Fourth Week

The art of horsetrading is not yet dead. First the prospective buyer says: "How much," and the trader answers. Then the buyer says: "Too much," and the trader says: "Too much nothing! It's a fine animal!" "I'll offer you half," says the buyer. "What?" ejaculates the trader. "It's worth twice as much," and launches into a glorification of his horseflesh. "Ridiculous," answers the buyer. "Then there is no use talking," says the trader. The buyer turns his back and walks away with assumed indifference. "You're a fool," the trader shouts after him. "Nonsense, " the buyer calls back over his shoulder. Such may well be the beginning of a very successful bargain.

The same tactics are used today in Labor disputes in the anthracite coal industry. Last week the bargaining reached the stage of the first breaking off of negotiations.

For three weeks (TIME, July 20 et seq.) the miners had been presenting their case for a 10% wage increase and the check-off (collection by the operators of union dues from miners' wages). The operators' representatives had sat and listened, merely shaking their heads "No." Then John L. Lewis, President of the Miners' Union, called over the heads of the operators' representatives to Samuel D. Warriner, who in previous years negotiated for the operators, saying in effect: "These negotiators of yours are only stalking horses. Come here yourself and we'll talk business with you." Mr. Warriner answered: "Nothing of the kind. Our representatives have full power to negotiate--and you cannot dictate to us who our representatives shall be."

This was the situation when last week's negotiations began. Mr. Lewis read his interchange of notes with Mr. Warriner into the minutes. He also added another answer to Mr. Warriner, saying that as long as the operators would not yield a point, there was no use negotiating further.

Then the miners and operators each asked the other two formal questions-- whether they would yield on certain points. Each side refused. So the miners moved that the negotiations stand adjourned sine die, subject to resumption at the call of either side--and it was agreed to.

Thereupon the miners gave Mr. Lewis power to call a strike, on Sept. 1, when the present wage contract expires. Mr. Lewis and Mr. Warriner resumed their exchange of notes.

Each side swears manfully that it wants no strike. The miners insist that the operators are trying to increase their profits and will not listen to reason. The operators offer repeatedly to arbitrate, which the miners will not do, saying that arbitration has cost them too much in former years. So the deadlock persists.

After a time, someone is of course expected to bring about renewal of the negotiations.

Meanwhile, it is calculated that the country will have an adequate supply of anthracite for at least six weeks if a strike begins on Sept. 1--some observers say there would be no serious shortage until Jan. 1. But before January many things will have happened.