| Show MINING SITUATION AT STANDSTILL Impossible Now to Forecast Result of the Great t Struggle I WANT NO LONG CONTRACTS Anthracite Operators to He Be n Asked for rot Extension to Indianapolis Ind March 25 Noth j Noth Nothing I ing ug whatever er was wn accorn accomplished to today a In lii the lie struggle tru Jle for a n settlement nt or dissolution this dis solution on of oC the mC mooting of or the lie miners martels arid onel op operators which has haM been heen now on for a week How a settlement will be lie made malic I lt is hard to tell Indications tonight art are that the m meetings will adjourn not later lot lat than lion Thu er e Thursday The Tho settlement may come corne through further Intervention Inter b by President Roosevelt Hooe A strike commission similar to the thc anthracite commission of or three years ago would be he welcomed by Jr my the miners and b by the tho If the he latter could be as assured that an nn award can Carl last five or six years ar The operators opera opera- tore tors are aro objecting strongly to these then yearly earl or even cven biennial meetings The They think It keeps the whole bu business q of ot the country countr In a turmoil and h leaves e a unsettled un conditions upon which tho the mining bu business can never Iw be made to pay as well vell as ai it should No Xo Extended Contracts Contract The miners however howe would object to lo toa toa a a. time long agreement because thEo they fear ear it would mean menn the disintegration of oC the union This was shown thon in i ithe i the tho anthracite field where the miners who belonged to o the union saw w after thC tho strike e commission lon award of three years ago aso that they had a sure thin thing for three years ear and hence it was wa not necessary necessary nr to remain members of ot the union The They did not summarily with with- drw w 1 but failed to pay their helm due due became became be- be came in arrears and the tho union had to drop rop them from rain membership It took tooka a rt great reat deal cleal of ot the money and time lime of or the the thc national offIcers to re organize anthracite miners this year to mako make any kind Ind of a a. showing before the he anthracite an an- operators Tho The bituminous miners therefore would not consent In lii of this disintegration to 01 any contract contract con con- tract of long time as In their minds o the he fear Is felt that It would not only cause e members to drop out but hut would f how show little advantage od to the tho present union non-union fields to join the he union when about tut all l th ull ou bo hO to got t C n n ci spend th 1 to the th dl dla- dla i III triaL ur L nH r t s sTo 1 To SIl Suspension There was t founded rumor to tonight tonight to- to night that the would a ask ak k the he anthracite operators s for far or nil nn extension of sixty days In the present award so that the tho first of or April would not bring sU suspension in ruining mining In iii anthracite districts I let rids The most positive e assertion ma made ninde o to today today to to- day clay Js is s that the tho railroads are putting up UI CI effort to break brcak the Ow miners miners' union n They will ibl tr try too until the they tb do doIt doit It so a prominent railroad said ald today J Ho lIt t came to spend the da day clay talkIng talkIng talk talk- Ing with his friends among the operators operators opera opera- tors tor and to bolster up UI their thela courage c against who Is sold said to re represent re- re present the steel eel corporation I ROBBINS ROBBINS' ATTITUDE Come lilies III in For loi 01 titter Hitter m of or r i Operators Indianapolis March 25 With time tho strike almost as ns good as declared many coal operators are resenting openly what the they term tho ho su sudden den change of front of Mr th the Pittsburg operator ThC They declare th do not see their thelt way clear to tn grani gran the th demands o of the union and unel assert assor that their views Were shared share h by Mi lr Robbins Bobbins no longer longel than six Ix weeks ago a j. j Mr 1 r smiles grimly when wh h he hears hear the various stories s told of or him hint himon on and says he has mo made E his stand plain and It 1 l. l up to tho the others it to tn show how themselves hes O One le prominent Ohio operator re remarked ye- ye marked tonight Of CoUl course couise a strike will mean menn higher coal cool but this title Is a 0 matter the time law oC or demand antI and supply will regulate With the mines shut down clown fuel uel will naturally become scarce and arul speculators pec ors ore will ihl be attracted to the tho market It will be the speculator and not the op operator OJ- OJ orator who will reap the he benefit The latter must spend a largo large sum to I keep his property in working condition MI so MIhe solie CI he lie can resume operations the moment peace Is hi declared Ie Action I I for one propose to stand pat antI ami amiI S SI I know the other operators operator with the exception of Mr Mi feel roc I the same way By Bobbins Hobbins' sudden he has caused great grent damage to hs hits fellow mine owners owner because he lie haile has hai le led the miners to believe c we WI can all meet their theil demands There Is 14 no uso use of oC debate on this his point Statistics anti and the boo of the operators will prove prO such action Impossible The operators freely I admit the they de despair de'- de' l'- l' of un all a agreement being reached Still th they assert the tho they want peace hence at ac atan an any terms they regard tall fair Probably the plan that has the tho heartiest support Is that hint looking to the