The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-11-15
Miners AcceptPl Plan for
Nationwide Wage Scale
Without Qualification, Lewis
Announces at Coal Il &
Conference.
BUT OPERATORS OBJECT
Lukings Urges Return to Old
Policy and Lewis Charges
bad Faith"

Washington, Nov. 1S.-Ths rights
Of union labor was the bone 81 con
tention when Secretary of Labor VIII
SON. coal conference met today
Acceptance without quaIifiea ation BY
the mins workers Of Secretary ~ a.
Dor Wilson's proposal for negotiation
on nationwide scale agreement was
announced at the conference tcdayNby
John :. Lewis, sctinq president 81 tire
l United Mine Workers o. America.
Speaking on behalf Of the operators
outside the central competitive feld.
w. Lukings, president OF Nhe
southwestern Interstate Coal Op-
orators association, proposed return.
ing TO the old policy Of allowing the
4 Dusic scale to be negotiated by the
operators and miners in the central
competitive field.
Because outlying operators are not.
organized, Mr.. Lukings said that no
time should be wasted, but that pub
lic interest In an early settlement
makes IT desirable to continue as in.
the past"
Lukinss Rousss lewis.
Mr.. Lukings' statement ,immedi-
Y ately brought from Mr.. Lewis a
charge of bad faith. Charging that
the operators In the outlying districts
had led miners and the public to be-
lieve they were ready to negotiate
withN the miners, Mr.. Lewis ex-
claimed:
. "Ye gods! Is there no more good
faith left in man? Are the mine work
ers OF America to be the everlasting
victims Of bad faith~on the part of
the people with whom they have to
deai?"
After announcing his acceptance of
the secretary's suggestion, Mr.. Lewis
said:
Il want to express my utter amaze
ment at the attitude OF the coal oper-
ators as stated by their spokesman,
Mr. Lukings- If there is any one
thing which has crystallized public,
sentiment against the mine workers
it has been the Oft reiterated cry
that the outlying operators had not
been presented with demands by their
workers. although they stood ready
and willing to negotiate a wage scale,
Out of this crisis comes far-off
cf from Macedonia: We stand here
with spotless robes ready to negotiate
scale in the various states outside
the central competitive fields. The
estinable Mr.. Lukings proposed to
the governor of Missouri that they
were ready to negotiate with the min
cfs ir Missouri. but Gov. Gardner
wired me in protest, and the COVER
nors of West Virginia and other
states have done likewise"
Denies Bad Faith.
President Lewis sharply denied
charges of bad faith over the coal
strike and the negotiations, and Will
liam Green, secretary y-treasurer of the
mine workers union, took exception
to Secretary Wilson's statement of
Friday that a SO per cent. increase
I in coal miners wages was impossible.
Green said that the federal govern
nent should see that the miners got
that much increase to allow them an
American standard %of living.
Finally Compromise.
When faced with the refusal OF the
mine operators to make an agreement
en- national basis. PRECEDENT Lewis,
OF the minc workers, and Phil II.
. Fenra, for the operators, finally
y agreed to proceed with negotist ons
covering the central competitive field.
THREE-MLNERS WAIT
Receive Back Pay.
Springfield. Ill.,, Nov 15.-Illinois
soft coal miners today received their
ended Nov /, held back by opera 4
tors under tteir wage rules.
Operators here estimated thatN the
money paid to the mine workers for
the half month period, when produc-
ton was speeded up in anticipation
of the mine tie-up, would approx
mate SS,000000.
The highest pay for a digger EN-
ployed by the Springfield district
coal mining companies for the two
weeks, was $1SS.45 net. Three men
earned more than $160, and the pay
ranged to a point below 500.
Field reports to miners headquar-
ters today indicated a stand pat atti-
tude against any resumption of work
until something tangible is offered by
the joint scale committees in the way
of new agreement. -
Indiana Short Of Coal.
Indianapolis. Nov. 1o.-All efforts
of oal operators to bring about re-
sumption of work in the mines of In
diana since resembling of the strike
order have been ignored by members
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea and meantime. according to state
/. officials, the shortage of coal in the
state has become SO acute as to be
alarming.
, Mines In the state are running
trains and blowing whistles as during
operation, but thus far not mine
which was closed by the strike has
been able to resume operations. The
miners, 1t is said, are waiting for
assurance that the WashiL gton con-
ference will have satisfactory results
before returning to the works. y
~~ After Long Wranele.
After long and acrimonious
wransIe today representatives of the
coal operators and miners in con-
ference here agreed to take up set
Element of wage and labor conditions
in the central competitive field after
they had failed to agree on CONSIDER
ing a national scale, as first proposed.
Adjourning the general conference
Secretary Wilson then summoned the
wage scale committees of the central
competitive fields to meet at @: 80 pm.
today to negotiate new wage agree
ment.
Operators from districts outside the
central competitive field will meet at
the same hour to determine whether
the agreement arrived at by the wage
scale committees of the central COM
petitfve field will be accepted as a
basis for the contracts in the outlying
districts
..,sas~ nraIrhu alntg 80