The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-11
NO ANSWER TO
HARDING'S OFFER

Washington, July 1.-THE coal
strike situation marked time today
pending the decision of the operators
and miners in unionized fields as ia
the acceptance of President Harding's
proposal for fixing the new wage scale
by arbitration and the immediate re.
sumption of work at the wages fates
of March 81, last.
Washington, July .1O.-President
Harding today placed before. leaders
of employers and employees of the
anthracite and unionized bituminous
fields government plan for settling
the coal strike. 1t called for immedi-
ate resumption of work by the min
ers now out, at wage rates of March
81 last for fixing of permanent wage
levels by arbitration, and for an. in
vestigation to recommend solutions
of permanent problems in the coal in
dustry.
All representatives of the groups
concerned had tonight delayed def
mite answers to the proposal, al
though union officials informed the
president they had no power to give
acceptance or refusal, but would sum-
mon the general policy committee Of
the United Mine Workers Of America
here Saturday to consider the mat
ter.
A day Of conferences, at the Whit e
House and at other Offices with Secre-
taries Hoover, Full. Davis and At
torney General Daugherty participat-
ing, was taken to bring matters to
this stage
Alfred M. Ogle, chairman of the
bituminous operators group. indicat-
ed that his associates considered an
arbitration plan they had offered last
week, for district settlement. "the
best and fairest way" to get the
mines opened but John L. Lewis,
president of the union, classed this
'as obsolete in the light of the presi-
dents prouosals." Anthracite opera :
tors, although their committee was
three times at the White House,
maintained silence. @..sr
Both bituminous and anthracite
sections of the general conference of
the coal industry had indivcated a
deadlock today before President
Harding brought forward Asths .arbi.
tration plan. The government, "con-
cerned with coal production sufficient
to meet the industrial and transpor-
tation requirements of the country"
he said, desires to have production
resumed"
He proposed that mine workers
should return on the old wage scale
and that a commission of five repre-
sentatives of the public, three of the
miners, and three of the operators,
should fix before August 10, tenn
porary basis wage scale to be held
in effect until March 1, 1923. If it's
deliberations should not result in a
scale by August 10, the president
further suggested that the wage
levels at the time work was stopped
should continue until new scale was
ready.
In addition, the commission-~pro-
posed, the president said, should Gin
vestigate exhaustively every phase
of the coal industry, and reveal every
cost of production and transporta-
tion." Congress would be asked, it
was added to make appropriations to
finance and unthorize its work.
81 have taken this short cut to the
resumption of operations because I
believe it is in the interest of the pub
lie welfare" the president concluded.
"When two great forces do not agree
there must be a peaceful way to ad-
justment and such arbitration opens
the way"
He enjoined all participants to give
the proposals consideration in sep
arate conferences and this was done
Immediately. The miners formulated
their temporary answers in a letter
explaining that the national officers
and district presidents called into the
meeting were without the authority
to render a definite judgment upon
your several suggestions and are in
no manner authorized to bind the
members of the United Mine Workers
of America with respect to our rec
concentrations"
President Lewis of the union, said
the officers would not discuss the rec
concentrations, but they might to the
full policy committee, which has 1875
members, but explained that it had
full power to act.
Chairma Ogle, after various de
liberations eth his associates, the BIZ
luminous q sators, declared that the
general arbitration plan had not been
voted upon and that an answer to the
president might be delayed.
nG H.