Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-25
Special to Indiana Daily Times
and philn daIrhia PnhIin I.ndger

and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Announce-
ment has come from the White House
that President Harding had authorized
Secretary of Labor Davis to invite coal
miners and operators to a conference
prior to the expiration of the present
wage agreement.
The ADMINISTRATOR decision to inter
vene in the impending controversy in the
coal industry was based upon Mr.. Hard
ings belief that the parties to the exist
ing contract should abide by the clause
pledging them to the conference. 1t rep
resents the first move on the part Of the
Government to avert a strike in the
unionized coal fields as a result Of the
failure Of the miners and operators to
get together.
The present wage agreement covering
the mine operations in the central COM
petitive field, involving Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio and western Pennsylvania, expires
on March 81. Under the provisions Of the
contract, John L. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers of America, has
twice invited the operators to send repre-
sentatives to a meeting of the joint scale
committee.
The last invitation was sent out less
than a week ago, but again met with re-
fusal on the part OF the representatives
of the operators in the Ohio and western
Pennsylvania fields. The representatives
m the other fields accepted the invitations
conditionally.
ATTENTION DIRECTED To
INDIANAPOLIS CONFERENCE.
Since the convention of the United Mine
Workers in Indianapolis it has become
increasingly apparent to the Administra-
tion that some action on the part of the
Government would be necessary to avert
a strike in the coal industry. From rep
resentatives of the Department of Labor
the reports were that neither side were
disposed to get together on their own vO-
lition.
The decision of Judge Anderson in In
dianapols bearing upon the use of the
''check Off system in the central com
petitfve field and the contract generally
is not regarded by the Administration
as invalidating the obligation Of the par
ties concerned to confer in an effort to
arrive at some agreement
President Harding has received from
the Department of Justice an opinion
bearing upon the effect Of this decision
on any action the Government might take
toward bringing the operators and min
ers together. He is convinced it offers
no objections to the course the Govern
ment now proposes to pursue.
The time Of the melting has not been
set, but it is presumed that it will be
called before the end of March in ample
time to give the miners and operators an
opportunity to get together. The meeting
possibly will take place in Washington.
DAVIS AGENT OF
GOVERNMENT.
President Harding has made Mr.. Davis
the Governments agent in dealing with
the coal controversy, but possibly viii en-
list Secretary of Commerce Hoover in the
efforts to avoid a break The hopes of
the Administration ire that there would
be no strike.
For several months. the situation has
been followed closely by Mr.. Hoover
whose advice on industrial questions is
known to be held paramount by the
President. The Secretary Of Commerce
not long ago predicted a break in the
coal industry.
In the meantime there has been gath
cred by the Department of Labor and
the Department of Commerce adequate
information with which to deal with the
controversy. The position of the Admin
istration's officials long has been that {
strike would injure the public Interest
and make imperative interference on thai
account.
Hope that the miners and operators
would get together without the efforts
Of third agency have been lost with
the miners decisions at the indianapolis
convention and the operators unwilling
ness to meet them. The last refusal oil
the opera tors to meet with the miners
followed by the call of the miners lead.
ers for a referendum on a strike is IN
derstood to have brought about the Ad
ministration's Copyright, 1922
by Pnhlic Ladgar Cnrnnanv