The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-15
NEGOTIATE IN /
CENTRAL COAL
FIELDS ONLY
Operators Reject Wilson'S Ma
ton Scale Plan.
Miners Had Agreed to 1t With
out Qualification.
LEWIS CHARGES BAD FAITH
Assails Outlying Operators OPP
position to Proposal.
Competitive Field Wage Conn
mittees Meet Today.

washington, Nov. 15.-After
a long and acrimonious wran-
gle today, representatives of the
coal operators and miners in
conference here agreed to take
up settlement of wage and labor
conditions in the central COM
petitive fields after they had
failed to agree on considering a
national scale as first proposed.
Adjourning the general conference,
Secretary Wilson then summoned the
wage scales committees of the central
competitive field to meet at $50 D.
m. today to negotiate a new wage
agreement.
Operators from districts outside the
central competitive field will meet at
the same hour to determine whether
the agreement arrived at by the wage
scale committee of the central COM
petitive field will be accepted as
basis for the contracts in the outlying
districts.
Secretary of Labor Wilson'S plan for
negotiating a nationwide wage scale
by miners and operators from every
section of the country was rejected by
operators but accepted by miners
without qualification.
Speaking on behalf of operators out
side the central competitive field, +.
NJ. Lukins. president of the South
western Interstate Coal Operators as
sociation. proposed returning to the
old policy of allowing the basic scale
| to be negotiated by the operators and
| miners in the central competitive
field.
| President Lewis sharply denied
charges of bad faith over the coal
strike and the negotiations and VIII
liam Green, secretary of the
| mine workers union, took exception
| to Secretay Wilson's statement of Fri
day that a 60 per cent increase in coal
miners wages was impossible. Green
said the federal government should
| see that the miners got that much in
crease to allow them an American
standard of living.
| Because outlying operators are not
organized, Mr.. Lukins said no time
should be wasted but that public in
terest in an early settlement make it
desirable to continue as in the past"
Mr. Lukins's statement Immediately
| brought from President Lewis of the
| U. M w. A. a charge of bad faith
| Charging that the operators in the
outlying districts had led miners and
the public to believe that they were
ready to negotiate with the miners, Mr..
Lewis exclaimed:
"Ye gods. is there no more good
faith left in man? Are the Mine
Workers of America to be the everlast-
| ing victims of bad faith on the part of
the people with whom they have to
dea1?"
! After announcing his acceptance of
the secretary's suggestion, Mr.. Lewis
| said
ment at the attitude of the coal opera
| tors as stated by their spokesman, Mr..
Lukins. If there is any one thing
which has crystallized public senti-
| ment against the mine workers It has
been the oft-reiterated cry that the
outlying operators had not been pre-
sented with demands by their work.
ers. altho they stood ready and will
! ling to negotiate a wage scale.
I'VE stand here with spotless robes
| ready to negotiate a scale in the vari-
| Gus states outside the central COM
! petitive fields. Mr.. Lukins proposed
to the governor of Missouri that they
| were ready to negotiate with the min
ers in Missouri. but Governor Gardner
wired me to protest, and the governors
| of West Virginia and other states
have done likewise"
F., Lewis formally charged that oper-
ators in many states have violated the
Lever act in refusing to reinstate strik-
continue their union membership.
| IL call on you. Mr.. Chairman" he
shouted. addressing Sc -etary Wilson.
| ito see that the government of the
| United States enforces the law"
| Lewis read a telegram from J. II.
Clemo. secretary and treasurer of the
| Alabama mine workers, charging that
hundreds of miners whose families are
without food are refused employment
under an agreement reached at q
meeting of operators Wednesday.
| Lewis said the same methods are be-
ing employed in Colorado. the New
River fields of West Virginia. Ken
tucky. central Pennsylvania and in the
| Pocahontas fields.