New-York tribune., 1922-08-20
Wage Question Is Elirni-
mated Entirely at Phil
adelphia Conference;
Terms Remain Secret
Operators Believed
Ready to Capitulate
Miners Still Opposed 10
the Presidents Plan
for Sweeping Inquiry
Special Dispatch to The Tribpms


PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1s.-The ques-
tion of arbitration is the principal bar
TO an agreement between the anthra-
cite operators and miners, it developed
at to-day's sessions, of the conference
in this city. First signs of reaching
nn agreement came to-day, but both
sides insisted that the time had not
come to make official announcements
in regard to this. That some progress
had been made, however, was indicated
by a short statement announcing that
terms of possible contract had been
discussed.
The arbitration proposition, it is un-
derstood, is based on the present an
thracite conciliation commission, which
Is composed of three representatives
from each side, and with proviso that
in the event of disagreement three
umpires should be appointed instead of
one, as formerly-these umpires to be
named by the United States Circuit
Court. With this proposal from the
operators came one that the strikers
should return to work at once under
the old scale of wages, it is under
stood.
Operators Believed Giving In
Union miners and their representa-
tives have made no secret of their de-
termination to hold out indefinitely for
a specific contract before returning to
work. The fact that such a contract
IL 4zY.A !.
evidence that operators have capitu-
lated on their demand for arbitration.
Producers and union officials met in
the office of Samuel D. Warmer, pres
ident of the Lehighs Coal and Nayi-
cation Company, and adjourned at
noon after two-hour session It was
announced that the next meeting will
convene at 4o'clock Monday afternoon.
No explanation was vouchsafed by
either aide for the weekend hiatus in
the conference. Agreement was made
at the outset Of the meetings that
neither side would make any state
ments other than the formal comniuni-
cation issued to the press by the sec
retary of the conference. The state
ment issued to-day follows:
The conference of anthracite oper-
ators and mine workers met this morn
ing at 10 o'clock and continued it's
efforts to reach an agreement for the
anthracite field. The time of the con-
ference was consumed in discussion
OF the terms of q possible contract.
The conference will reconvene Mt 4
p. m. Monday"
Arbitration Chief Point
In the opinion of those in touch with
sentiment among the miners and
operators the question of wages is no
longer at issue in the negotiations.
1t is now regarded as foregone con-
clusfon that miners will return to
work when other matters are threshed
out, at the old wage rate.
Operators are fighting against the
application of the, eight-hour day to
small minority of employees now
that to reduce their length Of day
would mean an increase in payroll ex-
pense. But that point, too, is expected
to be decided in favor of the miners.
The total amount involved is not suf-
lciently large to block settlement if
other points at issue could be decided.
Chief among those points is whole
group of conflicting arguments coming
under the head Of arbitration. Operat-
ors want commission named by the
President to make inquiry for the pur-
pose of determining fair wage rate.
The miners are hostile to any such
commission.
Every precaution has been taken to
guarantee rigid impartiality I'M the OPP
orators proposal. In brief, what has
been set before the mine workers rep
resentatives is this: s
A contract is to be executed to take
care of the present emergency, this
contract to be effective until March /,
1928, the old scale of wages and work
ing conditions being retained for. that
period.
In the meantime, preparations will be
made whereby the consultation board
will convene on January 3, 1928, and
determine what shall be the wages and
working conditions April l, 1923, and
thereafter.
The possibility of disagreement be-
tween three operator members Of the
conciliation board and the three repre-
scntatiyes of the mine workers in that
body is guarded against by the proviso
that in the event Of disagreement, the
president Judge of the Federal Circuit
Court Of Appeals OF the Third Judicial
District shall appoint three men to act
as unlpiras, the result Of their delib-
erations to be binding on both miners
and operators.
C. PsSNeill Suggested
I The operators suggested that Charles
p. Neill, who for five years past has
been the solitary umpire of tho board
! be retained I'M that capacity, while the
selection Of the other two umpires
be restricted to neutrals Of high stand