appointment of ofa ofa a n commission b by President Roosevelt to Inquire mite Into the matter and settle It for or all time The operators declare that un under tinder cr present prent conditions it Is taking tak tak- lag InS too loo great groat a hazard to open up new newfields fields Just when ihen a n profit Is being made the lie miners will strike for or an in increase increase In- In crease c In wages and the tho Investment In no mutter matter how good becomes a n poor 1001 on one OPERATORS OPEIL lX PLAIN Claim T Increase It In Iii Pay Par Means hans Increase III In of or Coal Now York March 25 2 Thc The press oress bureau bureau bu bu- reau roan of the anthracite operators tonight Issued a explaining wll why the he operators contend that to grant the ce of or the miners would mean un an Increase In the price e of coal of or 13 10 per ton The bulletin says san Tho The method of or this result L' L fr Continued on nil Page Two Puso 1 c rt 5 S l' l 1 MINING SITUATION AT STANDSTILL i I Comit Continued from jr IM-jr laO One Omit will be apparent 11 from the following wi b Tl The p demands demand of the tiC miner pro pro- thre lold fold W of f wages wage vie ilp for ft a g First An t-An t Increase o of lb 11 V per r cent to t all 01 mn miners engaged In cutting doitt oLI or other work mon men engaged In contract worl i Second Tiie of or a minImum minImum min min- d for forach or ach aeh class g of or labor This minimum Ill day wage In many man 1 l' l IX- IX R l Is 10 nor I er J cent greater T hr than th the rates now bin bens paid nl Time The of nn an hour do day In Instead of oC a n nine hour hour 1 day with with- out any reduction In n a day days pay By Uy careful calculation from the payrolls payrolls pay pay- Tny- Tny rolls roli from rom th the operating companies Olum th the effect of these thirst thre increases s to add ald aldan i ian t 1 an overate average of 2 per pr rent cent nt to jle actual abor loboI cost oost per wr mer ton of or eoal This I It is at 01 tJ time the present labor cost cot of or 1 S1 lt Ki to an Increase of at cent NII per ton tomi on all an sizes of coal which 11 are ale mined Same alii U s n-s u In lii II f It J must be understood however that hat the called st stam am of anthracite I which are arC a product by-product of or the try try comp come Into direct competition n wl with h 1 bituminous coal and must therefore be besold besold bi sold for a 1 price regulated by soft coal The result Is 15 that all un this the added labor cost ost o of the lie entire Un Industry muSt must be he hp borne horn by jy time the llo dom domestic sizes which comprise I ICS C A CS per of ot the entire tul O output This s 's s exactly the sump same principle that mat holds hoMs good In other manufacturing Industries M a u for instance In ie i ie gram grain or milliner business Vh Wheat l at nt present t costs O tM about hout SR A cents per bushel Af After r I. I this duis wheat s 's s 31 3 I per pr cent ent of the sells for a Q price II n per pEr cent I less s tItan than the lie actual cost of or time the wh wheat ol before tore I milling and the cost of the the flour four or main mam I product has to ts be br Increased accordingly according according- I I ly to make mak u for th th's loss Ios I It is u the w same way ny with anthracite coal oal I This placing the burden on time the thE domestic do 10 ilo- ilo sizes sizes sizes-a a fact tact which th there re I can cami cal be bp no appeal brings appeal brings s it i it about thin that time the cost of each ench ton of coal coni sold to the domestic lr consumers would be he raised I under ton ton th tIme the new n d demands b by 51 I. I ls cents a I ri Tin hl 0 si hI imig Sen Sl heThe he I The general public ask asks Why would not the hue additon of cents rents t to the market market mar mar- I ket price pricE regain the lie entire extra outlay of the hi Iw operators tors 7 This Inquiry Ignores I one of r the awards award of ot th the arbitration hoard board viz iz The Th I sliding shillIng 11 scale According to th the sliding scale time the present flat tnt rate o of wages mu must be bp pal paid for tor every pry ton of coal sold old at It tidewater tOe tide water for fo- Every 5 cents Increase on the market price of oC coal I the hI sliding scale adds 1 per cent cen to the wa wages images P of or try every class o of labor The significance sig of or this Is that lint out of or every 5 cents of additional price pricE the lie 1 by the the Valley dUe Coal Coni company com corn pany Pliny for faT must receive 29 20 cents and the operator 21 cents cent It I Is la thus thul apparent that If I the market price of coal should hould be hI Increased 50 M cents tIme the lh operator would receive only 21 c cents to 10 recoup him for tor the c cents ntA added to the labor cost per ton before the In Increase Increase Increase In- In crease began It I becomes necessary ar th therefore to push up lp th the price of or coal until the net share of the th operator Is t to 1 luar tIme the cent It I will wi be b und understood loot that tIme the miners' miners pay Increases with every ry advance advance ad ad- vance vance In the time market markt price urice bi but t the operator op op- must secure a net In Increase In- In crease to realize the lie net increase ratiO Dahl t lii 1 miner This equalization l I j reached a ao ln COr cording to tIme the the figures of time the the Lehigh Vil- Vil 1 illey il- il 1 hey ley Coal Coni company at t about S1 1120 Som- Som of the companies estimate the lie ml rats at ir ata I a I little 1 less 8 some at a little mor mon morl t m ii th the principle s uh o always s 's th the timO same fame |
