The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-07-17
Final Plea
toCoal Men
Is Planned
Harding Will Attempt to
Shape Compromise Proposal
Acceptable to Miners
and Operators.
Force Only Alternative
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Omaha Bee Leased Wire.

Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington. July l6.-President
Harding will make final effort
Monday to settle the coal mine
strike before resorting to the power
OF the government to force resunp-
ton OF full coal production.
When he receives the reply { the
operators to his arbitration propo-,
sal, the president will cndeavor to
shape a compromise between the
positions OF the miners and the op-
orators which he will ask both sides
to accept
That the prcsiden still believes
there is room for a settlement of the
dispute became known tonight while
the operators were in session, dis
cussing the reply they plan to make
to Mr.. Harding Monday. The opera
tors adjourned without action, to
meet Monday for final decision on
their reply. In the meantime they
will caucus by districts.
Rejection Not Final.
1t was learned that the president
does not regard the miners rejection
of his arbitration plan as final and
that he has given ample reason for
this conviction by Secretary of Labor
Davis, who is in close touch with
John L. Lewis. president of the
United Mine Workers.
Lending color to this Interpretation
of the attitude OF the miners is the
fact that the policy committee OF the
union has remained in Washington
and is to meet again Monday morn
ing. 1t is reported that Lewis has
held the committee here at the
instance of administration officials
who believe that the reply Of the op-
orators will leave room for further
negotiation for basis of settlement.
Will Be Final Offer.
The understanding is that if the
president is able to work out a fair
compromise, he. will put it up to the
miners and operators to occept with
out further question, in default of
which compliance he will proceed to
exert the authority of the govern
ment to reopen the closed mines.
| With A. NJ. Ogle, president of the
national coal association, presiding.
more than 50 operators were in ses-
sion to late hour debating the atti-.
tude they are to adopt toward ~
presidents settlement proposal. Opin-
ion was greatly divided and The ::ost
word from the assembly room was
that the reply could not be evolved
until Monday.
The operators were unanimous,
however, in asserting that they could
not accept the presidents plan un-
conditionally without courting bank
ruptcy. 1t was contended that un-
der the presidents arbitration plan it
would be possible for the miners to
force the indefinite continuation of
the old high wage scale, which would
mean no reduction nthe cost OF
coal mined in the union mines, and
the inabilit yof union mines to COM
pete with nonunion mines.
Oppose National Wage Scale. =
The operators also voiced objec-
tions generally to the establishment
OF national wage scale. They con-
tinue to stand out for collective bar
gaining by districts or limited TO the
central competitive field and are
averse to accpetance of an arbitra-
ton plan admitting the possibility
al a national contract being. forced
upon them.
The leaders among the operators
advocated making reply to the pres
! ident setting forth in detail what
portions of his plan they can ac-
cept ad what portions they feel COM
PEELED to reject. 1t was evident, how
ever, that the reply is being pre-
pared with the contingency of fur
ther negotiations with miners in
mind 1t therefore, presumably, will
not represent final concessions on
the part of the operators any more
than the policy committees reply
to the president is believed to fall
short of final concessions on the
part of the miners.
Action Postponed.
The president is so hopeful of
bringing about settlement that he
postponed, for the time being any
action in the direction of envoking
the power of thegovernmnt to reopen
the closed mines. Secretary of Com
merce Hoover and Attorney General
Daugherty saw him during the day
but it was stated that measures of last
resort to avert fuel famine had been
only casually discussed.
Numerous operators were outspo-
ken in welcoming action by the gov
ernment to force resumption OF full
coal production They said they
would be glad to have the govern
ment take over their mines and op-
crate them, having failed for some
time to operate them at profit and
realizing that they would operate
them at loss, if at all, in the event
they were compelled to accept the old
wage scale.
Want Protection.
Most of the operators also said
they would be glad to reopen their
mines under an arrangement where
by. the government, while not taking
over the mines, would furnish pro-
lection for workers Willing to mine
coal at a reduced wage scale, which
the perators put into effect April
and which caused the strike.
A good deal OF doubt was ex-
pressed, however, that this latter plan
would be wholly successful. 1t was
pointed out that it probably would
be failure in Illinois and Indiana.
in which states miners are required
to have state licenses. Thfse licenses
are issued by state board composed
OF two miners and one operator. With
the license board controlled by the
union, licenses might be withdrawn
from miners who sought to work in
mines protected by the govern