Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-08-07
President Harding Will Make New Suggestion to Jewell
And Other Officials of The ShOpcraftS'
Unions To-Day
SENIORITY PROPOSAL NOT FAVORED BY UNIONS
Administration Is Marking Time In Coal Strke-Confer-
ence of Operators and Miners at Cleveland
Today May Hasten Solution of Situation

! While he does cot fear a sympathetic
strike-as the Big Brotherhoods an
nounced they would not violate their
ontracts-President Harding never
theless forsees withdrawal of
thousands of locomotive engineers,
firemen, brakemen and other skilled
workers on the ground of deteroriat-
! ing equipment.
1t is an unwritten rule of the rail-
road world that enginemen may re-
fuse to take out impaired equipment.
Reports furnished to the brotherhoods
estimate that nearly 80 per cent of
! the 10000 locomotives on the rail
roads of the country are in need OF
repairs. If the workers refuse to
operate these engines on the ground
| that their own safety and that OF
! the passengers is involved. the re-
suit would be just as effective as
sympathetic strike.
Cleveland, Apg. Sufficient tom
mage is represented here to make the
coal peace conference which opens
today complete success, Thomas n:
| Maher, one of the most powerful OF
+ the Ohio conservative operators, told
the United Press.
The big question has been whether
enough operators would attend to
make any agreement signed at the
Cleveland parley really effective IN
Fastening the end of the mine strike.
Mine owners and union leaders
were jovial and greeted each other
cordially as they awaited the open
ing at 2:30 p. m. of the peace confer
ence. which was called by John L.
Lewis, president of the United Mine
Workers.
Cleveland, Aug 7.-Representatives
, of the striking coal miners and opera
tors gathered here today for peace
conference.
! !. Whether the result of this parley
will be success or failure was expect
ed to be revealed when the delegates
assembled for the opening session at
the Holden Hotel az 10 a. m.
If an insufficient number of opera
tors attend, verdict will be failure and
the nations coal supply will continue
to dwindle as summer wanes. Should
30 per cent of the central competi-
tive field operators be represented,
/ it is believed the conference will prove
successful in Fastening the end OF the
strike.
A conservative estimate today
was that 100000 of the 207,000,-
600 tons Of coal produced annually
! oy the Central Competitive Field Is
represented. ,o,o
ures included:
Seventy five per cent of the 49,
OOO.O 900 tons in Ohio, ID per cent of
the 100000 tons of Western
! Pennsylvania, ten per cent Of the
| 30.O0O.0OO tons of Indiana and 26
per cent of the 90,000,000 of Illinois
Indications point to an early set
tlement Of the dispute.
1.-OhiO operators point to the
fact that in the past when a single
| large employer signed a scale in
district, the remainder of the opera
tors in the district usually signed.
The Ohio operators are certain to
make some agreement with the
miners.
2.-Operators of Ohio will mass
fortune at the expense of insur-
gents of the other three states II
the latter fail to get in line. 1t is
pointed out that even if a nation
wide settlement is made Immediate
w there will be a heavy demand
for coal for several months because
of the depleted stocks of plants and
public utilities. Not to sign will mean
that insurgents who have held out
for agreements at the mines, will
continue to have idle mines on their
hands when the conservatives who
sign, Will thrive
If an immediate agreement is
reached, the next move of the
mine leaders will be to take it
around to other operators through
out the country and sign up with as
many Of tkem as possible.
If they succeed with the majority
il will mean a general resumption
of bituminous coal mining.
Operators and miners barely nod
ded to each other as they went into
conference.