The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-15
HARDlNC'S
COAL STRIKE
PROPOSAL

Resume WORK w lCn
Permanent w a g e
Levels to Be Fixed
by Arbitration and
Other Questions De-
cided Later
Washington. July 10.-President
Harding today placed before lead
ers Of employers and employees
of the anthracite and unionized
tituminous fields government
plan for settling the coal strike.
It called for immediate resumption
OF work by miners now out, at
wage rates of March 81 last, for
fixing OF permanent wage levels by
arbitration. and for an investigation
to recommend solutions of per-
manent problems in the coal in
dustry.
All representatives Of the groups
concerned had tonight delayed
! definite answers to the proposal.
although union officials informed
the president they had no power
to give acceptance or refusal. but
would summon the general policy
committee Of the United Mine
Workers of America here Saturday
to consider the matter.
a day Of conferences. at the
White House and at other Offices
with Secretaries Hoover. Fall. Da-
Wis and Attorney General Daugh-
.erty. participating. was taken to
bring matt ,rs to this stage.
Alfred n. Ogle, chairman of the
bituminous operators group, ,indi-
Gated that his associates consider
led an arbitration plan they had
offered last week, for district set
tIement, "the best and fairest
wa....' to get the mines opened but
John L.. Lewis, president of the
union. classed this las obsolete in
the light Of the president pro-
posals." Anthracite operators. al
though their committee was three
times at the White House, main
tained silence.
Both bituminous and anthracite
sections Of the general conference
of the coal industry had indicated
a deadlock today before President
Harding brought forward the. ar
FILTRATION plan. The government,
concerned with coal production
sufficient to meet the Industrial
and transportation requirements Of
the country" he said, desires to
have production resualed."
He proposed that mine workers
should return on the old wage
scale. and that a commission of
FIVE representatives of the public.
! three Of the miners. and three of
the operators, should fix before
August 10. temporary basis wage
scale to be held in effect until
( March 1. 1929. If its deliberations
should not result in a scale by
August 10. the president further
suggested that the wage levels at
the time work was stopped should
continue until a new scale was
/, ready.
In addition. the commission pro-
posed. the president said, should
! investigate exhaustively every
phase Of the coal industry, and
reveal every cost Of production and
transportation. Congress would
be asked. it was added, to make
appropriations to finance and au-
; thorize its work.
Il have taken this short cut to
the resumption of operations be-
cause l believe it is in the inter
est of the public welfare" the
president concluded. When two
! great forces do not agree there
must be peaceful way to adjust
ment and such arbitration opens
the way"
He enjoined all participants to
give the proposal consideration in
separate conferences and this was
done Immediately. The miners
formulated their temporary an
swer in a letter explaining that the
national officers and district pres
idents called into the meeting
were without the authority to
! render q definite Judgment upon
your several suggestions and are in
no manner authorized to bind the
members of the United Mine
Workers of America with respect
to your recomDle ndations."
President Lewis of the union.
! said the officers would not discuss
the commentators. but they
might to the full policy commit
tee. which was 126 members. oui
explained that it had full power
! to act.
/ Chairman ogle. after various
deliberations with, his associates
! the bituminous operators. declared
that the general arbitration plan
had not been voted upon and that
ain answer to the president might
be delayed.
Washington. July 1.-THE coal
strike situation marked time to-
day. pending the decision of oper-
ators and miners in unioniZed fields
as TO the acceptance of President
Harding's proposal for fixing new
: wage scale by arbitration and the
immediate resumption of work ut
the wage rate of March Stst last.