Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-11-12


cepted Secretary Will
sons invitation to meet
representatives OF the
miners here Friday to negotiate
new wage agreement.
1--WE will be there" said he.
John L. Lewis, acting president OF
the United Mine Workers OF Amerl-
ca already had notified Secretary
Wilson of his acceptance meanWhlie
declining an offer from Brewster 10
meet the latters committee here Mon
day to negotiate "a contract 10 De
in force upon the termination OF the
contract now in effect.
Spokesmen for the miners said to-
day this proposition could not be con-
sidered for IA moment and the only
wav to bring peace to the coal fields
was through adoption of new scale
to take effect Immediately.
Mr. Lewis telegram accepting Sec
retary Wilson's invitation was made
public today by the secretary. IL
follows:
Your telegram inviting scale COM
mittee central competitive field ana
representatives of all bituminous dis
| tricts involved in strike, to meet with
YOU next Friday at Washington is re-
| ceived Your message was suDmltteo
! to our conference now in session IN
Indianapolis and I am authorized TO
say representatives OF mine workers
will he present on that date.
Harry " Taylor. president OF the
/ National Coal Association. also aC-
cepted Secretary Wilson's invitation
today and will meet here Friday with
other representatives Of the operators
and the officials of the miners union.
Release of coal to meet emergen-
cy needs was begun today as re-
suit of the agreement OF the miners
and operators to meet Secretary VIII
son for a conference, Director Cen
eral Hines. of the railway administra-
tion. instructed regional chairmen To
/ release coal supplies as rapidly as
! prOductio ION is correspondingly restOr-
ed. Orders have also gone out to
all federal managers which will turn
! thousands Of empty cars again TO-
ward the mines so that there will be
ample cars on hand when the miners
return to work.
Stand BY Original Demands.
Springfield. H. Nov 12.-Original
demands of a sixty per cent increase
in wages. six hour day and hve
day week will be presented to oper-
atory by mine workers in the joint
scale conference called Tor Friday
1 In 4
Secrnta,rv of Labor Wilson. accord
ing TO Frank Harrington, chairman OF
the miners scale committee. who
came here today en- route to the ma
tional capital
Asked whether the miners would
obey the strike resembling order or
Acting President Lewis. Harrington
said
IN my judgment, the miners will
not return to work
4 He added, however, that he spoke
only for the Illinois district of when
he was president
Harrington said the impression that
the slate had been wiped clean so
far as demands were concerned had
no basis in fact, although the miners
without reservations.
"The old demands will stand Mr..
Farrington said. They were fornu.
lated by the Cleveland convention.
All Of them however. are subject to
negotiation
Miners representatives will insist.
he declared, that any new agreement
be effective at once and not on March
81. 1920. as operators formerly con-
tended.
MIR Harrington. who will leave late
today for Washington, said he was
hopeful that the scale conferences
would be productive of speedy results.
He will be accompanied 10y Vice
President Harry Fishwick and Sec
retary Treasurer Walter Nesbt or
the Illinois district. Harrington said
he was without reports from the llll-
nois coal fields today but that 1t
was too early for the miners to have
received the cancellation order which
went out from indianapolis yesterday.
-, Iowa Mines Idle.
Des Moines la, Nov. l2--Not Il
union mine was III operation in Iowa
!. today reports to the states operators
ASSOCIATION said. Operators intorma
- tion was to the effect the men n
- tended to remain idle tor time belnR
= at least
Reports Are Slow.
. Indianapolis. Ind. Nov l2.--The GU
= = standing points OF interest in the Goa
Ia mining situation today We're the recep
- son by the members Of the unitet
Mine Workers OF America Of the order
cf their chiefs calling of the strike
(Continued on psse s, col. ~