New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-23
Wilson Insists =
Anthracite Men
Stay at Work
Letter to Operators and
Miners Says There Must
Not Be Strike During
This Critical Period
S uggest Arbitration
Realty to Name Commits
sion as Soon as Both
Sides Accept Authority

WASHINGTON, May 22-Anthracite
operators and miners were warned to-
day by President Wilson there must be
no strike in the anthracite coal fields
during this critical period in the read
justmcnt of the country.
Writing to members of the Joint
Scale Committee, which has been con-
Quoting negotiations For two months.
the President said that if they should
be unable to reach an agreement he
would insist that the questions in d is
pute be submi tied to the determination
of commission, to be appointed by
him, and that work be continued in the
mines pending the decision of the COM
mission. He added that the award to
be made would be retroactive to April
/, the date of the expiration of the
old agreement between operators and
miners.
The President said he would hold
himself in readiness to appoint a com
mission "similarlv constituted to the
one which | recently appointed in con-
nection with the bituminous mining in
dustry as soon as | learn that
both sides have signihed their willing
ness to continue at work and abide
by its DECISIONS"
NO oLrlke, says LdDOr dedQ
In making public the Presidents let
ter Secretary Wilson, who has been in
conference with the wage scale COM
mttee at the Department Of Labor for
the last three weeks, said he was con-
fident that when the committee recon
vened Thursday it "will either reach a
mutual agreement or the question. in
dispute will be submitted to a COM
mission, as suggested by the Presi-
dent"
There will be no strike in the an
\ thracite coal fields" he said. The Sec
retary added that representatives OF
the miners would present the Presi-
dents letter to their convention at
Wilkes Barre, Pa, Monday
The Presidents letter follows:
"I have watched with more than
passing interest your efforts to nego-
tiate new wage scale for the an
thracite coal fields. The arrangement
to continue work at the mines after
April /, pending the adoption OF a
new agreement, which you entered
into when the previous wage scale
was about to expire, was highly COM
mendable and filled us all with hope
that new contract would be
mutually worked out and the sup
ply of anthracite coal continued
without interruption. sincerely
trust that the hope will be fully
realized.
81 have, however, been advised that
there is a possibility you may not
come to an agreement. am sure |
need not remind you that we have
not yet recovered from the economic
losses incident to the war. We need
the fullest productivity of our people
to restore and maintain their own
economic standards and to assist IN
the rehabilitation of Europe. A
strike at any time in a great basic
industry like anthracite coal mining
would be very disastrous factor in
our lives and industries. TO have
one take place now while we are
actively engaged in the problems of
reconstruction would aabe serious
disaster. Anthracite coal is used
prime ipally in domestic consumption:
Any shortage in the supply would
CONTINUED on page three)