-
sented the Appalachian group, said II
court action were contemplated, he had
heard nothing Of it.
Some individual operators may have
said that" he said, but the associa-
tions have not planned such q STEP"
The Recovery Administration mean.
while watched the iudustry's reaction
to the most comprehensive N. r. A.
code yet written, confident that Hugh
s. Johnson's draft will 60 to President
Roosevelt substantially unchanged.
The master agreement was framed
after months of controversy and both
operators and union miners had until
tomorrow evening to file their objec-
tions.
On Code In Effect.
But they knew, too. that Johnson
regards the code as the salvation of
the industry, and r!ans. barring rea-
sonahle notifications, to impose It"
on mihorities refusing to sign UP.
As the coal negotiations neared an
end another huge industry-the $12,-
000, ,e00, 900 oil business began its revo-
lutionary experiment Of national pro-
duction control.
Authorized by oils N. r. A. code, the
daily production budget Of 2,400, 900
barrels fixed by the order Of Secretary
Ickes formally took effect. OMctals
here looked for price boosts Is . re-
suit and were anxious TO know Just
how much more 1t would cost the
average Ynotorist. ~
A special incentive to operators to
accept the soft coal code was the pro-
vAoAOAS PSAAAAsSA4A8 SAC6tAOn " ~ ACC.AAAs
ing marketing agencies. johnson be-
lieves 1t would be reasonable to Lift
the retail cost Of coal back 70 the level
of three or four years ago.
In fact, I'd stand for its going up
as much as 81 q ton though do not
expect that it WILL" was the way the
recovery administration explained it
to newsmen.
The substitute for the 30 different
codes the coal industry submitted
called Tor basic minimum wages rang
ing from $3.50 In Montana to 50 in
Alabama; q maximum work week av-
eraging 36 hours, and regulation of
coal prices by sales agencies, such as
Appalachian Goals, Inc, or district
code authorities.
Collective Bargaining.
The collective bargaining clause of
amended and unqualified.
Operators were given until pm.
tomorrow to file objections. The ad-
ministration will consider those OBJ
jections and a public hearing on the
code and possible amendments was or.
dered for next Monday.
johnson then will carry the agree
ment to the White House for Presi-
dent Roosevelt's signature
Wn1le johnson was completing the
code, heads of the United Mine Work
ers Of America and a committee OF
Appalachian commercial operators toiled
over the technical provisional of thefr
labor contracts. They expected to have
the contracts ready for presidential ap-
proval along with industry's code.
Ine union was understood to have
dropped its demand for deduction of
union dues from miners pay, and the
operators to have given up their demand
for an open-shop clause in the contracts
after a conference with President
Roosevelt Wednesday night. Numer-
Gus tonnage rates to conform with
the $3.50 base for the Appalachian area
may be carried back to the districts for
final settlement.
Basic Wage Scales.
Fifteen different basic wage scales-
all based on underground motormen's
pay-were fixed in the master code.
The scales were:
Pennsylvania. Ohio, the West virginia
Panhandle, Michigan, $3.50: Northern
West Virginia (Fairmont). $3.50:
Southern West Virginia, Maryland, the
Potomac district Of West Virginia, vir-
ginia. Northern Tennessee, Eastern
Kentucky, $4.20; Indiana, $4.75; MI
nois, IS; Iowa, except Wayne and APP
panoose Counties, $40; Wayne and
Appanoose Counties. Missouri, Kansas,
Arkansas and Oklahoma, $3.75; West
ern Kentucky, $3.84; Alabama, s.;
New Mexico, Southern Colorado, $425;
Northern Colorado, S.; Utah. S5.4A:
Wyoming. $5.42; Montana, $5.63, and
Washington. $40.
l. The year would be divided into two
consecutive six-month periods for fix-
ing maximum hours. During peak pro-
duction the miners could work i've
S-hour days. During slack time they
could work four 8-hour days.
Miners would have the right to have
their representative check the weight
of the coal they mined. Where coal
was not weighed, miners representa-
tives would check "the accuracy and
fairness" Of the measure
Wages would be paid In currency or
by check, Is the operators chose, with
no deductions save BY agreement be-
1