Evening star., 1922-08-30
Operators Appear to
Abandon Stand
for Arbitration.
INSIST AGREEMENT
SHOULD RUN l YEAR
But Miners Hold Out for
Much Longer Term at
Higher Pay.
Bv the Associated Press.

When SpokeSmen for the anthraclt e
operators and the miners union left
Nv ashington in the early morning
4,ours today after an all-night con-
ference the only obstacle remaining
10 prevent resumption of hard coal
production was said to be a dispute
over the length of time through which
wage contracts would run.
!. The mine operators. who have stout
y insisted that arbitration be adopted
10 fix permanent future wage levels
q proposal which John L. Lewis, the
miners chief. has fatty refused to
consider-apparentl abandoned the
position in the informal discussions
last night and early today after Sen
Itors Pepper and Reed of Pennsyl-
,ania had given them assurances that
congress intended setting up a coal
commission this winter which would
officially investigate ali phases Of the
industry and perhaps in some measure
lay down basis for wage payments.
Debate Pay Scale.
The employers did. however. insist
Iuat if work were resumed with war
Ume wage scales in effect, against the
.evels OF which they protest. the new
contract would terminate on April 1.
1928, and that wages should be re-
adjusted then. MIR. Lewis, for the
miners, desired a mucn longer term
through which to maintain the war
time wage rates which were in Ell
feet last April when work was sus-
pended in the anthracite regions. Tne
tentative discussions ended with this
disagreement unsolved, but with the
arrangement to put the decision up
ITO the responsible groups which speak
for all the miners and all the en-
ployers concerned.
Before leaving Washington. Mr.
Lewis and s. d. Warriner, spokesman
for the anthracite operators, confer
ed with Secretary of Labor DAVIS,
and general optimism was expressed
afterward over the outlook. Govern
Qent officials familiar with the in
Justry said, however. that an agree
ment could not be expected to result
in nore than rs per cent of normal
production of hard coal for the 1rst
week or ten days, after the mines are
opened. and that month probably
would elapse before the output reach
ed the pre-strike daily average.
The belief here is that the further
conferences on the subject to be held
in Philadelphia would begin tomor-
row. Mr.. Lewis left here for Phila-
delphia but expected to go on to
scranton during the day making 1t
unlikely that he could take part in
any discussions in Philadelphia until
tomorrow at the earliest.
Rush Ownership Bill.
Warned of attempts to amend the
administra tion's coal distribution bill
by adding provisions already rejected.
rcpublican leaders declared today 1t
would be passed before adjournment
tonight, substantially as framed.
on the heels of announcement by
Representative johnson, republican,
South Dakota, and others that they
would endeavor to get through an
amendment, giving the President au-
thority TO take over railroads and
mines which failed in public service,
Representative Anderson, republican.
Minnesota, upset party plans by
making public the text of an amend
ment for creation of a federal coal
buying and selling agency. The lat
ter plan was was first suggested by
the President in his address to Con-
gress. but in drafting the distribu-
zion bill the Interstate Commerce
Committee abandoned 1t, announcing
at the same time that 1T had acted
with Presidential approval.
Leaders said the Johnson ana An
dcrson proposals would be thrown out
on points of order, as not germane 10
The bill itself, and that both would De
defeated IL put to vote
Announcement of the plan to attach
y federal operation, clause to the coai
distribution bill came after II nao
been made known at the Wnite nSuSs
yesterday that the President stu heIo
that such a grant of power was DE-
sirable in order to strengthen the
administrators hold on the 1ndus-
trial situation, although at this time
lie foresaw no such grim pubic ne
cessity as alone would mo- move n.id.n MN of
was said to believe that the antnra.
cite ccal industry shortly would De
put on the same basis Of rapid recoV-
ery in production that the bituminous
mines have reached and that the rail-
lead situation then would be left as
the only serious problem. The pres
ent administration policy in dealing 9
with the latter was said to be q strict
enforcement of existing laws guaran. .
maintenance of necessary public
service.
Probe Mail Tie-Up.
Rejecting that policy, Attorney
General Daugherty was completing
plans today for special Department
III Justice organization to investigate
alleged illegal stoppages of trans
portation service incident to the rail
strike in the west. The organisation
will be centered at Los Angeles, in
charge OF Hirman c. TNodd, who is
resigning the ONCE Of United States
attorney for northern New York to
accept the special appointment. In
addition, the Attorney General has
instructed all federal district at
torneys to vigorously prosecute" all
yiolators Of federal court intunctions
granted to protect railroad opera
tions and properties during the
strike.
Government oficials also are con-
fronted by q condition of equipment
maintenance by railroads, which the
Interstate Commerce Commission re-
ports shows - very general let
down In the matter Of inspection
Cof locomotives) by carriers. which
gives cause for grave concern. Re-
spending to a Senate resolution on
the question, the commission said
railroads were failing to make all
fhe inspections required by law. OF
- .0S5 locomotives on 162 railroads in
Npected by the commission's own
siam of inspectors, 1t was reported,
! r.456 were found defective. although
tniany of the defects were of minor
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