New-York tribune., 1922-08-07
Miners Hope Farley With
Operators at Cleveland
To-day Will Bring Strike
10 End in, 4B Hours
President Sure TO
Act if They Fail
Less Than Third ofCentral
Field Tonnage TO Attend,
but Scale May Be Fixed

u = J
but Scale May Be Fixed
CLEVELAND, Aug. 6 (By The Asso-
ciated Press).-Hope for an early set
tlement of the nationwide soft coal
strike was held out tonight by Presi-
dent John i. Lewis of the United Mine
Workers of America, who declared he
was optimistic as to the possible re-
suits OF conferences between union
leaders and operators which begin here
+ o-morrow
Mr.. Lewis, on his arrival here to-
night from Pittsburgh, where he passed
the day, declined to discuss the pos
sible enlargement Of settlement, say
ing developments of the conference
would disclose whether operators in
the outlying districts would be in
vited into conference. He indicated,
however, that he might submit q plan
to the unions policy committee of las
members for settlement, affecting
more states than those of the central
competitive field.
Special Dispatch to The Tribune
CLEVELAND, Aug. Especial =
Opinion here tonight is that within
forty-eight hours an agreement mark
ing the beginning of the end OF the
coal strike will have been reached by
an interstate joint conference which
will be opened here tomorrow, at
tended by mine operators and mine
workers in the four central competitive
field states, western Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. 1t is be-
lieved generally here that should the
conference fail President Harding will
take definite action toward ending the
mine tie-up.
1t is expected that the basis for ne
gotiations will be enlarged by extend
ing invitations to West Virginia and
Kentucky operators to take part in the
conference.
To-day, az has been the case ever
since President John L. Lewis OF the
United Mine Workers of America sent
out his invitations last week to the op-
orators, the success or failure of the
Lewis plan has depended upon just one
thingthe tonnage" that will be rep
resented by operators attending the
conference.
The central competitive fold states
in 191S--considered a good barometer
year-produced 207,0o00O0 tons Of the
nations bituminous coal production Of
5S0,000,000 tons.
Less Than Third to Confer
Less than one-third Of this central
field tonnage, according to figures
available tonight, will be represented
by the operators present when the joint
conference convenes at 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning in the Hollenden
Hotel. In other words, about 100000
of the central competitive fields 207,-
100000 tons will be represented.
An impartial survey made to-day dis
tributes this 5000, ,0O0-ton representa-
ton among the four districts of the
central competitive field as follows:
Westerl, Pennsylvania - Six million
tons, or Is per cent of the 1918 produc
tion, 41,O0o,000 tons.
Ohio--I hirty-five million tons, or rs
per cent of the 1918 production, 46,000,-
600 tons.
Indiana--Three million tons, or 10
per cent Of the 1918 production, 30,-
100000 tons.
Illinois Twenty five million tons, or
2s per cent Of the 1918 production, co.
100000 tong.
Union Heads Optimistic
Mine workers officials here tonight
would not concede that only Is per
cent of the tonnage in the Pittsburgh,
OK western Pennsylvania, district and
only 10 per cent of the tonnage in
Indiana would be represented to-mor-
row, and declared they expected much
more than 26 per cent Of the tonnage
in Illinois to participate in the meet
ing,
However, if only the indicated ton
mage is represented tomorrow basic
wage can and will be negotiated, in the
opinion OF impartial observers.
For one thing, the basic agreement
be applied in what are known as out
lying bituminous coal districts, such
as Kansas, Michigan, Central Pennsyl-
vania and Southern and Western
unionized bituminous coal fields that
nre now part of the so-cnlled CEN
trail competitive fields. The expected
agreement will provide for continuing
the wages paid when the strike started,
April /, which is in accordance with
President Harding's proposal, and also
continue the so-called check-of, or tho
practica of coal companies collecting
union dues and assessments.
Five operator groups affiliated with
the Pittsburgh Coal Producers Asso-
citation, the chief operators organiza
tion of the Pittsburgh district. will be
in attendance at the conference, despite
the refusal of that association to take
,,.& 7, q.