New-York tribune., 1922-07-16

that he had not como in contact WITH
public situation OF more gravity
than the present one.
Senator Watson. Of Indiana, held
that no legislation was needed at THIS
"The President has ample power 20
take over the mines and operate them,
he aid "Ho could call for 100000
volunteers 20 work the mines and
have no doubt he could get them"
Senator BOrah is preparing n Dill
for drastic control OF the coal indus
try. but this Is not intended as emer-
gency legislation 20 meet the stnke
crisis.
Tho miners in their statement ex-
plainlng the refusal declared they were
In accord with the Presidents proposal
10 establish a commission 90 investi-
gate the coal industry. but stated the
completion Of this inquiry was "an
essential preliminary and necessary
prerequisite % any attempt % deter
mine rates Of pay 20 workers IN the
coal mining industry upon just ana
reasonable basis"
Object to Wage Arbitration
"The combination OF a scientific in
ve.tigating commission with wage
arhitration board is bad" the miners
statemont added. 1T is particularly
bad when the wage scale az issue 10
matter OF heated and bitter contro-
yersy. The primary duty o. the COM
mission, % be Of real service, must oe
N collect the facts and give consid'
Grafton 70 broad matters Of principle
and policy. These questions involve
the reorganization Of huge INDUSTRY
which in itself Is prodigious UNDER
taking. ..a.,,.t,,
important task no wage questions
sbauld be Injected. We believe that
,bere would Be no diihculty in estab-
Usbing proper wage scales through
conferences with the operators II '"e
industry itself was operating on
proper basis, and that, theretore, "
he commission Is successful IN estao-
iishIng the proper basis for the future
conduct OF the industry the n1ing OF
detaiied wage scales can properly be
left 10 the usual conferences"
on the exclusion OF the non-union-
lied mines the statement said.
"The mine workers desire 20 point
ou. that the coal operators who nave
been in attendance at the recent con-
ferenees assembled by you, and 70
whom YOU have submitted the plan Tor
arbitration Of the coal strike, are only
nartially representative OF the produe-
Inc Interests affected By the present
suspension OF mining. Operators rep
resenting nearly so per cent OF tne
tonnage in strike fields where pro-
duction is stopped have not been IN
attendance az such recent conferences
and we have no information that the
proposed plan Of arbitration has been
submitted 10 them BY any governmental
agency. We are further ADVISED,
through public and private informa-
ton. that these interests hrvc no i1-
tention OF coming within the pgidew
Of the provisions Of your plan OF
adjustment. Under such eircum-
stances il is futile TO believe that any
general settlement can be made.
Must Maintain Union
81, Is nanifestly unfair 70 attempt
70 exact from the mine workers repre-
sentatiyes commitment 20 an aroitra-
tion plan while az the jame time pow
erful operating interests employing
hundreds OF thousands Of men now on
strike are left free 20 follow their own
selfish impulses and escape responsi'
bllity in the premises. We feel as
sured that your excellency transmit
ted this plan Of settlement with the
sincere hope that the present strike
could be adjusted upon a basis OF na-
tionai scope. We find upon examina-
tion and analysis, however, that even
the acceptance Of the plan by the mine
workers would bring about only a par
tial settlement, leaving the pubic 20
be embarrassed and industry further
disloeated by a continuance Of the
strike situation in vast coal producing
areas. The mine workers cannot, un-
der these circumstances, lightly con-
sider the utter abandonment Of more
than 200. 900 CT their members 70 the
whims and caprices OF hostile employ
ing interests who are publicly com.
mitted 10 the policy OF destruction OF
collective bargaining In the industry
The present emergency was attrio-
uted 70 the refusal OF the operators 70