The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-11
WILSON INVITES
STRIKEFACTIONS
TO CONFERENCE
VIII Seek To Reach Agreement
on Wages.
Labor Secretary Reports After
Cabinet Meeting.
ISSUE NOW UP To OPERATORS
That Is General Belief in Wash
ington Circles.
Our Stand Unchanged, Thomas
Brewster Declares.
VIII Seek To Reach Agreement
on Wages.
ISSUE NOW up TO OPERATORS

Washington, Nov. 11.-Of-
ficials of the United Mine Work
ers of America and representa-
tives of the coal operators were
invited today By Secretary Will
son to meet him here Friday to
discuss a new wage agreement.
Attorney General Palmer on leaving
the cabinet meeting made this state
ment:
MY information is that the miners
have submitted to the court the form
of an order cancelling and withdraw
ing the strike order. The strike order
having been withdrawn, therefore, the
secretary of labor will today invite the
operators and miners to meet imme-
diately in conference to negotiate an
adjustment of their controversy.
''I have been assuming at all times
that the miners organization would
obey the law when it was called to
and I am glad they justified the as
sumption.
THE way is now open to a settle
ment by the peaceful processes which
should always be employed in settle
ment of such disputes without injury
Issue Up to Operators.
Some administration officers said
the miners action had put the issue
squarely up to the coal operators,
Representatives of the operators here,
however, had no statement to make
j explaining that any pronouncement
would come from Thomas T. Brewster,
of St. Louis. head of the scale COM
mittee. Mr.. Brewster. on his arrival
here today from st. Louis, declined to
comment on the settlement of the
strike
$50 far as the operators are con-
cerned the situation is unchanged
Brewster said. I'VE have always been
ready to resume negotiations with the
) miners when the strike was called off.
Mr.. Brewster was in conference to-
day with a number of operators who
came here with him and later they
went to the office of Fuel Administra-
tor Garfield. Despite the announce
ment by union leaders that the strike
would be called off, the railroad ad-
ministration's coal distributing organ.
ization will continue to function unit
"a majority of the strikers return tC
work" officials of the central Goa
committee said, explaining that so fal
as the work of the distributing or
ganization was concerned, the strike
would not have ended until something
tnke norman pTOOuCllOn ndu Deen re
stored.
Have 80 Days Coal Supply.
Officials gave the first intimation O
the reserve coal stocks after hearing
of the announcement by the miners
officials. Director General Hines esti
mated that the coal held under super
vision of the central coal committe
aggregated about fifteen million tons
This, together with coal in storage AM
at tidewater bunkering stations, con
stituted what was estimated as
thirty days supply for domestic con
sumption.
The daily production. however. dur
ing the strike augmented this suppl
somewhat officials said. Figures 70
the bituminous output on Novembe
16, the only day for which the produc
ton was made public, show that ap
proximately 4S6.OO0 tons were loade,
from mines. Normal daily produc
ton before the strike was estimate
by railroad administration officials a
1857, coo tons.