New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-30
Coal Strike
Averted; Men
Accept Award
Operators and Miners Agree
to Make p Per Cent In
crease Effective April /,
Pending a New Contract
Take Up Terms To-day
Workers Throughout Nation
Notified of Decision and
Urged to Continue on Job

The possibility of soft coal miners
strike was averted last night by the
action of the joint conference of
operators and miners at the Waldorf
Astoria, when a resolution was adopted
unanimously making effective April
the wage increases recommended by the
Federal Bituminous Coal Commission
and approved by President Wilson.
The mines will continue in operation
pending the working out of new
agreement. The award contained in
the majority report of the Presidents
coal commission provided for a wage
increase of 81 per cent.
The final drawing up and signing by
both the miners and operators of an
agreement embodyng the new scales
is the work now before the conference.
This work, it is understood, cannot be
completed before April /, when the
present agreement expires. Several
district organizations of the United
Mine Workers had sgnified their in
tention of striking on April 1 because
of this fact, particularly the Illinois
and Kansas districts. Frank Earring
ton. president of the United Mine
W OTkeTS OF Illinois, WAS pdI llS aAsitAy
emphatic in the declaration that a
strike in his state was certain.
Men Informed of Decision
John l.. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers of America, who
heads the miners representatives at
the conference at the Waldorf Astoria,
sent out kilograms last night to the
miners locals throughout the country
informing them of the decision of the
conference and urging them to con-
tinue work after April /. A formal
statement, it was announced, signed by
all the officers of the United Mine
Workers. will follow.
''This action will avoid the necessity
Of strike" said Mr.. Lewis last night.
land will fully protect the public by
this is a wise and logical action and it
will be adhered to by miners through
out the country"
The conference last night appointed
subcommittee consisting of eight
miners and their international officers
and eight operators to work out the
terms of the new agreement on the
basis of the Federal commissions
award On completing its work this
sub committee will report back to the
conference and the work of signing
ana IdtflylU VIC iCW dSLCCHiSHI VIII
follow.
Subcommittee Meets To-day
The subcommittee consists Of the
following:
For the miners: John l.. Lewis, in
ternational PRESIDENT; Philip Murray
international vice presidents; William
Green, international secretary treas
urer, and international officers John
Moore and G. w. Savage, Ohio; Robert
Gibbons and William largest, western
Pennsylvania; Ed Steward and William
Mitch, Indiana, and R. Williams anc
Richard McAllister, Illinois,
For the operators: T. H. Penna and
NJ l.. Gould, Indiana; J. II. Donaldson
and William Henderson, western Penn.
sylvania; G. f. Maurer and Michael
Gallagher, Ohio, and E. C. Searles and
Herman Perry, Illinois.
The subcommittee will hold it's first
session this morning at the Waldorf
Astoria
There was no conference yesterday
of the anthracite committee OF
miners and operators appointed to ne
gotiate new agreement for the hare
coal workers.
Award Read to Workers
Prior to the joint conference, on,
hundred delegates of the bituminou!
coal miners assembled at Bryant Hal
to hear the award of the President
coal commission on the question O
wage increases. Mr.. Lewis presided