Evening star., 1922-06-29
COAL OPERATORS
TO MEET MINERS
AT WHITE HOUSE
Follow Union Heads in Ac-
cepting Bid to Satur-
day ParIey.

day Farley.
Bituminous and anthracite coal
operators today accepted the invita-
tion extended last night by President
Harding to meet at the White House
Saturday with officials of the United
Mine Workers to devise methods upon
which negotiations for settlement Of
the coal strike can be initiated. Secre-
tary of Labor Davis announced; The
invitation was accepted yesterday by
John L. Lewis, president Of the
United Mine Workers.
Mr.. Davis indicated that the con-
ference would be opened by the
President, and added that while the
program would be announced later,
the government would probably be
represented by himself. Secretary Of
Commerce Hoover and Secretary OF
the Interior Fall While no decision
has been reached as to whether At
torney General Daugherty will at
tend the conference, recent an
nouncement that pointed and drastic
measures" would be taken to insure
the public welfare was taken to in
dicate that the legal branch Of the
government would be represented at
the conference. 1t is not likely that
the public will be admitted to the
gathering and the total number OF
conferees is likely to be under forty
OgIe to Name Delegates.
Acceptances from a number of the
miners union district presidents have
been received at the White House.
but, while 1t was known that opers
ators intended to accept. some doubt
h. n oil
group OF employers to speak for the
bituminous heIds. At the Labor De-
partment 1t was said that A. NJ. Ogle,
president of the National Coal As
sociation, would be charged with the
responsibility of naming the individ-
ual bituminous operators who are to
attend.
Union participants, their number
being easily determined by the invi-
tation to all the district presidents of
the United Mine Workers, pointed out
that the question of the identity OF
the bituminous operators would De
most important, since large NUMBER
of individual operators are considered
to be in a mood to make concessions
to end the strike. while others are
said to be willing to face continued
tie-up or a strike breaking enterprise
rather than to yield. 1t was made
evident, however, that the government
intended to place responsibility for
selection of a representative group OF
operators upon the National Coal As
sociation, the chief trade organization
in the bituminous industry. Secretary
Hoover is said to take the view that
President Ogle should name two oper-
ators from each of the eight geo.
graphical producing districts, or about
sixteen in all.
Union Omcfals Elated.
United Mine Workers officials ex-
pressed elation over the government
demonstrated intention to intervene
for a settlement of the strike. Union
| spokesmen are emphatic in declara-
| tions in advance of the meeting that
they intended to insist first on re-
| sumption of coal mining under the
| wartime wage scale, and, second. to
demand the usual seminal tional wage
agreement In the soft CON field. An
| thracite discussions hinge on the
! wage matter. but the bituminous con-
versus national settlement as a chief
! issue.
| Although operators have refrained
| from general comment In Washing
| ton, conciliators for the Labor Depart
ment who have been in the field for
| several months watching the strike have
| brought the idea that large numbers
| of miners wish settlement. President
! Lewis is said to have received word
| from operators in various localities
! notably in Illinois. where the Herrin
| events attracted attention last week
indicating a willingness to treat with
| the union on a basis of wartime wage
| scales and working conditions. il this
will permit reopening of the mines
At headquarters of the National
Coal Association, officials declared to-
day that Mr.. Ogle Is In direct charge
of inviting representatives Of oper-
| ators' associations to attend the con-
| ference. Mr.. Ogle is in Indianapolis
| today and was said to be sending out
| invitations by wire from that city
There are about twenty operators as.
sociations convened in the present
strike within the membership, OF the
National Coal Association, and a few
! not members of the association, to
whom invitations may also be sent
President Lewis. who has been In
conference with the President and
Secretary of Labor Davis this week
Immediately accepted the Invitation
! on the part CT the miners. The Presi-
| dents letter to Mr.. Lewis read:
| I'm accordance with our informal
| discussion of a few days ago l am
now extending to you, officially, ar
| invitation to n1eet with me at the
White House executive offices on Sat
urday morning. July l, at 10 o'clock
for conference to devise methods
| upon which negotiations for the set
| tiement of the coal strike can be In
| itiated. i
Mine Heads Invited.
| "I am sending like Invitations to
the district presidents of! the United
| Mine Workers of America. and l have
| also extended like invitation to the
| Bituminous and Anthracite opera
| tors associations which are con.
| cerned."
| Letters similar in tone were dis
| patched to S. D. Warriner, president
of the general committee of anthra.
cite operators, and to A. NJ. Ogle
president of the National Coal Asso-
citation, asking that all representa-
tives Of the operators associations
| who should be included. attend the
conference.
Secretary of Labor Davis, who has
| conducted the negotiations with the
! union for the government. gave the
first news of the action contemplated
after. q prolonged conference with
| the President, and official copies OF