South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-15
SEATTLE RECORD
SEIZED SECOND
TIME BY MARSHAL
PROPOSE PLANS
OF AGREEMENT
Demands of Miners Are De-
CIared to be Impossible by
Secretary Wilson.
BY AssFiated Press

BY Ass9 91ated Press:
WA1IINGTON. Nov. 14.-De-
mands OF coal miners for so hour
week and so percent increase in
wages and the unyielding position
by the operators alike were de
clared Impossible" by Sec'y Wilson
in opening today the conference
called to bring peace to the bitumi-
nous fields of the nation. To obtain
this peace the secretary proposed
three plans of procedure.
Declaring that the Washington
wage agreement still is legally in
force. Mr.. Wilson told the operators
and miners that the people Of the
United States were not "ShyloCks'
and do not want TO exact the tech
nical provisions Of a bond when the
conditions under which the bond
was made have changed" He add
/ ed that IF any great change IS
made in the contracts. the people
Of the United States are the ones
who will have to pay" and through
his remarks emphasized the public
| interest in the coal settlement
The three proposals expected to
| aid the two factions in arranging
/ the new wage agreement were set
forth by the labor secretary as fol-
4 lows:
Plans OF Secretary.
First. negotiation through joint
wage scale committees representing
all districts; second. negotiation
/ through concurrent sessions Of
J So
tricts. and third, negotiation first Of
an agreement in the central com
petitive field and then of agree
ments for other fields with that Of
/ the central district as a basis.
After hearing Sec'y Wilson the
conference adjourned until 10
o'clock tomorrow to permit the
miners and operators to discuss sep
arately the plan which would be
most acceptable to each.
Conflict apparent.
Indication of a conflict on the
scope Of the agreement 90 be negO-
/ tiated involving the question Of
recognition of non-union workers
developed at tbe outset OF the con
lference and became more apparent
In the two group meetings which
/ followed.
Discussion in the miners caucus
which followed the conference ses-
sion hinged on the question whether
operators representing both union
and non-union fields would be in
cluded in the conference and the ef-
feet any agreement reached by the
conference might have in those
/ fields where the miners do not have
/ contracts with the operators. Al
| though officers of the United Mine
! Workers refused TO make any state
ment following their meeting, II was
! learned that the plan for a nation
wide conference was favored, but
/ before any proposal is agreed TO,
Sec'y Wilson viii be asked 70 make
clear TO the conference that the
I rights of organized labor are TO be
[ protected in those districts where
/ the mining unions are not recog-
nized.
The operators. however. did not
| look with favor on an agreenl ent
! covering ali fields The Washing
ton wage agreement for the arst
time, the operators asserted. fixed
the same date for the expiration Of
/ contracts between miners and oper-
ators in all parts Of the country.
! Fear Of the power this arrangement
! gives the workers 20 bring about a
nationwide strike was expressed by
the operators. who indicated a de
sire TO return 70 the old plan OF bas-
ing all wage sole contracts on the
agreement reached I'm the central
competitive fields