Evening star., 1922-07-02

been SO declared directly as yet, either
by court decision or by Legislative en-
actment"
Sees Tighter Control.
This clear-cut opinion" of the Sec
retary brought the comment from
some neutral quarters that such a
cataloguing of the mine industry, II
fully effected, would result in tighter
control by the government.
IF they make the mines a public
utility" declared an operator last
night, then are they going to guaran-
tee a return on the investment" Such
a proposal. 1t was agreed. would open
up a large field for consideration and
would be long step toward govern
ment control.
Secretary Fall declared his depart
ment had been deeply concerned in
mining operations. There were in
Alaska, he said, some matters to
forces of the railroad and employees
of the road. Such matters" he added
will be settled without diff1culty, and
no coercive measures have been
threatened, attempted or discussed by
either party"
Hear Presidents Address.
The fifty or more men who entered
the executive Offices at the White House
yesterday morning. at 10 o'clock, filed
into the Presidents private ONCE and
chief executive delivered his short
address. During the session there,
it was said, the President shook hands
with all.
From the White House the entire
delegation, headed by Judge Edward
e. Finney: first assistant Secretary Of
the Interior. in his official capacity,
went to the auditorium at the Inte-
rIor Department building. There was
some little delay in opening the ses-
sion as all entering were checked of
by doormen with a typewriter list
Two operators from West Virginia
were denied admittance at first, as
their names were not on the list, and
it was understood the meeting was
held up for several minutes. while
the credentials of R. N. Davis of
Morgantown. w. Va. and Charles
Paisley Of Charleston, w. Va. were
investigated. They were not ad-
mitted. but expected to enter the
session today.
Because Of the heat most of the
coats came Off before the session was
called to order by Secretary Of Labor
Davis. who appeared in shirtsleeves.
Afternoon Meeting Split.
A surprise came in the afternoon
when the conference, which was gen.
orally understood to have been ad-
journed to 2 o'clock, at the Red Cross
building, split into two sections
Bituminous operators and miners sat
In the Red Cross auditorium, while
the anthracite men were called to-
gether at the Department Of the In
terror in an auditorium of the bureau
Of mines.
It was a small conference of the
anthracite men, as to numbers, but
more powerful than the bituminous
conference. as to ability to negotiate
q wage agreement and bring about
Cessation of the strike and return to
work, according to union officials. -
|. The anthracite operators were rep
resented by S: D. Warmer OF Sha.
mokin, Pa: w. d. Richards of Potts.
vile, Pa; William L. Cornell of Scran-
ton and E. W. Parker Of Philadelphia,
while the miners were represented by
Phillip Murray, vice president Of the
United Mine Workers, and District
Presidents William Brennan. Thomas
Kennedy and Christopher Golden.
Since President Harding in, his .ad-
monitions of the morning had com
mended executive sessions, there was
mysterious silence concerning all
negotiations. John L. Lewis, ,presi-
dent Of the United Mine Workers,
while holding fingers to his lips. on
emerging from behind closed doors,
let It be known that he would have
preferred to discuss the progress Of
the considerations. -.-.s-. =. -. :
Secretary Davis went so far as to
say he had attended many meetings
of the kind, that they had all resulted
successfully and that he fully ex-
pected this one eventually to succeed.
Secretary Hoover declared that the
very fact of meeting. of getting the
opposing forces together, was prog
reSs.
There was a decrease in the pro-
duction Of bituminous coal for the
thirteenth week Of the coal strike, it
was announced yesterday by the
geological survey. The production Of
anthracite, it was said. "is still prac-
tically zero" While, TN terms Of all
COAL, 1t was said. the quantity now
neing mined weekly is Ave or six mil
lion tons below normal"