The New York herald., 1922-08-11
DECLARES STRIKE
VIRTUALLY IS OVER
Lewis Asserts Miners Union
Does Not Seek to Humil-
late the Operators.
MEETING IN CLEVELAND
Rockefeller Interests Are Pre-
pairing to Join In the
Negotiations.

Special Dispatch 10 THE New YORK HERALD
CLEVELAND, Aug. 10.-The miners
have made a proposition that new
wage scale be negotiated with those
operators now represented in Cleve-
land
Operators agreed TO join in drafting
q new wage scale and a committee OF
twenty-one will start working out de-
tails tomorrow. 1t consists OF eleven
miners and ten operators.
John l.. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers. confidently pre-
diets that coal will be mined within
a week.
Indiana and Illinois and Pennsyl-
vania mine operators, apparently con-
trolling hugh block of tho nations
greatest coal mining fields, have an
nounced they will not be a party to
the Cleveland negotiations.
Thus stands the nationwide coal
strike situation tonight. The success
or failure of the Cleveland conference
rests on one thing alone-tonnage.
II, as John l.. Lewis says, the
known operators who will sign a new
wage scale, should one be evolved
from the present joint conference,
really control rs per cent of the BIZ
luminous tonnage of the nation, then
the miners president is we'll within
possibilities when he looks for the end
of the greatest coal strike in history
soon. though, perhaps. not within q
week" as he says.
II he is wrong In his estimate, the
conference will have done little to-
ward bringing immediate peace.
II became known late tonight that
the Rockefeller coal interests OF the
East and middle West, embraced in the
Consolidation Coal Company. were pre-
pairing to join in the wage parleys here.
The Consolidation company produces
about twenty million tons Of bituminous
coal year. and this tonnage. II Is be-
lieved. would pave tho way for o general
settlement that would permit resumption
at once Of production on large scale.
Many states Not Represented.
The entire situation appears to be
drifting toward the final stage of sep
arate wage agreements In each State.
Operators are showing a strong front
against a national wage agreement. II
is more than likely that the end OF the
coal strike VIII be found in separate
wage agreements and possibly an en-
tirely new process for settling disputes
In the coal field
Should wage agreement be signed
following the miners offer Of to-day Il
would be in the nature of a State agree
ment rather than a national one, as Is
shown by the fact that many States
are not represented and cannot be bound
by what their brother operators In a
neighboring State do. There has been nc
way In which check UP can be made
or the amount Of tonnage actually rep
resented here. Beyond statements from
delegates that "the combined tonnage
represented will astonish The nation once
1t becomes known and the Lewis rs
per cent. statement. no figures have been
given out.
Indiana and Illinois most certainly
will not be parties to the proposed agree
ment. Pennsylvania has representatives
here as well as Ohio. West Virginia
operators will be admitted although
West Virginia cuts small figure In
union circles.
The decision OF the miners general
policy committee to authorize the scale
committee 20 meet with the operators IN
an attempt 10 formulate a new wage
agreement came at the end of a short
session this morning. a session that was
thrown into an uproar for .ime by
the shout OF "Spies !" coming from q
miner and the excited pointing OF a
finger at ventilator shaft opening IN
the Hollenden Hotel. where the meetings
are being held.
Intends to Go Ahead.
The miner declared he saw q face
at that ventilator.' and the delegates
dashed into corridors hunting the spy.
No one was found. and the miners re.
turned 20 their deliberations. which re.
suited in this statement from Mr.. Lewis
after recess:
THE policy committee has authorized
the scale committee 10 proceed with the
operators from the various states as
sembied here TO negotiate scale con
tract. Mos. gratifying reports have
been received from operators represent.
ing tho bulk of the bltuminous tonnage
of the country. We also have reports
which indicate that the outlying districts
are willing to sign any basic wage scale
that may be reached here.
"rt still appears that the Illinois ano
Indiana operators are sharply divided
as 20 the advisability of entering the
conference. we shall be glad 10 have
them. II they viii come. However. i
they continue their arbitrary refusal
II will make no difference. for we In
tend to proceed with the work OF this
conference.
'In any event we have definite as
surauces that II basic scale is reached
here important interests IN these two
States will break away from their re.
spective associations and sirn tho scale
IN fact Il can be confidently predicted
that when a scale is reached here that
II Will be signed by 75 per cert. OF the
bituminous tonnage interests Of the
country Work will be resumed within
one week.
Settlement of the anthracite strike
viii naturally follow. The miners have
Continued on second Psss.