New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-05
House Labor Committee
Invites Big Bituminous
Operators circumference
in Washington April 10
Public Must Take
Hand, Says BoraIi
" orkers' Leader Denies
6-Hour Day Will Boost
Pay Roll s245, 600, 900
By Gilman Parker


House Labor Committee, which is
hearing testimony both from the
coal operators and the striking min
ers regarding the Bland resolution
calling for an investigation of the
coal industry, decided to-day to in
vite the leading operators of Illinois,
Indiana and northern Ohio to meet
representatives of the mine workers
in Washington or April 10, with =
view to opening negotiations for
basic settlement for the soft coal
fields.
These operators. who comprise
three important groups of the CEN
trail competitive field, control about
100000 tons Of the central fields
annual production of 200,oO0,00o
tons. The remaining two groups
concerned in the field are composed
Of the operators of western Penn
sylvania and southern Ohio, whose
definite refusals to meet the miners
prior to April made a settlement
impossible for the central field,
which has been the base for the ma
tional bituninous industry in the 4
matter Of wage agreements, and
thus precipitated the country. wide y
strike.
Because Of this the House Labor
Committee worded their conference in
vitations to the Illinois. Indiana and
northern Ohio operators, az excluding
the operators of western Pennsylvania
and Ohio, who were described by Rep
resentative John /. Nolan. chairman OF
| the committee. a. "the chief stumbling
block to settlement Separate tele-
grams to the western Pennsylvania and
Ohio groups. however, informed them
that the committee will be very glad
to have you participate.
Lewis Favors Conference
All this was done with the sanction
and approval o. John L. Lewis, presi
dent of the miners, who informed the
committee that ''hc would recommend
to the miners that they meet the Hi
nois, Indiana and northern Ohio oper-
ators. provided the groups when as
sembled represent sufficient tonnage to-
justify negotiations for a basic scale.
He added that he "felt sure the miners
would agree to such a conference"
Later, when interviewed, Mr. Lewis
said that the 14O,000.0 900 tons repre-
sented by the three complete groups
would be worth considering rs a new
base"
Should all the invited groups, ex-
elusive of western Pennsylvania and
southern Ohio, open negotiations with
the miners, and should a basic settle
ment result in consequence, possibili-
ties considered as remote, this prob
ably would result in a resumption OF
work in all the soft coal mines of
the country except those OF the STUN
bling block" groups, leaving ths
miners organization free to concen-
trate all its strike energies in the two
districts, and at the same time keep
ing them very largely out of the coal
business for the time being, with their
competitors in other states enjoying
the benefits Of an unrestricted produc-
ton.
What would be likely to develop in
such case, it was said, would be an out
and-out open shop war in western
Pennsylvania and southern Ohio.
Many Operators May Decline
As to the outcome of the invitations.
it is believed probable that the Illinois
operators viii accept. Doubt is felt,
however, that the Indiana and northern
Ohio operators will agree to attend the
conference unless all the central com
petitive field operators accept. This
was their previous stand. At least one
Of the two big independent Ohio op-
orators invited is expected to refuse.
hot f1c
operators Of western Pennsylvania and
southern Ohio is regarded as almost q
foregone conclusion.
The chief kilograms sent out by the
committee were addressed to Rice
Miller, president of the Illinois Coal
Operators Associations: II. c. Adams.
president of the Central Illinois Coal
Operators Association; W. X. Kava-
naugh, president Of the 5th and 9Th
districts of Illinois Coal Operators;
Phil H. Penna. secretary of the Indiana
Bituminous Operators Association:
Michael Gallagher, president of the
Pittsburgh Vein Operators Association
eastern and northern Ohio); w. Fl.
Haskins, secretary of the Northern
Ohio Operators Association; George
NJ Jones, president of the George NJ
Jones Galleries Company, of Toledo,
and A. A. Augustus, president of the
Cambridge Collieries Company. Of
Cleveland. The kilograms read as
follows:
Text of kilograms
Labor Committee, House of Repre-
sentatives, has been holding hearings
on Bland bill in reference to coal strike
John l.. Lewis, president of United
Mine Workers of America, in testify
ing before committee, stated that his
organization would meet renresen+a.
tives of operators in central competi-
tive fields, exclusive of western Penn
sylvania and southern Ohio, if enough
tonnage is represented in the meeting
to justify negotiations.
"House Committee on Labor has in
structed chairman to notify you o.
conference to be held in Washington
beginning April 10, providing operators
agree, for the purpose of meeting the
representatives of the NINE workers
organization as the first step in an
effort to settle tho naf,or 49,; l. -,