The Washington herald., 1922-07-04
OWNERS BLOCK
U.S.COALPLAN
BY new issue
Propose Existing 25 Dis.
tricts Be Merged Into
Nine or Ten.
FARLEY ADJOURNS
TO NEXT MONDAY
Secretaries Hoover and
Davis Frankly Optimis-
tic as to Outcome.


Coal operators. forestalling the
expected presentation of the gov
ernment's plan of arbitration to the
Presidents coal conference. have in
troduced a counter proposal de-
signed as a basis upon which a
strike settlement might be nego-
tiated
This is understood to be the es-
sence of the proposal:
That the twenty-five districts into
which the coal industry Of the
United States is now divided be re-
duced in number to nine or ten with
a corresponding increase in area.
Such reSrUuping Of districts. II
was said, would embrace both btu
minous and anthracite fields. thus
including the four-State or central
competitive bituminOus field.
Agreed on at Caucus.
This counter proposition is said
to have been agreed upon at the op-
orators caucus following Sunday.
session of the Presidents confer
ence. and was introduced early in
yesterdays session. The conference
has taken a recess until Monday
July 10. and the operators and
miners may be expected to discuss
1t with their respective Constitu-
encies at home.
The operators plan would seem
TO constitute compromise be-
tween the demand of miners for a
national wage agreement based on
the competitive field and the op-
orators insistence that the agree
ments be by districts. The oper-
ators still would have district
agreements under their formula,
but by limiting the number of dis
tricts. which would include the
competitive field. they would have
only nine or ten district settle
ments. instead of the twenty-five
they heretofore have demanded.
Secretary Davis intended to sug-
Eest to the conferees yesterday
that they select a small group of
six or eight from each side to treat
with government officials as to
method OF bringing the main body
closer to a negotiating basis. But
NHC NpN4 oNOAo NOullCE proposal OF
district re-grouping forestalled this
The governments course will now
await next weeks conference re-
action TO the operators proposal.
Miners stand Firm.
The miners stand Is understood
to remain unchanged so far as dis
trict settlements are concerned, al
though no definite sentiment has
been registered regarding this new
proposal.
The operators stand Is admitted
to have been slightly altered, and
the proposal presented to yester-
days session reflects the change.
1t also is said to reflect decided
distaste in the operator camp for
government intervention.
Although the miners and opera-
tors representatives are leaving
Washington to spend july with
their families. President Lewis. of
the United Mine Workers of Amer
ica, will probably remain in town,
as well as President Ogle, Of the
National Coal Association.
No scheduled caucuses have been
arranged by either side. hut late
yesterday afternoon President Lewis
held a lengthy meeting with four
operators at his hotel The trend
Of this meeting has not been dis
closed. but it was thought to indi-
cate some kind of fence mendinr
negotiations" The conferees COM
prised Joseph PursSlove and P. T
Maher of Cleveland. both members
Of the Presidents conference: and
W. II. Haskins. commissioner of the
Eastern Ohio Bituminous Coal Op-
orators Association. and Judge
Wildemuth of the Lorraine Coal
and Dock Company, both non-mem-
bers Of the conference.
While not admitting the deadlock
has been broken. Secretary Hoover
believes the two sides may be
brought together at next Monday
reassembling. Both he and Secre-
tary Davis declared themselves
frankly optimistic of the outcome
Secretary states Reasons.
Secretary Hoover in a talk with
newspaper men after the conference
gave the following explanation OF
the secret sessions:
The reason for executive ses-
sions is very simple. When difficult
pfoblems come up for discussion
there Is always a tendency OF raen
on both sides in speaking to the
public press to enter upon subjects
not pertinent to the question at
issue. Having registered them
selves on a fixed position before the
country there is then a treble diff
Guilty in obtaining a meeting OF
minds essential to a compromise.
There is nothing in these ses-
sions that the public cannot know
eventually. but this Is purely a
process of getting a meeting of
minds and is not a question of
secrecy. The possibility of getting
a compromise is destroyed IL both
sides are going to make speeches