Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-08
Lewis PredictsEndOf
 Coal Strike This Week
New Plan for Wage Agree ments is to be Presented Coal Operators in Cle1 land Wednesday.

2GSAAA w CA14COA0Ys
 Cleveland, O., Aug. (By the A. P.)- Settlement of the nationwide soft coal strike under a definite plan that may desult in the making of wage agree ments on substantially national basis viii be presented to a conference here Wednesday of coal operators, who are expected to come from all parts of the country with officials of the union min CTS.
 In the main the plan provides for re- sumption of coal production by union miners unde rthe wage scales that exist ed when the strike began last April and for the appointment of an advisory commission of inquiry within the coal industry. the personnel of this commits sion to be approved by President Hard ins.
 Existence of the plan, which has been approved by some operators scattered oyer he country, became known here to- day when union officials and operators, controlling about one-third of the output of the central competitive field, met both separately and jointly with a view of taking action toward breaking the coal strike. The joint conference here today adjourned until 3 p. m., Wednesday, by
 
 that it was expected that other sub stantial interests would join in the meeting.
 The plan. which was understood to 1 have the approval of John L. Lewis, i president of the miners, and Alfred M. Ogle, president of the ational Coal As sociation, may be presented to Indiana and Illinois operators tomorrow, their meetings to be held in Indianapolis and Chicago for the purpose of deciding who will join the conference here. Conf dence was expressed here tonight by op- orators and miners that the Indiana and Illinois operators would join the confer ence "Wednesday. and it was added that operators were expected from several districts outside the central field, in- cluding West Virginia, Iowa, Missouri, Wyoming and some southwestern states.
 When the first session of the joint conference of miners and operators ended here today, statement was is- sued by MT. Lewis and Michael Gala gher, president of the Pittsburgh Vein Operators association of Ohio, as fol lows:
 Tt was agreed that the conference af- ter being organized should recess to 3 p m.. Wednesday, Aug. g. This action
 
 stantial interests would announce theiI participation in the conference by that time"
 I Tn issuing the statement, MT. Lewis | and Mir. Gallagher refused to define whether the "substantial interests were entirely within @the central field. Indi- cations, however. were that they expect ed a majority of the operators Of the central field and also those from severa other states. Some operators at thF conference said practically all operator! excepting those in western Pennsylvania and southern Ohio, would arrive her' Wednesday. They also said some op orators would come from Pennsylvania and southern Ohio.
 MT. Lewis. who refused to affirm ol deny the plan for settlement to b' placed before the conference on Wed nesday declared that he was "of tn | opinion that this week will see the ent | of the bituminous coal controversy" A soon as this is accomplished, the uniol officials are expected to ask the anthra cite operators to renew negotiation ol a wage scale that were broken off il June after continuing several weeks. Il calling the conference to order toda! MT. Lewis did not refer to it as a meet ing of the operators from the centra competitive field, but mentioned the ga thering as ''jcint conference of miner and operators"
 Under the plan of settlement to b submitted Wednesday the wages of tn miners, paid under the scale that ex pired last March S1, would be renewe , until March 31, 1923, and meanwhile tn advisory commission would decide wha recommendation as to wages would b . Lo also would be authorized to investigat
 all questions affecting the coal indus
 try. and though its powers would b : purely advisory both operators an
 union officials here regarded this as a important factor in settling loca
 strikes.
 The plan does not specify that an wage agreement signed under it shoul apply only to the central competitiv = field. district comprising Illinois, h l. diana Ohio and western Pennsylvania 7 which has long been the basis of estah ; fishing wages in the soft coal industry The question of whether single ir struncnt between the operators and tn v union miners for the entire countr 7 would be signed under the plan is lei . for the decision of the conference opening on Wednesday. Regardless C the decision on this question, 1t wa
 said authoritatively that the plan cor templated- the settlement of the strik . for practically all soft coal districts. The first presentations of the plan
 either side of the controversy came tc
 day when it was given to members ( the unions policy committee of F members under a pledge of secrecy. Az
 ceptance of the plan on the part of tn union would require action by the polio !. !. committee.
 While the hope was held out by th U conferees who had already gathere
 here that their ranks would be 1T
 creased on Wednesday, none of them @
 pected representation from the Pitt! : burgh Coal Producers association. whic controls most of the output of wester Pennsylvania, and whose members a so have coal miner in southern Ohio. l
 event of the plan being adopted, it Wa
 said that the union planned to continu
 the strike wherever the operators do nt join in the new agreement. ' sTc<ATTED TRAIN TO START