New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-17

elected by their district organizations
and were properly accredited. Bitunafn-
Qua districts not represented are those
which have been producing coal, have
no problems for consideration at this
conference, and did not wish 30 be rep
resented"
Numerous kilograms were exhibited
whieh tine operators said accounted for
every district except one, and that
they had heard from that district. but
the message was mislaid. Messages
we're quoted frem the following dis
triets, all to the effect that the dis
tricts designated had no problem to be
considered here and needed and de-
sired no representation at the confer
ence.
The New River Coal Operators As
ISOLATION, West Virginia; the North
east Kentucky Coal Association. the
Somerset County Coal Operators AS
ISOLATION. Pennsylvania; the Colorado
and New Mexico Coal Operators AS
sociation, the Kanawha Coal Opera
tors Association, West Virginia; the
Southern Appalachian Coal Operators
Association, Tennessee, and the Wash
ington Coal Operators Association,
State Of Washington. All Of these
districts say their mines are operating
and producing up to normal.
Say Messages Answer Miners
The statement set forth in these
messages. it was contended by the op-
orators, answered the argument Of the
miners, that the coal operators here
ARE only partially representative of
the producing interests affected by the
present suspension Of mining"
Miners leaders at once retorted To-
night that, regardless OF what the diff
Yerent operators associations said,
thousands of miners are on strike in
the districts named. The districts are
not 100 per cent organized and the
strike may not be 100 per cent effective,
but none the less it affects those dis
trfcts and thousands Of employees, the
labor spokesman declared. They said
the operators were trying to "camou~
hage" the Issue, and that, regardless
OF the statements, the miners would
stand by these men and decline to join
an agreement with a partially repre-
sentative group Of operators here,
leaving those employees "to be driven
back to the mines at the wages and
under the working conditions against
which they struck April l."
From some of the influential inde~
pendent operators has come the sug-
gestion that the Presidents proposal
might result in plan for the solution
OF their problem, but some Of the larger
operators advanced the thought that q
complete refusal to agree to the Pres-
dents proposal would precipitate a new
deal all around leaving the striking
Workmen and the employers to tackle
the subject from another angle.
Some Hope for U. S. Operation
The possibility that the government
might take over the operation of the
mines was not lost sight of by some Of
these operators, who declared that with
their mines shut down not only were
they compelled to pay the cost Of keep
ing the property in condition, but the
receipts on production was a complete
1865. TO these operators the idea of
the government assuming control of
the mines gives promise Of a resump-
tlon of production and assurance that
the operators would receive adequate
compensation.
Another suggestion was for the BIZ
luminous operators to follow the lead
Of the anthracite operators and accept
the Presidents proposal in principle,
with reservation as to wages. OPP
orators taking this view point out that
the Presidents proposal IS the govern
ment's conscientious effort TO restore
production of the mines, and that it
should not be lightly declined. They
further assert that the acceptance
would place the onus of continuing
the strike directly on the miners, and
that the effect of this would be the
capitalization of compelling public
opinion that would force the miners
to return to work.
To some Of the operators the miners
reply was merely reiteration of the
unions demand that the non-union
fields be unionized and that they hoped
by holding out that the President may
modify his arbitration proposal to
make it binding on the non-union op-
orators.
On the question of government OPP
). ration of the mines, however, it was
Ssointed out that difficulties may be en-
Euntered in Illinois and Indiana, where
Eere arc state commissions, from
(which miners must obtain licenses be-
fore they are permitted to work.
Whether the states would cooperate
with the Federal government in lifting
his stipulation so that all workmen
rho volunteer for mine duty could be
utilized was a question.