Evening star., 1922-08-23
Operators and Miners Hold
Separate Meetings, With
Truce Far Away.
LEWIS STANDING FIRM .
OPPOSED TO REOPENING
Length of Proposed Contract
Causes Deadlock, Followed by
Abrupt End to Conference.
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, August 23.-An-
thracite coal operators and repre-
sentatives of the miners, whose nego-
tiations looking toward settlemen. OF
the hard coal strike were suddenly
broken off yesterday. held separate
meetings today, but there was no in
dication that either side would pro-
claim truce and ask for resump-
tion of the joint conferences. Many
believed the arbitration question.
over which the two sides were unable
TO agree, was impossible of adjust
lnent, at least for the present, and
that the prospects of return to work
of the $4,000 hard coal diggers, idle
since April l, were remote.
VIII you ask for a reopeninS of
the negotiations for a settlement of
the strike" John l.. Lewis. president t
of the United Mine Workers, and head
OF the miners delegation. was asked.
Arbitration Sole Issue.
SO far as we are concerned" ne
replied, the conference is adjourned
We absolutely will not consider arbi-
tration. The operators made arbitra-
tion the sole issue. 1 assume that the
other issues were not insurmolEt-
able"
hodHluel u. " dETlHeT, spokesman 1Or
the operators. sdeclared that he had
nothing to amplify his formal state
ment last night. We have made
every concession that respect for the
public interest. our business integrity
and the governments suggestions has
required" he declared.
The operators today were pointing
TO the appeal with which they
prefaced the terms of their first pro-
posals, in which they said that a
serious shortage of anthracite has
been created already and that further
situation, and in the end force the
householder to use other fuel tempo
rarily ito the ultimate detriment of
the industry" and those it employs.
Sharp Difference Develops.
The abrupt halt in the proceedings
Followed the insistence by the op-
orators on some form of arbitration
would remain at work. A sharp
difference of opinion. developed as to
the length of contract to be signed.
'perators offered to pay the old wage
rates until next March 81. with arbi-
Iration after that date Miners de-
manded the old rate until March 81 of
1921
Statements issued by Samuel D,
Warriner, president of the Lehigh
oal ana Navigation Company, for
'iS cpct hloI -, anu ny JOnn l.. Lewis.
president of the United Mine Work.
ers, made it clear that the chief OBJ
stacle to agreement was arbitration,
which the miners refused unequivo-
cally to consider.
Baked at Arbitration.
Mr. Warriner maintained that the
miners baked even at recommended
tory arbitration, subject to accept
ance or rejection by either side with
in ten days after the arbitrating
boards recommendations were sub
mitted
Mr.. Lewis statement in setting
forth the miners objections to arbi-
tration in any form. said the concili-
alton board proposed by the operators
was similar to the United States Rail-
road Labor Board. which had furnish
ed an Objectionable example by it's
'blundering failure as an agency to
function with power regard for the
workers rights"
The miners have declined to pur-
chase peace at such a cost" he said