Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-07
COAL PEACE PARlEY
MAY INCLUDE WIDER
ZONE THAN PLANNED
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Tho unions policy committee met In
the morning. and adjourned to open
tho joint conference with operators
In tho afternoon. Tho program for
the Joint meeting called only for the
transaction of the preliminary details
of the conference. such as the selec-
ton of conference officers and the
naming Of spokesmen for the opera
tors. No final decisions. Il was indi-
Gated by both sides was expected TO
be reached today. but the hope WAS
held out that tho conclusion OF tho
conference would be reached by the
end of the week.
While only tho Monongahela Coal
| Operators Association had applied for
extension of the Central Competitive
Field. there were indications that the
union officials might ask operators In
other districts TO join In tho confer
enco here. The Monongahela associa- =.
tion includes n number Of operators
near Morgantown, w! Va. being a
separate organization from the north
ern West Virginia Operators Associa-
ton, which is composed largely of
Fairmont operators
| Eliza Mccullough. commissioner for
the latter association, also was here
for tho conference, but he said he
was acting az an observer not as a.
participant He said his association
had not asked for the extension of the
Central Field and did not indicate
what attitude the Fairmont operators
would take toward such move. The
northern West Virginia district. he
said includes twelve and one half
counties with n total annual produc-
ton of 25,0o0,000 tons Of coal.
Little progress wae expected from
the initial meetings, both sides Joining
in an opening conference and then d.
vidlng into two groups 10 organize for
further Joint conferences.
While only operators of the Central
Competitive Field had been invited 10
the conference. President John L.
Lewis. of the miners. indicated that
the conference might be extended to
include operators from the outlying
fields. where come have signined a
Willingness to settle the wage dispute
that brought a general suspension OF
work in the coal industry more than
four months ago. Mr.. Lewis said he
was "optimietic over tho possible re.
suits" and held out the hope of al
early return TO work by eoft Goa
miners.
Exact repre- senta ton of the operat {.
ors remained an uncertainty until tn,
conference was formally organized
New arrivals came In today. Including
among them some operators who do
not expect to participate In the con
ference, but 10 act as observers o
what might be the outcome.
Before the conference opened. th'
prospects were that operators VIII,
were producing at least s5 900. 600 tcs o
, coal annually would participate in per
son or by proxy. This amounts {,
approximately one-third Of the avera q,
: production of the Central CompetItiv,
Field. and seemingly was regarde,
ne a sufficient ha sls for beginning tn,
peace deliberations
President Lewie' abatement holdin,
out hopes for settlement was la cke,
up by the composition Of the minare
? delegation. Ordinary wuso negotia
tions for the union are carried on b,
" the scale comNittee. hut the unions
/, delegation for the conference includ
S the 12S of the policy committee. Th
l. committee includes the three interna
- tioral officers. the twenty four mem
Z bers OF the international executiv
I hoard tho thirty-two members of tn
! scale committee and the eixty- mine Of
!. fcers of tho union district organiza
n tione. Its powers are broader tho
{ those OF the ecale committee. i,e specia
. function being to determine ALL aues
4 ftions Of strike policy.
- Such representation on tho part Q
e. the miners. It was pointed out by thel
a representatives. made IL possible 10
= anything being decided that might af
g feCt settlement Of the soft coal strik,
o Its decisions also were said TO hav
f a direct hearing on the anthracit
4 strike, hut on account of difference
in the natural conditions OF mining be
e tween the anthracite and hituminou
g fields II was expected that If any set
s tlement were reached here It would t
n followed by n resumption of ncgotiz
L tions between the union and the ar
a thracite operators that were spoke
4 Of in June.