The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-18
Secretary Wilson, Optimistic,
Gets Both Sides to Agree to
Confer With Him.
100000 MEN INVOLVED
Diggers' Officer Threatens to
Tie Up Railroads and All
Industries in U. s.

ana coal mine operators involved IN
the strike called for November l In |
the bitumlnous coal fields Of the
country have agreed to meet in con-
ference with Secretary Of Labor Will ;
son to discuss all matters involved in
their dispute Both parties gave their !
formal acceptance tonight Of an In
vitation from the Secretary to con-
vene their respective full scale COM
mittees" In Washington on Tuesday. !.
Both sides. though. declare full
determination to stand pat. They will
not meet each with the other. but to
all intents and purposes they will be
brought together here with Secretary
Wilson as mediator.
1t Is accepted that the conferences
are called for mediation. In issuing the
invitation the Secretary said that he
realized the difficulties to be overcome,
but. was optimistic and felt that no
step to settle the situation should be left
undone.
John L Lewis, acting president OF the
United Mine Workers of America. and
Thomas T. Brewster. chairman of the
coal operators of the Central COMPETE
tive Coal Field. met Secretary Wilson
this morning. This conference adjourned
at noon without result, and both sides
| declared that nothing could be done.
! They met with the Secretary again in
, the afternoon.
Proposal Made by Secretary.
After the second conference Secretary
| Wilson framed and presented to each
| the following proposal:
The impending Dor dispute and pos
J sible strike in the bituminous coal helds
OF the United States Is OF vital impor-
! lance TO all OF the people. AS the exocu-
! tive officer OF the Government entrusted
| with the function OF mediation in such
disputes / feel that nothing should be
left undone that may give hope OF an
| amicable adjustment of the differences
| existing between the operators and
| miners.
| II realize the difficulties to be over
come, and give full weight to the state
ment OF the coal operators that certain
| assurances relative to the carrying out
| of existing contracts, the resembling OF
the strike order and the withdrawal OF
a demand for a shorter work day must
| be given by the representative OK the
miners before negotiations can be re-
| newed, and the statement OF the miners
] that there must be a disposition really
to negotiate on the part of the operators
before II would be worth while for them
to go into conference. j am sure, how"
J ever, that there can be no objection IN
/ the part of either side to meet with the
Secretary of Labor for the purpose of
discussing with him all Of the manrr'
| involved In the dispute.
II would therefore iIGite through you
the full scale committee OF the coal
| operators Of the central competitive coal
| field to meet with me at my office In
| Washington at IL A. N. Tuesday. Octo-
Der 81. for this purpose. ! am sending
a similar Invitation to the full scale
committee Of the miners through their
acting president. John l.. Lewis.
This proposal was acc pied by Mr..
Lewis and then by Mr.. Brewster. Even
after acceptance both men put up an
uncompromising front. Acting Presi-
dent Lewis said:
"The stand of the men is not changed
In any respect. We will not recede from
our demands. which are fair and just.
This was all he would add to an
earlier statement that the Government
could not stop the coal strike; that IL
had been called and would go through,
though the men were prepared to listen
to anything the Government mad to
saw. The operators added nothing to
an earlier statement that waS equally
incorporating.
statement of Operators.
This statement was as follows:
las pertinent to the questions In
yolyed the operators deem It advisable
/, 10 saw that the coal operators of the
central competitive field have adhered t.
. the principles and practices OF collective
, bargaining for thirty-three years witt
, the largest body OF organized labor II
the United States, and 1t is our opinion
| that our negotiations have broken dowr
and that our contract has been abro
gated by the miners union In their cal
, for a strike November / because tn,
, | present system of collective bargaining
does not fix equal responsibility undei
| the law upon the employer and the labol
union.
"Our experience teaches US that nc
set of employers should agree to sys
TEN of collective bargaining which does
, not make both parties to the contract
equally liable and responsible for the OBJ
seryance of the terms of such contract
Threat by Miners Omcers.
The earlier statement by Acting Presi
dent Lewis follows:
/ THE war was over when the armistic'
1 was signed and We are no longer undel
Z war regulations
: ELEVEN million tons Of coal a weei
!. are now being produced. A strike o
r the bituminous miners will cut of tn
o production OF 100000 tons We ar
n told the railroads have only ten da!
4 supply on hand. We will tie up the rail
roads. We will tie up all the industries
n Not only will the 100000 bituminou
miners who are members Of the Unite'
!. Mine Workers strike. but at least 200.
. geo more who are now working In tn
q open shops viii go out with them.
4 "Our demands are just No MAJ
. should be permitted to work under
a ground for more than six hours a day
n and with the cots of living as II
!, workers cannot meet their obligations.
q Secretary Wilson made II clear afte
. tu.day's meetings that he would d
Jrrything in his power to settle tn
=, ~ uation ana to bring the operators an
: miners together. He is hopeful that h
!, may find some point OF weakness an
:, bring a meeting OF the contending force
on some ground that may result In sci
: Element or arbitration.
However, the situation Is not general
: regarded as hopeful by officials In Wash
. ington. though Secretary Wilson's effort
III = Co. hava resulted mora fayorably tina