Arizona republican., 1919-11-22
MAKE PROGRESS. AT CONF FERENCE
 IF COA[ TRADE
Secretary Wilson Steps To Fore With Suggestion Both Sides Have Their Proposals R ejected d. Some Results Gained

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.-Secretary of Labor Wilson stepped to the front again tonight in an effort to bring miners and operators together after a proposal by eac hside had been re- Jected and the slate wiped clean.
 MT. Wilson is said to have formally presented definite proposal for set uement of wage disputes which would send bltumlnous miners back to work before the country was in the throes Ia coal famine, but it's nature was not disclosed. It was generally believed he suggested a wage increase of 31 per cent.
 Both sides united in asking him to join the joint sub-scale committees after the miners had definitely re- 1ected a 20 per cent wage advance and the operators had finally refused to agree to a counter proposal from the workers for 40 per cent increase, seven hour day and six-day week with half holiday on Saturday.
 When the conferencge adjourned after six-hour session, Thomas T. Brewster, chairman of the operators declared that their offer had been withdrawn and that the slate was now clean.
 Progress Has Been Made"
 Secretary Wilson said that progress had been made and that he would meet the subcommittee again tomorrow afternoon
 Comparative data on increases in the cost of living and wage advance tc miners since 1914 was submitted by MT. Wilson, who declined to make pub lie his proposition. He was said to have proposed an increase of appr1xi- mately 31 per cent, the difference be- tween the cost of living and wage in crease figures announced by the secre- tary at the opening of the conference last week. An ultimatum served by i the operators that their offer repre- sented the maximum was reaffirrned | tonight by MT. Brewster, who declared it could not be increased unless the government says we should do it." 1 When the conference failed to agree on either sides proposition, the opera tors suggested referring the dispute to arbitration, but the miners objected. The operators proposed a tribunal of nine members to be chosen in one of three different ways. Each side to pick four members and the eight to select the umpire; each side to name four, and the president Of the United States the ninth. or each side to name l three and the other three to be chosen by the president.
 The Miners Proposal The counter proposition from the miners, scaling down their earlier de- mands. was substituted by John l. Lewis, acting president of the United Mine Workers, after he had conferred with Secretary Wilson. MT. Lewis stated that the new demand for a 4 per cent wage advance for sI1 sorts ol
 work represented the margin" be- tween the gage increases received by the miners since 1914 and the ;urnI taken by living costs.
 The mine workers also insistel tha all local differences not covered by in terstate agreement be referred back t, the districts in which they originated for settlement.
 The offer of the operators, as frnafl! rejected by the miners at todays ses sion was slightly different from th' terms submitted yesterday, Mir. Brew ster said. The operators stood fast cl the abount of wage increase, bu agreed to waive demands for cthe changes in the present contract.