Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-07-01
COAL STRIKE
PRINCIPALS S
ARE WARNED
Harding Urges Operators
And Miners To Settle
Differences or Govern
ment VIII Act.

Washington, July l. Miners
and operators numbering about
fifty and representing both the
bituminous and anthracite Goa
fields in which work has beer
suspended since April l met at the
White House today with Pres
ident Harding in an endeavor in
stituted by the government tc
find basis for negotiating a set
tlement of differences.
President Harding opened the
conference in executive session
with an address to the two parties
speaking only about ten minutes.
The conference then was ad-
journed to meeting room in the
interior department and there con-
tinued in executive session.
Conference Organizes
A. M. Ogle, president of the Ma
tional Coal association who is
representative of the bituminous
operators was elected chairman
and William Green, general secre-
tary-treasurer of the United Mine
Workers was elected secretary.
President Harding in convening
the conference advised both pare
ties to arrive with measurable
promptness at an understanding
''for your mutual good and the
country s common good"
The president declared the
present was no time for the
militant note of the RADICAL and
reminded the conference that
federation, fairness, the spirit to
give and take and finally a
sense of the larger obligations to
the public are essential to success
full conference.
Coupled with his appeal and
admonition, the president uttered
what was regarded as a warning
when he said that if the operators
and miners could not "settle this
matter in frankk recognition
mutually of your interests then
the larger public interest must be
asserted in the name of the people
where the common good is the
first and highest concern
FWe wish you who best know
the way to solution to reach it
among yourselves in manner to
command the sanction of Ameri-
can public opinion" the president
said.
Failing in that, the servants of
the American people will be called
to the task in the name of Amer
lean safety and for the greatest
good of all the people, -
Another pointed statement in
the presidents address was:
Labor has the right, capital
has the right and above all these,
the American people have the
right to be freed from the recur-
ring anxxieties (strikes) no mat
ter what the causes are. That free
dom must be established.
Since President Harding's call
for the conference to consider
possible methods for settlement of
the controversy, 1t has been in
dicated by administration officials |
that 1t was the desire of the gov
ernment that the meeting should
be held above the controversial
issues involved and rather lay the
basis and safeguard the way for
another conference fully author
lied to deal with these 1t was
as the administration IS
purpose today to give the partici-
pants free opportunity at the start
to attempt to work out their own
plans for a settlement.
so Attend Conference
OF the SO men participating in
the conference. half are miners
union officials, three speak for
the general committee of anthra-
cite operators and the remainders
are the operators selected to rep
resent the various districts of the
field.
President Harding, after well
coming those attending the con-
ference was leaving the city today
for an absence of a week, but
Secretaries Hoover and Davis
were expected to remain in the
conference. II