Evening star., 1922-03-13
Government 0vertures for
Conference Between 0per-
ators and Miners Fail.
AMPLE SUPPLY ON HAND,
ACCORDING TO SURVEY
q. S. Not Expected to Intervene
Unless Welfare of Public
Is Menaced,

Government Of1c1alS were represent
cd today as being without hope that
the threatened coal strike can be
averted or that the proposed con-
ference between the operators and
miners would be arranged. 1t was in
dieated that government intervention.
at least in the preliminaries of the
situation. was practically at an end.
Holding that a strike the first of
April is almost inevitable, government
officials. according to the view pre-
sented today on high authority. now
are chiefly interested in seeing that
a sufficient supply of coal is main
tained for the country as a whole.
Ten Weeks supply.
The situation with respect to a suf-
ficient supply of coal, 1t was stated on
the same authority. is not acute. be-
cause there now is at the surface of
coal mines and In stocks at consuming
centers enough coal to last the coun-
try for ten weeks. with the prospects,
1t was added. that this supply will be
augmented by production from nom
union mines and from operations in
union territory. which, Department of
Labor reports show. are covered by
district settlements between the min
ers' union and local associations of
mine operators.
a The degree of the governments
Intervention in this strike situation"
a high official today declared. in ex-
planning the policy agreed upon. must
be determined by the extent of the
public inconvenience and suffering
which is caused.by the strike"
Not to Force Conference.
1t was intimated that the govern
ment did not propose to enter upon
any attempt to force a conference
between the operators and the miners.
by legal or other means.
Secretary of Labor Davis has gone
as far as he intends to go in that
direction. 1t was said. by repeatedly
and publicly pointing out that the
government considers the mine oper-
ators of the central competitive field
to be bound by provisions of the ex-
listing national wage contract to enter
negotia tions for making substitute
national coptract ready to apply by
April 1. when the old one expires.
II operators will not accept this
viewpoint the government considers
that 1t cannot interfere until the
strike develops. and then only in the
aces public welfare.
Many operators in the semi-confi-
Dental exchanges with the Labor De-
partment were said to have taken
the position that the wage contract
provisions with respect to its re-
of local or district actions by the
miners union which they claim TO
have been in violation Of contracts.
Government officials in correspond
ence and conference have challenged
this argument on the ground that
while the facts may have been as
represented by the operators. the con-
tract generally has been allowed to
stay in effect.
If the violations complained Of
have not been sufficiently serious. Of
ficials declared. to induce the mine
operators during the last year to de-
clare the entire provisions Of the con-
tract invalid and to refuse to abide
by them. they should now continue to
respect 1t.
the possibility that railroad labor
unions might be drawn into the
struggle after April 1. but there were
indications that the departments
agents did not consider this as an
imminent factor in the situation.
Governmeat Well Supplied.
In case the strike shuts of supplies
of fuel. Washington will be in condi-
weather, in the opinion of leading
coal men Of the city.
The government fuel yards and all
government buildings and power
plants have an diversified stock Of coal
in bin for this time of year. G. s.
Pope, chief engineer of the govern
ment fuel yards, said today. 1--WE are
in excellent shape" Mr.. Pope said.
tion for the strike was similar to that
in 1919, when that coal strike threat
ened. There Is a six-week to two
month supply Of coal on hand. he said,
which is much larger than the gov
ordinary year. I'VE have prepared for
strike" Mr.. Pope declared.
Usually heating plants are cut OH
with the advent of warm weather.
Is. Mr.. Pope said, adding that IL there
should be. some earlier spells OF
warmer temperature 1t would be pos
sible to conserve on the supply al
ready In bin, and that II summer
should come eariy there 1st,;n would tS be
go out sooner than usual But In case
the chill continued into late spring,
he asserted. no government depart
ment, heating or power plant or
school would suffer.
While the public was not found to
be stocked to quite the comfortable
margin discovered in government
buildings, 1t was believed that many
householders had a larger supply on
hand, in preparation for the strike,
as they were being urged by the deal
ers to be ready.
Fuel for Three Weeks.
Otto G. Raymond. president of the
Coal Merchants' Board Of Trade. esti-
mated that beginning with April 1.
the date set for the strike. Wash
ington would have approximately
enough fuel to last two or three
weeks. Merchants had purchased
more heavily than usual for this sea-
son, he said. in anticipation of the
emergency. The drop in prices which
Is ordinarily expected to take place
on April /. causes coal merchants, as
a rule, to begin emptying their yards,
in order not to be too heavily stock
81 Vheh the drop comes. This year
they have more coal than they would
have were It not for the impending
.trike. he said.
Coal merchants have been circular
azing their customers urging pur-
chase of. not. q large eupply. but Of
q ton or two, In order to be ready In
case the strike succeeds. They have
appealed to the public to help carry
the burden of the risk, pointing out
that Il the merchants should stock
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