Arizona republican., 1919-11-14
OPERATORS AND
MINERS RESUME
NEGOTIATIONS
Final Settlement of Wage
Dispute in Bituminous
Field VIII Be Worked
Out in Conference to
Start This Afternoon, 1t
Is Expected
[RepublIcan A. p. Leas, ! WIre1


WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-Coal
miners and operators from the nations
bituminous fields will enter into nego-
tlatlons here tomorrow for a new wage
agreement with the question of time
of termination of the Washington wage
agreement of 1918 apparently as the
chief stumbling block
Both miners and operators on the
eve of the conference at which the
points in dispute in the recent strike
are expected to be settled, were hope
full, however, as to the outcome ard
expressed the belief that the question
of when the Washington agreement
terminated could be disposed of
through mutual agreement along with
the demands Of the miners for 60 per
cent increase in pay and shorter hours.
Willing to Give Ground7
Announcement by the executive
committee of the operators of the cen
trail competitive fields, in a formal
statement tonight, that the Washing
ton agreement is one of the matters
ito be determined by the conference"
was taken generally to mean that the
operators do not intend to stand pat
on their contention that present con-
tracts remain in effect during the "du-
) /.
1920, in case a satisfactory settlement
is made with the miners on that and
other points.
The statement disclosed that the
message from Thomas T. Brewster,
president Of the Coal Operators asso-
citation, in the central competitive
fields, inviting the miners to a confer
ence ito negotiate a contract to be in
force upon the termination of the con-
tract now in effect" was an attempt to
! "entrap the miners into a tacit ac-
| knowledgement" of the binding force
| of the contracts, and pointed out that
the text of the agreement was almost
! identical with that of the call for the
| Buffalo conference
/ 1t was said by those in close touch
with the situation shat the operators
were going into the conference tomor-
row in conciliatory spirit. and would
not insist on the Interpretation that
the war is not over, although their
stand has been supported by the pro-
nouncement of the administration and
| the mandate of Federal judge Ander-
son at Indianapolis.
/ GaFfield to Attend
| Miners arriving today for the parley
attached significance to the announce
that Fuel Administrator Garfield had
accepted his invitation to be present at
the opening of the conference. No ex-
planation Of the role Dr. Garfield is to
play was given other than the state
:, ment that as 1t was through his influ-
ence that the Washington agreement
was negotiated his presence was logic
ally to be expected. There was specu-
lation as to whether the fuel admins
traitor, with revived war powers, might
not be able to exercise his authority in
a similar manner on this occasion.
DR.. Garfield will not arrive until to-
morrow morning, but at the fuel ad-
ministration offices here 1t was said
that Dr. Garfield's opinion might be
, asked as to how much of the burden
of increased cost of production of coal
in case a wage advance is agreed to,
the public should be called on to bear.
The conference will begin at 2:30
o'clock instead of at II o'clock, the de-
partment of labor announced tonight
, owing to the fact that John L. Lewis
: acting president of the United Mine
Workers of America and other par
|, ticipants will not arrive until after
noon. On account of the storm in the
northwestern states, number of mine
officials and operators are not expect
ed to arrive before Saturday.
The first question to come before
the conference will be whether the pro
ceedings shall be open. Secretary
Wilson said today that he would rec
ommend that newspaper representa-
/ tives be admitted to the conference
hall