The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-10-23
Operators Wiling to Concede
the Higher Wage But Refuse
to Concede the Five-Day,
Thirty-Hour Week Pro-
ceedings Of the Conference
Stormy

WASHINGTON. Oct. 22.-While COM
mites reprcScnt:ng minors and opera"
tors meeting in hral effort To aver
the strike OF the half million soft coat
miners set for November |. were on thG
verge tonight of parting company t"t
good Secretary Of Labor Wilson hehi
them together. overnight at least. with
I wage increase proposal that iEnor"h
uninn demands for thirty hour week.
There waS "very assurance that the
operators would accept I and every m
.hcation that Il would be rejected bodily
by rho miners.
When tho joint conference adjourned
until two o'clock tomorrow afternoon
II was wiz ;ac understanding that tho
TWO groups would meet then and make
formal answer TO the proposal. attc?
separate consideration.
Refusal OF the miners 10 accept Will
bring the conference TO a close and force
government officials 70 resort to other
means TO prevent IN" closing or the
mines with the first approach Of winter
wilson's Proposal.
Secretary Wilson's "tfCr. which pre-
rented actual disruption OF the proceed
tngs. set forth tho case as follows:
"rhat wages 6e increased at the
expiration Of tho present contract Ia
An amour. equal to the difference be-
tween increases IN wages received by
rrtne workers since July, 1914, and
the increase in tha cost Of living since
that date.
THAT the increase be effective
lrc1n tho Termination Of the pIesens
agreement until March i, 1890.
,SrnrS on these conditions ths strike
order be Withdrawn and that tho min
srs continue At work on the 50 terms;
that negotiations be enter>l 1rto At
tho usual time for making the new
scale effective after March 81
1890"
The silence that prevailed during tn
reading Of the terms on which Mr.. VII
scp honcd TO settle The .trik". wa- rude
~ broken by qu.ck demand from John
l. Lewis pres Idrni at the United Nine
Workers II America. that tbs secretary
.Nulain what he meant IN the opening
nnrayraph Of his statement concerning
.c>piraticn Of the present contract.
The secretary bearing IN MINI tha;
this was on" OF tho principal issues ~
dispute, SAID II would be Il matter tuV
ncgotiation. Tho miners have contchu-
.I that the war umc wage oSrccnrh-
under which they have been w"rk'n:;
rdcd with the armSticc. while opera
tors arguc that J, Will mold until peace
tOfndiIS u'Nla'NN ~
;he treaty.
Eager To Got Away.
Until the secretary. acting 'nu'pchu-
MI. ne Il government mediator, camH
forward with his proposal. the confer
nee was uradlockrd with each group
.aS.r ( get away. but Just as eager 10
.scapc the char;c that II was rcSp"nsi-
bl,. for breaking off negotiations. FaS-
ny in the situation. and still h"pctui
hat his efforts might succeed. Mr.. VIII
son suggested that the mncrs retire
while he conferred with the operators.
Later in the day the miners returned
for . scpara'c mr"ting with tho Secre-
tary and they IN turn were joined BY tn"
operators.
Meanwhile many Of III" delegates were
,nx:ous to start hnm" bur %"r'' p":Suad-
ID 20 remain over night and make ono
more effort ~ bring ab'ut peace.
STRIKE Order Stands.
The attitude OF the two groups was
,-.,in outli;.,d in detail. IN" miners an
orunCin.. that the strike order would not
hc withdrawn until the operators had
agreed 10 Il new contract. th' paS!S OF
,yhich was tn" 50 hour working week.
The operators again Informed the Sccrc-
tary that, under no circumstances would
,bcy arhitratc on IN" basis Of the thirty
hour week. ard i that was included in
any proposal put before IN" joint session
hey would withdraw.
At times during the day the proceed