Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-20

he Is. | am informed, pretty thoroughly
out Of patience with both sides.
His first move was to call into con -
ference President Lewis of the mine
workers and Chairman Brewster Of the
mine owners organization. The trio
were alone together for quite while,
but the interview wns sufficiently long
for Secretary Wilson to express his
private opinion of the actions and nt
titudes Of Messrs. Lewis and Brewster.
1t is whispered in awe stricken sen
tences and deepest confidence. that the
venerable secretary of labor used de 81
scriptive language which was sug
gestive of very sultry weather in the
neighborhood. As applied to one side
Of the controversy there we're such sug
gcstions as "unwisc, hasty. i'll con
ceived and on the other something like,
intOlerant. Obstructionist. defiant,
etc. at least that is what is whis
pered.
Conference Tomorrow
The outcome was the decision to call
a general conference to discuss the stu
alton which will meet with the secretary
tomorrow and there are those who be
lieve that compromise will be effected
and a shut down avertcd, largely be g.
cause of the secretarys determination
to avoid what would be national
calamity.
That is why the action of the indus .
trial conference today on the question
of collective bargaining and kindred
topics has such an important bearing
Not that the coal strike will come up
in the conference as the steel strike has
done. but the moral effect of its de d.
cisiou will have tremendous weight in
the coal situation.
An unbiased opinion OF the result oi
today's decision on the floor of the con :
ference is that SO far as it is con
cPrncd its action Is far more vital ia
the labor group than to the employers
or to capital. The |. W. W.. the radi.
cal and the syndicalist are waiting for
some display of weakness or failure on
the part of Mr.. Gompers and his as
sociates. and plan to leap in. seize the
wheel and drive labor on the rocks.
G0mpers Hopes to Avert Ruin
Samuel Gompers publicly stated last
week that he was working TO avert sucl
q disaster, that his cabinet had "gont
along" with the steel strikers because
they were determined to go out. Ii
other words the workers dcficd theil
leaders Just as the striking printers il
, New York have done.
| While it has not developed for Labor
is sccretive and can keep its own coun
sci better than any other combination
on earth. there is a general undercur,
rent of belief that the miners in tn,
| bituminous regions. under the leader
ship of radicals and revolutionaries. dit
as the steel workers-took the bit il
their teeth, defied authority and de
clarcd the strike. If this hypothesis
| should prove true, then nothing but tht
strong arm of the government can forc
a settlement.
/ 1lernard Baruch is heavy holder o
United States Steel stock, and yet botl
/ he and Mr.. Chadbourne have openl,
sided with labor since the beginning.
Delegates Pay Own Expenses
4 curious and unusual thing abou
this national industrial conference i
that it's members thus far have beer
paying their own expenses. There i
no money even to pay the ordinary ant
absolutely necessary incidentals of tn
meetings, such as stcnographcrs. mimco
graph men who get ont the daily re
ports of the proceedings. clerks, door
keepers and pages.
The Department of Labor is furnish
| ing this force. Half of Secretary vii
son S office employees are working over
time to keep things moving in the de
partment. while the other half ar
drafted for service at the conference
Congress has been asked for an ap
propria ton. but nothing has been don
ne ypt townrdS prantiup If