Norwich bulletin., 1919-09-30

sent Dy the llalled- powers to the Ger uation of the Baltic provinces was made public last evening. The note. says the evacuation must begin imme- olateiy and continue uninterruptedly. SOFT COAL MINERS AND
 OPERATORS ARE AT ODDS
 Buffalo, N. Y.. Sept. 29-The soft coal operators and miners of the cen lrai competitive field clashed at to- days wage conference on the issues of whether the war time agreement of Apr.S >916. is still in force, and the event of authority vested in the min CTS delegates to negotiate new scale The debate during four hours session was at times heated but there was no indication of a break in the negotiations and when adjourn ment was taken it was with agree ment to meet again tomorrow
 The issues were raised in the first response of the operators to the de- mands of the miners for a sixty per cent increase in wages and shorter hours and came before the joint cop ference in statement signed by Thomas T. Brewster. executive chair man of the operators The statement characterized the miners demands as radically eXtravagant- and manifestly impossible of acceptance" The opera tors also maintained that the miners delegates came to the present confer ence with their hands tied by instruc- tions from the United Mine Workers Cleveland convention and with "a strike threat as their impeI1ing argu- ment."
 John T. Lewis, acting president of the United Mine Workers replied to th~ operators statement He protested against summary sweeping aside of the detailed demands of the operators and urged that they be considered one by one on their merits. following the course of previous wage conferences. He declared that the miners delegates had full authority to negotiate a new wage scale and that whatever action they took here would be endorsed by the adjourned convention of the Unit ed Mine Workers when it meets at In 
 The wage scale adopted by the op- orators and miners in 1916 and ap- proved by the government. MT. Lewis was for the period of the war and that it could not be justly claimed that the country was still at war with Germany. The miners. he said, should not be penalized for the long delay in the actual proclama- tion of peace.
 Operators Statement.
 After referring to the existing wage agreement to which the government was party and maintaining that it is still in effect and reciting the de- mands of the miners presented at the presented at the present conference the operators statement said:
 You demand so per cent increa SC in wage scale time and one half for overtime and double time for legal and Sundays Acceptance of these demands, with the indirect in your demands, would more tban dou- oIe the already high cost nf producing goal, with consequent large direct and indirect additions to the cost of living of every citizen and demorallzat1on and prostration of the. industry. Such wage increases are impossible and their attempted enlargement would re- act with great harm equally on the i. nation and on the individual miners you represent.
 You demand change from the | ong- esta blished custom of having | wage agreements expire in the spring, l when there is least danger and incon- | venience to the public to an expira- 1 ion November l. which is the time of demand for coal You de- 1 nand other items none of which have l apparent constructive merit. but all of | t possible to reach prompt and de- | mite conclusion and to preserve the | principles of collective bargaining. which tend to increase cost and de- 1 .rease production. We must also dis | miss these points as undesirablr.
 The operators have sent thelr ac- ,redited representatives to the confer |
  as provided by the call. We egret to find that the miners conven- l ion from which you come has failed | o vest in you corresponding power 1 md discretion. With your authority | apparently limited to a presentation | If the excessive demands above set orth. and to re-convene vour con rention or execute your instructions to ] all general strike November l. we | Ire facedmwith the alternative of l your demands in full or of i 'eauesting YOU to go back for author ty to negotiate with us i'll conform ty with the call.
 To Insist Upon ReasonabIeness.
 'The operators hold that no abro- ration of the existing contract be lad prior to it's legal termination. ex- ,ept by the mutual agreement of all | parties thereto. the operators. the | miners and the government We are .eady and willing to negotiate 9 new contract to succeed at it's legal expir- ltion of the contract now in effect, put we must insist that such negotia ion be entered into spirit of reason lb1eness and that the representatives ,f the miners be vested with their ,sual discretionary power to really ne yotiate. Only under such conditions is
 'The operators come to this con erence with a consciousness Of the nore than usually grave responS1b1l1- ies resting upon them because or heir duty to cooperate in the pro- ,esses of postwar adjustments with which the nation is confronted; they the miners to approach these important negotiations in the same ;pirit But with your hands tied by ;trike threat your only impelling ar ,ument we ask you if there is any Possibility of securing results by continuing our present conference un-