Evening star., 1954-07-08
Many Remedies Offered for Hard Coal Woes
CONTINUED From First Page.)


inous fields. Mr.. Lewis had this
to say:
"I want to call the special at
tention of such members Of the
United Mine Workers who are
here tonight-and I know that
this audience contains the lead
ers of the United Mine Workers
in the anthracite region in every
locality and in every colliery-
I want to call their attention
to the continuing necessity of
doing everything possible to in
crease the per man daily output
Of this commodity.
"Let me tell you that the only
way that any increase in the
standard of living can take place
here in our free America is to
have those increases paid for
out Of the values created by
new efficiencies and the ability
Of the producer to market
greater volume from the work Of
one man
From time to time, the In
ternational and the District Of
ficers of the United Mine Work
ers of America have called the
attention of the anthracite mem
bership to the necessity of in
creasing production and the
necessity of curtailing practices
and rules that in themselves do,
nothing but add cost to the pro-
duction of coal and increase the
problem of the operating COM
panies in meeting their competi-
tlon in the markets of the Ma
ton"
$2.48 Hourly Wage.
The same angle, of course, is
stressed by the operators.
The miners average wage now
is $2.48 an hour. top figure in
mass production. But it is not
the wage rate that bothers the
operators, 1t is the production
rate.
IF we can get the coal out,
the wage rate is no problem"
says Francis 0. Case, president
OF Glen Alden and a newcomer
to the hard coal business whose
company is the only big one
making money.
Getting increased production
is no mean task. however. This
has been amply demonstrated in
recent weeks in Panther Greek
Valley around TamaQua. Here
the long established Lehigh Nav
lgation Coal Co. workings have
been shut down because the 4,50O>
miners would not keep the output
up.
Mineworker Chief Lewis backed
the operators on this issue-and
told the recalcitrants to get
going. But he got no results.
Mr.. Lewis has been reluctant
to comment publicly on the stu
alton since that rebuff. But it
is known he was disturbed. As
sociates say he is hopeful that
eventually calmer counsel will
prevail, and bring reopening of
the mines.
While the Tamaqua picture
has not been too clear, what with
all the pulling and hauling of
the disputants. the situation
boils down to this:
The anthracite miners operate
under a seven-hour contract, and
are required to move enough coal
to earn a minimum daily wage of
$16.93.
Leave Jobs Early.
If they are able to produce
their quota in four or five hours,
for example, they have been at
liberty to knock of for the rest
of the day. Traditionally, they
have done just that. They baked
when Lehigh insisted on the full
seven-hour production, even
though they were to be paid for
the extra tonnage.
The operators argued that they
were set up for seven-hour oper-
alton. and had to have it to keep
the deadly unit costs down. Other
locals of the UNIV were willing
to go along. But the Tamauua
group tied up the works by pick
citing, and the company finally
announced it was through.
The attitude of the Tamaqua
men Is not unique. Some of
their fellows elsewhere applaud.
even though lowered production
has reduced pensions from $1OO
to $50 monthly, and death pay
ments from $1,000 to $500.
These benefits are financed by
UNIV levy of so cents a ton
on the operators.
Seven hours a day is too long
to dig COAL" says Michael Cor
don. 60-year-old veteran of the
big Jeddo-Highland operations
near Hazleton, north of Pan
ther Valley. There's no air.
It's hot and it's wet down there"
The emphatic Mr.. Gordon
and 59-year-old companion,
Anthony Rebarchik. who also
has spent a lifetime with Jeddo-
Highland-were encountered as
they waited for a Hazleton-
bound bus after quitting at mid
day a colliery which once work
ed about 500 men and now has
80. It also has thousands Of tons
of costly unsold coal.
IF they get that seven-hour
plan through down there, it will
be spreading" says Mr.. Gordon,
who explains that he and his
partner were only keeping their
jobs because of seniority.
The two old timers believe
that anthracite is going to