Evening star., 1919-11-15

BY WRANGLING AS COAL
CONFERENCE is OPENED
Continued from First Page.)
before the public before we have gone
IF you want to develop American
ism among the miners you must give
them sufficient wages to enable them
to maintain American standards Of
living"
Declaring that the government had
not compelled the operators in
previous conferences to negotiate
wage scales when the operators re-
fused as long as the strike order re-
manned in effect, Mr.. Green said the
miners had been driven" and 'co-
creed" to accept every proposition of
the federal government.
Now we are here to see what the
government will say to the operators"
he added. Our government has treat
ed the miners unfairly. I feel bitter
in heart and soul regarding the action
the government has taken. The miners
have not been given fair DEAL
Mr.. Green closed with a declaration
that he wanted to know Immediately
what the government would say to the
operators.
B. NJ. Clark. president of the Asso-
citation OF Bituminous Coal Operators
in Central Pennsylvania, expressed
Of bad faith in the face of the walk
out on November 1 "in violation of
contract"
Mr.. Wilson Criticises Both Sides.
The demands OF the miners for a 60
per cent increase in pay and a thirty
hour week are an impossibility in
view of present worldwide industrial
and economic conditions. declared
Secretary of Labor Wilson. mediator,
in opening the coal conference yester-
day afternoon.
likewise the standpat attitude, of
the coal operators. which they have
maintained heretofore, is an impos-
sibility," he went on to say, and In
sisted that both sides will be forced
to come to reasonable terms without
Mr.. Wilson described the unstable
working conditions in the mining in
dustry which kept down to low fig
ure the annual earnings of the great
majority Of miners, and agreed that
much OF the economic stress would
be eliminated II the industry could be
stabilized so the mass of the workers
might be employed the year round.
Season Prevents Sterilization.
'But SO far we have been unable
to devise q practical means Of stabili.
zation, because of seasonal demands"
he pointed out. "The seasonal demand
on the eastern bituminous fields is
heavy during the period lake shipping
is open. The seasonal demand on the
western field is dictated by domestic
t., =, Ao% iv, inxn ho
mediator said.
1.-THE coal Of the eastern fields can be
stored for long periods without deterior-
alton. but that Of the western fields does
not lend itself to long storage And
then, If some operators went to the ex-
tinued. they would be put at great
disadvantage by the operators who did
not store coal" :.
Another important factor in maintain
ing instability in the industry is due to
car shortage. There has never been
available to take care of coal mining
needs at the peak Of the load, he de-
clared, and-"this is the biggest cause
Of irregular work"
Three Plans Submitted.
A. q basis for proceeding to reach an
agreement, Mr.. Wilson submitted three
plans for consideration Of the conference.
First, negotiation through joint scale
committees representing all districts
second: nssotiatio9n s9., through t concurrent
districts: third. negotiation, first of an
agreement in the central competitive
fields and then Of agreements for other
fields with that Of the central district
as a basis.
Asserts Agreement Still in Force.
Declaring that the Washington
wage agreement still is legally in
force. Mr.. Wilson told the operators
United States were not "Shylocks"
and do not want to exact "the tech
nical provisions Of a bond when the
conditions under which the bond was
made have changed" He added that
contracts the people of the United
States are the ones who will have to
pay" and through his remarks EN-.
phasized the public interest in the
coal settlement.
Coming Conflict Indicated.
Indications Of a conflict on the
scope Of the agreement to be neeo-
tiated involving the question of rec
ognition OF non-tnion workers do
veloped at the outset OF the confer
ence and became more apparent in the
two group meetings which followed.
Character Of Invitations.
Secretary Green Of the mine workers
asked Secretary Wilson If the tele-
grams Of invitation sent to the Oh
orators and the miners by him had
not been an invitation to q national
congress-, and Mr.. Wilson replied that
they were. but that he would prefer
the Questioner draw his own deduc-
tion. An exchange Of questions on
the point ended when all of the tele-
grams and responses over the call Of
the meeting were ordered into the
record.
'Tt seems to ma We have discussed
this question as far as 1t is possible"
Mr.. Wilson said. IT want to call your
attention to the conference held with
me ten days or two weeks ago. 1 then
proposed that the wage scale com
mittees in the central competitive field
proceed to negotiate q wage scale
without reservation. That was accept-
ed by the miners and by the operators,
providing the strike order was with
drawn. The withdrawal Of that strike
order has now been accomplished by
the courts.