The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-11-22

Washington, Nov. 1i.-~-When the
conference of coal miners and opera
tors adjourned ct O'Clock tonight
Secretary of Labor Wilson epitomized
the days results in the following
raraphrass from Caesar:
We met We talked, We quit
until tomorrow afternoon at o'clock.
think the conference is making
progress. | have been hopeful from
the start
Secretary Of Labor Wilson was cali
- into the conference about $50 this
sfternnon after all propositions by
s4thAr the miners or the operators had
been rejected, including proposals for
arbitration. With the conference slate
thus swept clean. and matters again
1t stArdstsli. Secretary Wilson. st
the request OF the miners. was called
In. He then laid before the conferees
government data on wages. costs OF
living and other points involved.
Both the operators and the miners
came out Of the conference in AN ep-
,irrisac mood and the feeling soon
= spread that a settlement was in the
air, despite the Tact that the e,ate
had been wiped clean
SEPARATE SESSIONS
II was stated that the Adjournment
until O'Clock tomorrow afternoon
had been made so as 70 permit both
miners and the operators 10 hold
separate acssions tomorrow morning.
In this connection u was. reported
,tYat Secr@t$zrv 7se flssYsvt reserttstiori
OF figures virtually amounted 10 tell
ing the operators and ths. miners that
q fair compromise wage increas Sc
should be in the neighborhood of
IS 70 81 per cent
If the wage increase were fixed at
81 rer cent this would coret clos.
to splitting tho difference between the
wage increase which the operators
offered and tho wage increase which
the miners named today az their MINI
mum.
The wage increase offered yes
terday was 80 pey cent. Today the
miners rceedst-fiom their original
demand OF so per cent and set 40 per
cent as the lowest which they would
accept
The conferences is now IN the bar
gaining stage The miners have
broken away from their. stone-wall
stand and the operators have receded
from their stand pat attitude. 1t has
been said during the conference
though not officially confirmed. thai
the miners would accept 80 per cent
increase in wages il the operators
could be brought to offer it.
Hence a compromise offer of Is or
~ per cent, would mean long ster
toward bringing about a prompt set.
Element of the controversy. II was
said tonight that DR.. Harry A. Gar
field, United States fuel administra.
tor, might again be brought into the
negotiations tomorrow as a wage in.
crease means an increase in the price
OF coal to the consumer.
LEWIS BECOMES CLAN
- when the conference adjourned TO-
night. Acting President Lewis. Of tn,
United Mine Workers. said that al
questions as to the executive session
would have to be answered by Score
tary Wilson, who had acted ms chair
man during it's latter part.
In answer to the question as Il
whether the miners and the operator
were coming nearer tn each other
Thomas T. Brewster. of the operators
said with smile
oh, think maybe"
He also asserted that a settlement
would have TO be reached by Thu
conference.
After long rarJey today over tn,
proposition made yesterday by tn
operators, and which were voted dow,
by the miners, the miners modihe'
their previous demands
They asked for 20 per cent rails
In pay. instead OFFS per cent, q seven
hour actsfai working day. Saturda,
half holiday, and that local disputes
be settled BY local or Glistrict commit
tees. The miners propositions wer
turned down by the operators TIL
operators then Withdrew all of tn
propositions made yesterday to two
namely. the offer Of 20 per cent pa,
Increase and the making OF 4 two
yesr contract. In SO doing the,
eliminated the proposition, opnoxiou
10 the miners, OF selling fuel and min
anppiics on a commercial basis.
Thu operators second proposals a