The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-09
COAL commission
CALLS FARLEY To
PREVENT st R|k {
Failure of Conference in Chi
cago Brings Threat OF
New Tie-up in Fuel
Industry

Washington, December S.-Tak-
ing cognizance of conditions which
indicate the possibility Of another
national coal strike in the bitumin-
Gus mines after April l, the United
States coal commission today an
nouneed that mine operators and
miners union officials concerned
would be invited to meet with it in
Washington next week.
The session would mark the be-
ginning of an endeavor to procure
mutual concessions IN the interest
of the common good" the an
nouncement said and was necessary
because of grave danger that an
other paralysis of the business Of
the country" is impending. Action
by the commission followed the fail
ure this week of joint committee
of mine operators and union Of
ficials which met at Chicago to
achieve satisfactory preliminary ar
rangement for wage negotiations
which would assure continuance of
operations after April.
Lewis Unable to Respond
Representatives OF the United Mine
Workers OF America. In Washing on,
we're later informed that John l..
Lewis, it's president would not be
able to respond to the commission
invitation before Thursday 1t Is es-
pected that conferences on the sub
ject will be taken up then, and that
the commission will proceed to ex-
eeutive consideration Of the situation.
Wage agreements which now fix
| pay scales and working conditions
in the unionzed coal fields were
| made at Cleveland last summer and
run only to April /, but provide for
| joint committee meetings Of the BIZ
| luminous employers and the union
/ To consider terms of wage con.
| tracy which might run after that
/ date. The committee created lnclud-
/ ed for the employers Phil Penna
! representing Indiana OPERATORS T. II
watkins for central Pennsylvania; II
| N. Taylor, for southwestern opera
! tors and others, while Mr.. Lewis
| Philip Murray. vice president or the
| union, and William Green, it's secre-
| tary. represented the men.
Committee AdJourns
After several sessions. the en-
ployers contingent brought forward
!, a proposal OF wage scales to be
fixed partly by arbitration and partly
by sliding scale to correspond with
| the movement of coal prices. There
also was some consideration Of dis
| trict agreements. but the proposals
| were rejected by the miners.
The committees accordingly, ad-
! journed, leaving the whole problem
OF wage contract to be taken ur
January 3. by a joint wage confer
ence OF the central competitive field
Although both operators and miners
will constitute only the territory
known as~the central competitive
field, composed of Illinois, Indiana
and western Pennsylvania. will be
covered in Its deliberations. the
| committee which has adjourned
gave representation to mining terri
tory outside as well as inside this
area.
Under the law creating the coal
commission It isyobliged to make a
preliminary report by January 10
with the object OF assisting in at
tempts to fix the new wage scale
| Since it's creation the commission has
employed many agents. some OF
whom have been investigating wages
and expenditures of miners In vari-
| Gus coal districts.