Evening star., 1934-04-22
SOFT COAL WAGE
ACCORD REACHED
Alabama Operators Look to
Johnson to Proclaim Plan
in Effect Today.
BY the Associated Press.


Alabama coal operators said last
night a new wage structure for a
large part of the soft coal industry
would be proclaimed in effect today
by Hugh S. johnson, N. R. A head.
The operators expected Johnson's
order to restore peace in Alabamas
strike ridden coal fields.
In accordance with the wishes OF
the administrator, all information on
the specific provisions was withheld
until the revised structure was formal
ly ordered.
1t was understood, however, John
son probably would issue a statement
accompanying the order. explaining
N. r. S position as to the preserva-
ton of wage differentials between
Southern and Northern industry In
dications were that assurance would
be given the South that arbitrary lev
cling of the regional wage spreads in
codes was not contemplated by
N. r. A.
Representatives Silent.
Neither the operators nor union
representatives, who had been in con-
ference with Johnson practically the
entire day, would say whether they
were satisfied with the newly drafted
wage structure, indicating the results
Of the days work was compromise
The operators planned to take
midnight train for Alabama
With 81 900 men on strike and dis
order riding abroad in the Alabama
coal fields, johnson. the operators and
union officials worked at a terrific
pace yesterday to make it possible for
the miners to return peacefully to
their work tomorrow.
The Alabama mine owners had
stated a preference for civil war"
within the soft coal industry rather
than comply with the March 81 N.
r. A. order, which sharply raised
wages of their employees.
A compromise agreement was re-
ported unofficially to have been eff
fected for the Fairmont region of
Northern West Virginia, where the
operators had protested against elimi-
nation of their 24-cent wage differ
entail over the Pittsburgh area
Joining the conference yesterday
afternoon were William Mitch, south
ern district president of United Mine
Workers, and William Rainey, inter-
national representative for the union,
who arrived from Birmingham by
plane.
"A lotta hooey," was Mitch's COM
ment on operators claims that their
industry would be destroyed if the NJ
R. A. wage mandate narrowing the
differential between Southern and
Northern mines was enforced.
Walkouts of the miners in Alabama
were in protest against action of the
operators in obtaining a restraining
order preventing enforcement of the
N. R. A. mandate which installed
35-hour week in addition to pay from
S3.40 to $3.50 a day.
Operators Lead Resistance.
In daily appearances before N. r. A.
officials for two weeks, the mine
owners have become the spearhead of
resistance to what they described as
N r. AS apparent intention of
erasing wage differentials between
South and North in all lines of in
, dustry.
This, they contended, would start
"a drying up" of manufacturing
plants in the South and return of
the region entirely to agriculture.
Mitch, however, told newspaper
men there was nothing to- the argu-
ment, and declared workers every
where in the country should receive
equal pay for the same type of work.
AS to claims by the operators that
the warm climate down South was
enervating and thus not productive
of efficiency for workers, the union
official said "the miners work under
the ground and the temperature is
the same there as everywhere" The
mine owners have cited low climatic
| efficiency along with the frontier po-
sition of their industry and the dis
tance to large markets in justifica-
ton of the differential.