Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-16
COAL CONFERENCE
IN BITTER WRANGlE
Operators and Mine Workers
Representatives Each Charge
Bad Faith.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEGUN
Failing to Agree on National
Scale Attention Is Turned to
Central Field.


WASiIINGTON. Nov. l5.-Coal min
ers and operators meeting here today
ton wide agreement. but did unite up
on a plan 10 negotiate an agreement
pet:i!re field or Western Pennsylvan a,
i i!.,t;, ohio and Illinois. Mean
fields whose refusal to merge their
interests with those of the central
terriior% caused the separation. went
mine how far the central territory's
scale agreement, if. negotiated. would
their respective delds
The division came after a stormy
operaoEs o and ihe jont session Of the
called by Secretary Wilson in which
John l.. Lewis. acting president of the
mine workers. exchanged charges of
bad faith with several spokesman for
the operators.
Operators Reject Plan.
r. ". Lukens, speaking. for the OPP
tary Wilson'S proposal for a national
Would ON faEe iime t ,ha it's sonSd
for coal Prssiaent Lew Esws. % having tHs ns ael
operator Mr ;o WilS S Plan scored the
ou GiiR1rsinG t hat the operators in the
ready to negotiate with the miners.
Lewis exclaimed:
~. gods. is there no more rood
taith left in man? Are the mine work
e s.Ts, or; OF America TO be the everlasting
deal" ~ ""o'h 'ney nave TO
After announcing his acceptance Of.
said: II want to EXPRESS nv nv i; ntfaS
a ano.., AT the attitude of the coal
man. Mr. Lukens. If there is any one
s snlnE E which has .crystallized public
i has been The oft-reiteratce9 c w4rK tSrs
Saa with dsmand Gsd By n9' t heir
ana willing to negotiate a wage scale"
Wish TO Reconcile Differences.
e some in good faith in an honest
President Lewis TO re sSIa nd df leu
Secretary. representing tn go gove SIr.
moe b. PROPOSE plan which we accept.
because the public 'h has best Best pl ana but
ors ,y,n mt it is the plan the operat-
Secretary Wilson thcn advanced an
alternative suggestion for a wage scale
nncgo1itiation in the central fields which
dent IeW Mss = &C asf &c though Presi-
ana in eefsain fields for Violation of law
a ana een ,, governmental action
Miners Demand Representation.
Representa- OF miners in TIA
ou!iXlng fields commended thew were
80 t; o,u 70 representation in any me-
since this would be used inavjtabir:
as ,s Il OASIS for their contracts, ana
me operators, at Secretary Wj,san.s
request, agreed to consider a nossihle
u un ana the joiAt conference broke
Al the wage scale committee c,,.
ference with the operators, the min
,n ieaaers presented again their de-
l,nnnds made originally at the Ruffaio
iI onicrsnce consisting of a 60 per cent
ma ease IN wages, five-day week
t,iu SEYMOUR day. The onerators
men decided to confer among thcma
Set 6nsra ana the conference adjourned
meeting, separately after the o cop,er
dnGe ,adjourned. declined to make a
hv Wr ansWer to the question asked
-! ME-. Lewis as 20 whether rho cco
tr, competitive field agreement would
n1PpiE IN basic form TO other distrirts
nc S"er was withheld until the
views OF other operators not in WASH
so S 'o IN; can he learned. Secretary vii
aUil Jolned In the meeting at thu. re-
quest OF the operators '"e re-