The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-23
WILL NOT CONFER
Rejection of Miners Proposal
by Operators Seems Certain.
Negotiations With State Instead
of National Heads Possible.
STRIFE APRIL | SEEMS SURE.
Only Eastern Ohio Operators
e Yet to Reply.
Il Out Today.
STREE APRIL l SEEMS SURE

n Cleveland. Feb %. - Thirty five
members Of the pittsburgh vein op-
'erators, comprising a part Of the cen
trail competitive coal district, in ses-
sion here today, adopted a resolution
that the coal situation has not changed
since January s, when they first re-
fused to meet the representatives of
the miners and declined to meet with
John L. Lewis president of the U. NJ
w. A. in Cleveland on March to ar
range for negotiations on the present
wage controversy.
Chicago. Feb. 23.-The formal cali
for a referendum vote by the United
slgine Workers association to determine
whether there will be a nation wide
coal strike on April /, was sent out
TODAY, fl was announced by John l..
Lewis. president Of the union, here to-
Vote Before March 10.
More than half a million men are
eligible to vote in the referendum. &C
.cordlng 10 VIM. Green, secretary, who
il also after attending the mine and
rail unions conference yesterday when
a sympathetic alliance of the two
groups was agreed to.
81 The ballots are to be cast at each
union local before March 10, and the
're.u-ns filed at the mine workers
Mnion headquarters in Indianapolis by
March 5.
Rejection Of the call for a joint con
Ference Of operators and miners to
Kettle the wage question and avert a
coal strike. april I. appeared inevi-
table today. At the same time there
wee indications that the operators in
the central competitive field would
attempt at once TO negotiate with in
sdividuaI state organizations of miners
4 - he n a.
ZION.
says state Cancellation Futile.
such a move would be an attempt
TO divide the miners and would be
hutile." said John L. Lewis. president
OF the United Mine Workers of Amer
ica. referring to the reported inten-
ltion of the operators to attempt sep
arate negotiations.
with all replies to his call save one
On. Lewis has been told that:
Pennsylvania bituminous miners
will not confer.
fuses.
Illinois agrees but regards a confer
ence as futile.
Indiana will accept if ali the others
DO. y high is tantamount to a refusal.
Only the eastern Ohio operators re-
main to be heard from. They are
meeting today and are expected to re-
Fuse.
+ Only National Heads Can Confer.
! The basis for Lewis claim that an
adtempt by the operators to negotiate
separately in the various states would
be futile. is that the state miners or
plantations have no authority under
The rules laid down at the recent In
dianapolis convention to settle wage
questions; that only the policy COM
mittee of the national organization of
which he IS the chairman, has such
power.
Operators regard Illinois as par
ticularly good field for separate nego-
tiations. it was said. because of the
recognized enmity of Frank Earring
ton OF the Illinois Mine workers tow
ard Lewis.
Strikes May Be Sporadic.
Lewis today declared he was great
II gratified" over what was announced
as "A coordination of the strength of
the miners organization and the six
teen standard railroad unions brought
about at last evenings conference.
The miners and railroad union lead
elared for close cooperation of their
forces 70 resist "unwarranted attacks
upon their integrity and unjust and in
equitable changes in their wage sched-
ples and conditions of the employ
nlent--
II was regarded III some quarters
that negotiations of individual state
agreements would pressage sporadic
strikes turnout the field April 1, II
not a complete shut down.