New-York tribune., 1922-03-31
Congress l.
Ready to Act
IN, Coal Crisis
Continued from pnac onO

not be stop of single mine in the
| United States" said Mr.. Moore.
President John l.. Lewis Of the
United Mine Wo kers of America is
scheduled to appear before the com
Inittcc next Monday. 1t was declared
an effort probably would be made to
have him here sooner.
The failure of the miners to obtain
n conference with the operators was
charged by Mr. Moore to be due to the
influences Of the western Pennsylvania
and southern Ohio mine owners.
Suggestion that a resolution calling
for executive action be adopted was
made at the hearing by Representative
Meyer London, Socialist, Of New York,
during statements by representatives
of the Federated Churches Of America.
That organization. according to Worth
M. Tippy, one of its witnesses, has
made on effort to bring the two sides
together in conference, but the op-
orators failed to reply to the invita-
ton,
Criticizcs Operators
"It is tremendously unfortunate that
The operators have not shown as re-
sponsive a spirit as the miners in com
ing around said Representative Up
shaw, Democrat. of Georgia. Capital
ought TO De ready TO come 10 any CoH-
ference
Complaint was made by Mr.. Moore
that the operators had refused TO rec
ognize their promise two years ago 20
meet with the miners for discussion
Of renewal Of the contract between
them. He suggested that the reason
probably was found in differences be
tween the operators.
Asked about the possibility ,nat the
non union miners would 60 out on
sympathetic strike, Mr.. Moore reminded
the committee that they did so in 1894
and 1904.
Responsibility for failure to bring
the operators into conference was
laid by Mr.. Moore principally to the
Pennsylvania owners who are the only
ones, he said who have shown stub
born attitude.
"What interests are keeping the
Pennsylvania and southern Ohio oper-
ators out?' asked Representative
Nolan.
pittsburgh COAL replied Moore.
"What influences in western Penn
sylvania other than coal are there ?"
81 cannot answer that he said, but
pointed out that Standard Oil and
United States Steel were interested.
Davis Outlines Efforts
Secretary of Labor Davis. in his
statement to-day said, in part;
"ln this dispute in the coal industry
President Harding and other govern
ment agencies, chiefly the Department
OF Labor, have for weeks counseled this
conference provided for III the last
Joint agreement between the operators
and the miners. In this effort the
Pres sident and have had reither legal
right nor personal desire 70 dictate any
program. Our one desire has been to
induce, by persuasion and urgence, the
operators and miners to discharge the
obligations they as5Gmed themselves,
to confer again for the shaping of
new agreement.
These efforts began in February,
after the refusal of some of the CEN
| tral competitive states operators to
meet in accordance with the resolution
adopted in March, 1920, providing for a
preliminary conference to meet prior
to April ! 10 arrange time and place
for meeting to negotiate new
agreement.
I'm fairness it must be said that the
miners officials were willing and ready
to go into the conference agreed upon,
but sopc Of the operators declined TO
meet, alleging that competitive factors
and Federal grand jury indictments
prevented any such favorable outcome
as to the continuation of the existing
agreements, and hence the preliminary
meeting would prove unsuccessful.
Others said that they were willing to
confer but that unless all central COM
pctitVe states operators would attend
such a meeting would be barren of
results and futile
81 cannot let the opportunity pass
without expressing keen di8appont
ment at the faihlre of certain opera
tors to fulfill the terms of their obi
CATION to meet in conference with
view to peace in the coal industry for
two years more. They have turned
their backs on . chance to lay bare.
not only to miners but to TIE public,
their reasons, at least, for declining
new wage arrangement. The public
is entitled to these reasons, and the
press would nave supplied them fairly. |
Even though the operators we're con
vInced that it could come to nothing.
their entrance into conference would
have removed any stigma of breach
OF faith.
The anthracite industry presents
pleasing contrasts for its operators
y n n