Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-11-18
CONFERENCE: STARTS
CENTRAL Coal. FIELD
WAGE. NEGOTIATIONS
Miners and Operators Unite
on Plan for Restricted
Area After Nationwide
Proposal Is Rejected

tonight.
First actual steps in the work of
writing a new wage contract for
miners in the central competitive coal
field were taken today when scale
committees representing miners and
This field comprises Illinois, Ohio,
Indiana and western Pennsylvania.
In these districts the unions are
strongest.
President John Lewis, of the Unit
ed Mine Workers, presented to the
operators scale committee of the
central field the miners demands.
The demands include the thirty-hour
week and the sity per cent increase
that were included in the demands
submitted before the strike. The
scale conference then adjourned until
Monday when the operators are to
submit counter-proposaL Presenta-
ton of these proposals is regarded as
Il necessary formality.
The miners, it was intimated out
side of the meeting, will be content
with any adjustmen that gives them
what they regard as a suitable wage
scale.
Mines in all states outside Of the
central field are referred to as ''out-
lying district"
Under the plan now going forward
scales for the outlying districts
would be written after completion of
the scale for the central field. This
method, which miners and opel Ators
have used for years, was invoked to
cover the present situation at hot
general session this morning between
miners and operators from all fields.
When the method was agreed up
on in the morning conference PreSl-
dent Lewis raised a formal question
as to whether operators Of the out
lying districts would agree in ad-
vance to accept as basis for their
negotiations the scale to be negoti-
ated for the central field.
Operators of the outlying fields
considered the uestion all this after
uoon.
I'VE failed to reach agreement as
to our answer. said President B. NJ.
Clark, of the centray Pennsylvania
field. eve cannot bind ourselves in
advance to the writing Of the central
competitive scale"
Only Rift in Situation
Government officials tonight re-
garded this as the only rift in an
otherwise hopeful situation. Some
believe it may keep closed most of
the union mines in outlying fields
until the new scale is completed for
the central competitive field.
Operators of the outlying fields
are willing to negotiate with the
miners without waiting until the
cenral field makes its new SCALE"
said President Clark. I'm any event
we shall try to get the men back to
work at once"
President Lewis and Secretary
Green, of the miners, both fought at
the morning conference to prevent
the first negotiations being confined
to the central competitive field, de-
claring this procedure would delay
general and prompt settlement
throughout the country.
I'VE cast our vote for indorse-
ment without change of the PROPOSE
ton submitted by Secretary Wilson,
said Mr.. Lewis at the general session
this morning. He referred to the
first of three propositions submitted
to Secretary Wilson yesterday. It
was for conference of operators and
miners from all fields.
In submitting the three PROPOSE
tons Secretary Wilson indicated he
personally favored his first proposal.
Operators, however, demanded that
negotiations proceed under the third
plan suggested by Secretary Wilson.
This was" that first negotiations be
confined to the central competitive
field.
Mr.. Lewis is agreeing to the de-
mand, scored the operators and
charged that they are violating the
Lever bill by refusing to re-empIoy
returning miners unless they\ first
agree to give up union utilization.
He named the Colorado Fuel and
Iron company and declared operators
are taking the same stand in Ala
bama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia and Virginia.
Lukens Speaks for Operators
Speaking on behalf of operators
outside the central competitive field,
F. w. Lukens, president of the
Southwestern Interstate Coal Opera
tors association, proposed returning
to the ord pulley of allowing the
paste scale to be negotiated by the
competitive field.
Because outlying operators are not
organized, Mr.. Lukens said that no
time should be wasted but that pub
lie interest in an early settlement
makes it desirable to continue as in
the past"
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE con-
ference of wage scale. committees
in the central competitive bituminous
coal field was postponed today at the
request of the opeUtors who were
not vet ready to submit counter
PROPOSAL to the demands received
from the miners Saturday.
Meantime a committee of the OPP
orators was framing reply. 1t was
said the question Of the renewal OF
work by the miners was one of the
matters to be brought up by the
operators.
The miners have not yet entirely
receded from their demands for
five-day week and a sixJhour day.
but they showed disposition to be
conciliatory and indications today
were that an agreement, if even
Temporary one, would be reached.
There was a report that the miners,
representatives would attempt to
negotiate a scale that would hold
GOOD only until the legal end of the
war, when they could again come for
ward with their original demands
with no fear of having their strike
declared Illegal under war laws.