The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-19
COAL UNIONS
RENEW DEMANDS
Operators OF Outlying Fields Re
fuse to Merge Their Interest
Hold Separate Confer
ence

washington, NOV. Ao.--Noe.' -
and operators meeting here today
could not unite upon the proposal OF
Secretary Wilson to negotiate a ma
tionwide agreement, but did unite
upon plan to negotiate an agree
zment covering the mines in the central
competitive field Or western Penn
sylyania, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois
Meanwhile, the mine owners Of the
.as,,tiying fields whose refusal to merge
their interests with those Of the GEN.
trail territory caused the separation,
went into a separate conference 10
tfeters.aine how far the central terri
tery's scale agreement. if negotiated
would serve as a basis for agreements
in their respective fields
The division: came after a stormy
morning of,the joint session of opera
fors and miners representatives
called by Secretary Wilson in which
John L.;-Lewis, acting president Oh
the mine workers exchanged charges
of: bad faith. with several spokesmen
for. the operators. F. W. Lukens.
speaking for the operators, III outly-
ing fields. presented their refusal to
comply with Secretary Wilson's pro
posal for a national agreement, on
the ground that its negotiation would
take tinae that could not be granted
in view of the need for coal. Presa-.
dent Lewis, having accepted Mr.. Will
son.s plan, scored the operators for
refusal
Secretary Wilson then advanced an
alternative suggestion for q wage scale
negoeiation n the central fields which
finally was accepted, though President
Lewis again.arraigned operators in
certain fields Tor violation OF law and
demanded governmental action against
them
Representative Of miners in the
outlying fields contended they were
entitled to representation in any ne
gotiations regarding the central field,
since this would be used inevitably
as a basis for their contracts, and
the: operators, at Secretary Wilson's re-
auest. agreed to consider a possible
course. and the joint conference broke
up.1 80
Al flnes sWdSSt SSdiS Sohili'i1e.S 49,
ference with the operators the min.
eers' leaders presented again their de-
mands, made originally at the buffalo
conference consisting of 60 per cent
increase in wages, a five daylweek and
q sx-hour~ day. The operators then
decided to- confer among themselves
and elie conference adjourned until
Monday:
s. Operators in outlying districts,
meeting separately after the confer
ences adjourned, declined to make a
definite answer to the question asked
by Mr.. Lewis as to whether the cen
traI competitive field agreement would
apply in basic form to other districts
The: answer was, withheld until the
views of other operators not in Wash
ington can be learned. Secretary Will
SON joined in the meeting at the re
quest of the. operators
Operators from western Kentucky
stated at the meeting that they stood
willing to- accept the wage scale
agreed tesBy- the. central competitive
field as a basis: Central Kentucky
miners ,deehned to commit themselves
suntiI the results of the conference Oh
the central territory committee was
known, but announced their willing
ness TO begin negotiations with the
s1vorl,ers in their own district