Evening star., 1922-07-19
PARTIAL RESUM|NG
OF MINING DOUBTED
Some Miner Officials and
Operators Still Confer, But
With Little Hope.
LEWIS STAND UNALTERED
Insists Any Agreement Must Bind
Majority of 0wners-Backed
by Hard Coal Men.
LEWIS STAND UNALTERED

| BY the Associated Press.
There were still enough bituminous
coal mine operators and miners union
officials left in Washington today to
| allow continuation of a series of ne
gotiations aimed at partial resump-
ton of production, but even particle
pants in these held out little hope
that for the present success could be
attained.
/ Events of the days preceding Presi-
dent Harding's call for opening of the
mines under government protection
left a wide split, in view among the
| operators representatives, and one
group went directly to the interna-
| tional officers of the United Mine
| Workers in an attempt to draw up a
new wage contract.
! 1t was their belief, as spokesmen
chiefly for Ohio producers. with some
] in Pennsylvania, and individuals in
| Indiana, If not. in Illinois, that the
! firm stand of the President and the
| possibility that miners might break
away from the union in the face of
| it would bring about an attitude of
concession on the part of John L.
| Lewis. chief of the union, and his
! councillors.
! Refused Individual Action.
The union has been refusing at all
| times to deal with individual en-
ployes, and to allow them to make
i contracts giving union conditions and
| wages to their men, until all of the
! employers, or a substantial ma ajority
| <f in Ho fol nf
| Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania,
| would do the same.
This disposition has not been altered
| in the slightest. Mr.. Lewis has in
| formed all the operators attempting
| to negotiate that they would be
obliged to bring him an agreement
| by producers of a substantial propor-
| tion of the tonnage in all four states
| to enter such negotiations, and with
out that the union will not treat
Along with this there was also an
attempt by operators, chiefly in
| illinois, to detach sympathies of the
local organization, headed by Frank
Farringtof. the district president,
from the policy Of the national union.
The object would be to secure a
state agreement opening the mines
of Illinois.
J, AS some in Kentucky and in Okla
home were opened early in April
against the strike orders OF the CEN
trail union, Mr.. harrington has Sc
cured authorization for such a dis
trict contract from it's local officials.
but it was evident during the dis
cussions in Washington that he did
not intend to use it for the present.
The very existence Of such authorize
tfon has resulted in an intensity of
] watchfulness within the union, the
| international officers keeping Far
rington in check, and themselves be-
| ing observed. Both groups. one fight
| and the other to hold its control. are
/ determined that the other shall be
| the frst'to make an agreement.
| Lewis Cheerful Over Threat.
! Mr.. Lewis faced the governments
proposal to guarantee safety of strike
breaking. operations by force with ap-
parent cheerfulness today
I'VE have been on a strike sixteen
[weeks," he declared; 1--WE have more
| men out than we had in the begin
ming. There are between 100000 and
| 100000 miners standing for the re-
sumption of work only after an in
/. terstate agreement and upon the
| basis OF wage scales as they were
April 1. They will continue to do SO,
in peaceful and orderly fashion"
1 ouSBSsSLfOuS lHdI miners would nave
to work some time to eat brought the
| rejoinder that they haven't nearly
reached their limit Yet"
I President's Attitude.
I President Harding is authoritatively
represented as feeling that he made
the last possible concession to the
miners when he offered them the old
/ wage scale and a national arbitra-
| tion. He is said to consider that he
has shown it was no purpose of the
federal government to assist in break :
| ing up unicns, even though unions
| might throw themselves fatty in
| front of attempts to readjusts wage
scales downward In accordance with
prices, ~ employers and sections of
public opinion have demanded. Oni-
cislly, he ana his advisers have hopes
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