The sun., 1919-09-30

wartime agreement OF April, 1916, lie
still in force and the extent OF author.
ity vested In the miners delegates to
negotiate anew scale. The debate dur
ing four hour session was heated at
times. but there was no indication Of Il
break In the negotiations, and when
adjournment was taken II was with an
agreement to meet again tomorrow.
The issues were raised in the first re
Spouse OF the operators to the demands
of the miners for a 60 per cent increase
In wages and shorter hours and came
before the joint conference in a state
ment signed by Thomas T. Brewster, ex.
ecutive chairman OF the operators. The
statement characterized the miners de.
mands as radically extravagant and
manifestiy impossible Of acceptance"
The operators also maintained that the
miners delegates came to the present
conference with their ,hands tied by in
structions from the United Mine Work.
ers Cleveland convention and with a
strike threat as their compelling argu-
ment."
John T. Lewis. acting president Of the
United Mine Workers. replied to the op.
orators statement. He protested agains.
summary sweeping aside of the de-
tailed demands of the miners and urged
that they be considered one by one on
their merits, following the course OF
previous wage conferences. He de-
clared that the miners delegates had
full authority to negotiate a new wage
scale and that whatever action thoy
took here would be Endorsed by the ad
journed convention OF the workers
The wage scale adopted by the oper-
ators and miners In 1915 and approved
by the Government Mr.. Lewis main
tanned, 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, ne said. should
not be penalized for the long delay in
the actual proclamation of peace,
After referring to the existing wage
agreement to which the Government was
a party and maintaining that It is still
in effect, and reciting the demands Of
the miners presented at the recent con-
ference, the operators statement said:
You demand 60 per cent. increase
in wage scale, time and one-half for
overtime and double time for legal holi-
days and Sundays Such increases are
impossible and their attempted enforce
ment would react with great harm
equally on the nation and on the in
dividual miners you Represent.
The operators hold that no abroga-
ton Of the existing contract can be hah
prior to its degal termination. except by
the mutual agreement of all parties
thereto, the operators, the miners and
the Government. We are ready and will
ing to negotiate a new contract to sue
coed at it's legal expiration the contract
now in effect. but we must insist that
such negotiation be entered into in n
spirit OF reasonableness and that the
representatives of the miners be vested
with their usual discretionary power to
really negotiate. Only under such con-
ditions is 1t possible to reach a prompt
and definite conclusion and to preserve
the principles of collective bargaining.
THE operators come to this confer
ence with a consciousness OF the more
than usually grave responsibilities rest
ing upon them because of their duty ~
cooperate In the processes OF postwar
adjustments with which the nation i=
confronted; they expected the miners to
approach these important negotiations H.
the same spirit But with your hands
tied by the nature of your instructions
and strike threat your only impelling
argument. we ask you II there is any
possibility of securing results by con-
tinuing our present conference under
such limitations"