The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-29
LITTLE PROSPECT OF SETTLEMENT IN THE COAL FIELDS Almost Certai-. That 300, ,000 Men Will Quit Work
 Monday WAGE BILL PASSES THE HOUSE Or LORDS Little Doubt Is Felt But That the English Strike Is Nearing End. Miners Expected to Vote to
 Return to Work

of settling the bituminous coal miners wage dispute to prevent a suspension next Monday and the shutting down of practically all mines operated by union men was seen by the operators and union officials today after they had conferred for hours and had failed to agree.
 Lack of any steps toward an immediate settlement and the fact that only three more days intervene before both the an- thracite and bitumnous wage scales ex pire were said to make 1t almost certain that a widespread stoppage of coal pro- duction will begin next week for an un- certain period and a strike, involving about 50O,0o0 men, may ensue.
 The Situation
 The situation tonight was:
 The miners in the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania will quit Sunday midnight because their agreements with the oper- ators expire at that time and no new agreement, even if It were being consid- cred, could be put into effect in time to prevent the suspension. Union officials say the suspension virtually will be a strike.
 The contracts of the miners in the bi- luminous regions also expire Sunday mid night and they probably will suspend be- cause they have no new agreement upon which to continue.
 Officials of the union assert if a strike in both classes of mines Is called it will entail loss in pay to the men of approxi- mately s10oo,0OO a day.
 4l,at n strike or even a suspension in the bltu- minous mines might still be avoided was without result up to tonight and was ad- journed until o'clock tomorrow morning.
 Walker Proposes Compromise
 To bring the situation to crisis, John Walker, president of the Illinois miners, proposed the miners drop all their de- mands and make a new demand for an increase of cents a ton for all coal mines. He explained his proposal did not come jointly rom the miners but he made it on his own responsibility ito avoid a prolonged industrial struggle"
 The operators part of the confer ence then called for an adjournment which gave rise to reports among the miners that the operators were going to propose a compromise on the basis of cents a ton increase over the prea- ent wage scale. The operators. after meeting alone, stated they had de- cided to offer no such compromise.
 T look for a breaking off of all negotiations tomorrow" said H. M. Taylor, president of the Illinois oper- ators. Tt would have come today had if not been that we did not want to appear to be in haste in bringing about a strike. We will offer no further com promise"
 White Has No Comment
 President John P. White of the Unit ed Mine Workers of America said he had no comment to make on today's developments other than if a strike were called among the bituminous as well as the anthracite miners 1t would not be because the union had failed to exert every effort to avoid it. He added, so far as the anthracite miners were concerned, the striKe already had been called to take effect Sunday mid night.
 The policy committee of the union is waiting here to take such action as may be necessary in case all negotia- tions are broken off. In that event, the members say, their wDrk simply will be to devise ways and means in con nection with the conduct of the strike.
 Commissioner of Labor Charles P. Neill, who has been here getting data concerning the Brotherhood of Loco motive Engineers on the railroad em- ployes' situation. has rad no confer ence with MT. White or with other of 1cials of the miners union. MT White has said he was willing to advise gov ernment officials clearly as to the COIL dition of the miners. but he thought the present stage of the wage dispute did not call for any assistance from tn government. It Is known, how ever, that the government has been kept informed on the progress of the negotiations.