Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-25
Miners Position. Based
on Charge Employers
Bolt Coal Conference


miners came yesterday. following
failure Of an appeal by President Will
son that they compose their differ
ences or submit to arbitration. The
proposal involved wiping the slate
clean and making a new start in ne
gotiations.
The operators announced that they
the conference. for tho purpose, they
said. of giving the miners a chance to
confer alone with Secretary Wilson.
The miners took tho stand that the
operators had boltsd the conference.
ated Secretary Wilson said:
THE operators agreed to accept the
proposal OF the President in its en-
tirety and to proceed with negotia-
conclusion to submit the matters still
in dispute to arbitration. the mines
to continue in operation pending adj
justment.
THE miners interpreted tho Presi-
were willing to accept the first; that
Is. to proceed to negotiate. The oper
ators said that. having expressed q
willingness to accept the Presidents
proposal in its entirety. they held
eotiate and arbitrate whenever called
upon by the Secretary Of Labor or by
the minerSi scale committee, and with
that statement withdrew.
The miners remained and expressed
their regret that the negotiations
coed with the negotiations until it
had been determined whether the re-
suits of the negotiations would be
successful or unsuccessful.
The conference then adjourned
without date"
say, except to explain briefly how the
miners position worked out.
The Presidents proposal" he de-
clared, was, first to negotiate; second
to submit the matter to arbitration II
negotiations failed, and third to keep
the mines in operation.
The hrst the miners accepted, and
held over the two others for con-
Sideration later"
Lewis Says Order Stands.
John L. Lewis. president of the
United Nine Workers Of America. an
nounced after the breakup of the
conference that the strike order stood
miners would quit work November /.
Omcial notice that mediation efforts
had failed will be sent at once to All
districts. Lewis added.
Thomas T. Brewster, chairman of
the coal operators scale committee.
statement:
THE operators accepted President
Wilson's proposal to resume negotia-
lions Tor wage scale and to submit
to arbitration any points which could
not be agreed to. the mines = be kept
at work during neRotiatiGns- This
the miners refused, thereby breaking
OF negotiations and making tho
'The refusal Of. the miners to &C.
cept or consider any of the PROPOSE
lions submitted, including the final
proposition from President Wilson
to submit all matters to arbitration.
the coal supply OF the United States
will be cut off unless their demands
are granted in full. Mr.. Lewis is run
ming true to his statement that the
The Unied Mines Workers of Ameri-
can. IN a statement. asserted that the
operators walked out of the con-
ference" and did exactly what they
piale-forced the bituminous ' miners
OF the United States to strike" The
operators, it was charged. did not
want or intend to negottae. new
wage agreement. and that they had
Secretary Wilson.
I'VE charge that full responsibility for
whatever may be the result or the con-
sequences must rest on the operators"
stubborn determination that no new
agreement should be reached
Discusses Presidents Offer.
Discussing the Presidents offer the
statement said:
Knowing that the operators were
dead set against the making of a new
agreement: we knew. that If both sides
accepted the two propositions made by
and the other for arbitration-the opera
tors would prevent a contract by nego-
tiation ana then throw the entire matter
into arbifration. Such arbitration would
pc long drawn out proceeding, de-
Eberately made so by operators, and
during all Of the long weeks and months
wnicn would pc consumed by the arbi-
tration the miners would be compelled
to continue to work at the present
wnoiy inaoquate wages and under the
1T was entirely possible for the
miners and the Operators to neeoti-
ate new, agreement before the first
day OF November IL the operators had
fair, honest effort to do 40 hut we
find that the only remedy left to us is
a suspension OF work to obtain better
conditions and wages. We did not
want strike. No one understands
bet co Wnat rsns strike means than do
through strikes in the past But when
conditions become UNDESIRABLE, as they
have in this case. the coal miners
must Dc what the great American
people 1srt ara and ~ men Germany became
assert their manhood. We have no
fear az to TIE outcome. Nor do We
have any fear but that the Anarieen