Norwich bulletin., 1919-10-23
Miners and Operators onthe vergeofBreak
Hinges On Whether Miners Accept Proposal to Be Made
 By Secretary Wilson, That Ignores the 30 Hour Week.

Washington, Oct. 22.-While commit tees representing miners and opera tors. meeting in a final effort to avert the strike of half a million soft coal the verge tonight of parting company Tor good, Secretary <of Labor Wilson heid them together, overnight, at least, with a wage increase proposal that ignored union demands for thirty hour week.
 There was every assurance that the operators would accept it and every indication that it would be rejected bodily by the miners.
 when the joint conference adjourn cd until two o'clock. tomorrow after noon it was with the understanding that the two groups would meet then and make formal answer to the pro- Posal, after separate consideration. Hefusal Of the miners to accept will bring the conference to a close and force government officials to resort to other means to prevent the closing of the mines with the first approach of winter.
 Secretary Wilson's offer, which pre- vented actual disruption of the pro- ceeoIngs, set forth the case as fol- lows:
 That wages be increased at the ex- pira <sn of the present contract in an amount equal to the differences be- tween increases in wages received by mlne workers since July, 1914, and the
 
 that date.
 That the increase be effective from the termination of the present agree ment until March 31. 1920.
 That on these conditions the strike order be withdrawn and that the min CTS continue at work on these taerms; mat negotiations be entered into at the usual ime for making the new scale effective after March 31, 1920"
 The silence that prevailed during the reading of the terms on which MT. Wilson hoped to settle the strike was rudely broken by quick demand from Jonn l.. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America that the secretary explain what he meant in the opening paragraph of his statement concerning expiration of the Isresent contract
 The secretary. bearing in mind that this was one of the principal issues in dispute, said it would be a matter for negotiation. The miners have con tended that the wartime agreement unde1 which they have been worlxing endH with the armistice, while oper. % ato/s argue that it will hold until pIce is formally declared by ratifi- Gtson of the treaty.
 Ontll the secretary, acting inde- penoentiy as a government mediator came forward with his proposal the conference was deadlocked. with each group eager to get away, but just as eager to escape the charge that it was ia- ions. Taking in the situation, and still hopeful that his efforts might sue 'eeeds Mir. Nsi1soH suggested that the miners retire while he conferred with the operators.
 Later in the day the miners return ed for separate meeting with the secretary, and they in turn were join ed by the operators Meanwhile many of the delegates were anxious to start home, but were persuaded to remain overnight and make one more effort to bring about peace.
 The attitude of the two groups was again outlined in detail. the miners announcing that the strike order would had agreed to a new contract the real basis of which was the thirty hour working week. The operators again informed the secretary that un- der no conditions would they negotiate on the basis of the thirty hour week, and if that was included in any pro- posal put before the joint session they would withdraw.
 At times during the day the pro- ceedings were stormy with half a dozen delegates trying to speak at once There was an exciting moment when President Lewis crossed swords with Secretary Wilson over remarks attributed to the latter by Sena tor of New Jersey, in an address in the senate on Tuesday Senator Frelinghuysen was quoted as saying that MT, Wilson told the sen ate Interstate Commerce Committee that demands of the mine workers were impossible. and the miners want ed an explanation.
 MT. Wilson explained cheerfully, | saying he was talking in a private and that he had said de- mands Of both miners and operators were impossible. The statement by the secretary was not SatiSfa ctory to the miners delegation. and later in the day. in a statement to newspaper men. Lewis sharply attacked Senator Frelinghuysen flor deliberate misrep- l of the facts"