Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-18
EFFORTS To STOP
WALKOUT Of COAL
D|GGERS OCT. 81
PROVE FRUITLESS
All Day Conference Between
Secretary Wilson, Miners
and Operators Fails To
Unite the Warning Factions
ANOTHER PARLEY IS TO
BE HELD NEXT TUESDAY
Further Negotiations viii Be
Carried On, But Both Sides
Seem To Be Firm In Their
Stand Not To Yield Ground


Washington, oct. 17.-Failing after
an all-da conference 10 avert a strike
of nearly 5000 bitumnous coal.
miners, called for the very eve of win
ter, Secretary of Labor Wilson tonight
invited miners and operators to send
their full scale committees to Wash
ington next Tuesday when another
effort to bring about peace in the in
dustry will be made
Both sides accepted the invitation.
This did not offer any great hope,
however, for representatives OF the
operators stood firm in their determi-
nation not to negotiate any demand
for a six-hour day and not to deal
with the unions unless the strike. call,
ed for November /. was called off
John l.. Lewis, acting president of
the United Mine Workers of America,
showed that he was laboring under
terrible strain when he left the meet
ing. Speaking to a group of reporters
he said he had told Secretary Wilson
that the thirty-two members of his
wage scale committee would be here
Tuesday to meet an equal number
from the other side, but that il would
be useless to reconvene the joint in-
terstate wage conference unless the
attitude" and indicated a willingness
to frame another agreement
Brewster Refuses TO Talk.
Thomas r. Brewster chairman of
the operators of the central competi-
tive coal fields. which embraces the
states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and
western Pennsylvania, after sitting
through the day at a table with Sec
retary Wilson and Mr.. Lewis. hurried
away from the secretarys office and
refused to talk. An hour or two later
he sent word to Mr.. Wilson that his
scale committee would be on hand for
the joint conference.
At the outset Secretary Wilson, sit
| ting between Lewis and Brewster
| urged them to resume negotiations
and reconyene the JOINT wage con.
ference. pointing out that he was
making this effort ty direction of
the presidents cabinet. Lewis indi-
| Gated grounds on which the miners
would negotiate and after a recess
Brewster returned with n written
statement outlining the conditions
under which the operators would do
the same. These were:
Indication of willingness on the
part Of the miners to carry out the
existing contract. which former Fuel
Administrator Garfield "attests is still
| in effect"
Resembling of the strike order and
continuation of work pending negotia~
tions; and, understanding that the ne
gotiations do not cChtemplate any
reduction in the hours Of labor below
the present standard of eight hours o
day, six days a week
Attacks Collective Bargaining.
On the heels of this, Brewster's
| statement addressed to Secretary Will
son, sharply attacked collective bar
gaining.
LAS pertinent to the questions in
volved," he wrote, "the operators
deem It advisable to say that the coal
! operators of the central competitive
| field have adhered to the principles
and practices of collective bargaining
for thirty-three years with the largest
body of organized labor in the United
States and it is our opinion that our
scale negotiations have broken down
and that our contract has been abro-
| gated by the miners union in their
! call for a strike November |, be
cause the present system of collective
| bargaining does not fix equal re-
| sponsibility under the law upon the
| employer and the labor union.
| "Our experience teaches us that no
set of employers should agree to a
system of collective bargaining which
does not make both parties to the
contract equally liable and responsi
! BILE for the observance of the terms OF
such contract