The Washington herald., 1922-07-14
PRESIDENT ACTIVE
Harding Asks Miners and
Operators to Decide
By Monday.
BIG DROP is NOTED
IN COAL LOADINGS
Arbitration Plan Center
Of Storm of Protest
From Many Bodies.

Unless normal production OF coal
is resumed by August / the situa-
tion throughout the country will be
very critical. according to the latest
statistics OF administration officials.
Added to the normal drain on the
reserve stocks the railroad strike is
seriously affecting coal movements
and production In the mines being
operated, particularly in the Bir-
mingham districr
The approaching crisis. confirmed
by figures based on investigations
both OF the operators and the min
ers. is actually the basis of the pro-
gram of delay initiated by the mine
workers and aided by the continued
discussions. arguments and coun-
ter proposals launched by the btu
minous operators in the wake of
President Harding's arbitration pro-
posal.
Miners Welcome Delay.
The tactics of the miners result
from the belief that IL the strike
can be prolonged for another two
weeks. the critical situation
throughout the nation will force the
operators to come to the terms the
miners have demanded. namely, dt-
rect negotiation. and to the end of
this delay the operators are con-
tributing by apparently attempting
to settle the strike through state
ments. first directed at the miners
and then at the ''meddlesome ac-
ton" of the government in Inter
fering in the coal situation
Even the coal price scales, agreed
upon between the operators and
Secretary Hoover. have come into
the verbal campaign raging around
the Presidents arbitration pro-
posaI. A letter from National Coal
A ssociation officials. meeting in
Pittsburgh, to Mr.. Hoover. protests
that the arbitration suggestion, II
accepted. would upset the basis es-
tablished for fair prices in the coal
trade" Operators contend that
should miners return to work unoer
the old scale. as suggested by Hard
ing, production would either decline
or the public would have TO look for
an increase Of s3o.00o,00O a monin
in the cost of coal.
Desires a Reply Monday.
In the midst of all the delaying
and pickering President Harding Is
making valiant efforts to get some
sort of a decision out of both sides
hy next Monday. He has comSnuni-
Gated his wishes on this point both
10 the miners and operators and
while leaders of the latter expressed
belief here yesterday that their re-
My would be ready by then, officials
of the miners believed their policy
committee, when it meets next Sat
urday. may find the need of several
conferences with administration Of
ficials to clear up moot questions
in the Harding plan.
Meantime the country moves to-
ward a very critical shortage, ac-
cording to administration officials.
In some quarters the thought Is
beginning to take form that the
government, to avert an absolute
Industrial collapse. may be forced
to take over and operate the mines
itself.
Even as the railroad strike IL
? dding to the difficulties OF the coal
situation. so the coal shortage IS
beginning to seriously threaten
adding to the chaos
in that industry. while coal short
AGES today are. for the most part,
only local, several reports on aban-
donment of train service reveal a
coal lack rather than the shop
mems strike as the reason for the
Tr0n n ftnn.
The Cleveland and Detroit Rail-
road has notified the Commerce De-
partment that 1t had only enough
coal to run through until today
and. due to the railroad strike,
there was no immediate prospect
of getting more. Reports to the
Postofice Department reveal that
several trains have been eliminated
because of a lack of fuel.
The Association of Railway Ex-
ecutives here. reporting a decline
in loadings Of revenue freight for
the week ending July 1, revealed
a decrease OF 2,212 cars in coal
loadings as compared with the pre-
vious week.
indicative of the threatened coal
drought, the number Of cars loaded
with coal for that week was 62.36b
less than the number loaded the
week last year.
Non-Union Fields Protest.
The non union coal operators
Joined with the protests of the union
employers against the Harding srbi-
tration proposal yesterday when they
sent atelegram to the President from
Cincinnati. They objected specificai-
" to that provision Of the Harding
proposal which contemplates return
of the miners at their old wage, de-
claring that this would disrupt the
adjustment of wages and prices in
non-union fields now supplying so
per cent of the requirements of coal"
which has taken eighteen months to
accomplish. They further objected
to the plan on the basis that 1t would
grant "a special privileged wage to
union labor"
Protest is also made" said the
telegram, against inclusion of mines
or districts which have resumed OPP
Grafton under new wage scales since
April l."
The telegram was signed by a COM
mittee headed by J. @. Bradley, for
mer president of the National Coal
A uco.~ls Hon