Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-13
HARDING To FORCE
FULL ACCEPTANCE
FROM BOTH SIDES
President Empowered With
Emergency Authority to
Take Drastic Action,
PROTECTING to Be Stopped

WASHINGTON, July 11.-Ac
ceptance by the miners and oper
ators of President Harding's pro
posal for arbitration Of the nation
wide mine strike, now seems prob
able within a week.
Some notifications may be sug
gested, but it is not believed either
side will dare to make flat re
lection of the presidents plea for
arbitration of the dispute.
AT present the two warning fac
lions seem to be sparring for
time.
Both sides are seeking more in
formation on some phases of Pres
ident Hardings proposal.
The operators are not very en-
thusiastic about submitting the dis
pute to national coal commits
sion, in accordance with their be-
lief that wage scales should be
framed upon the basis of district
or sectional agreements.
Operators May Wait
1t is believed the operators will
wait until after the United Mine
Workers give their decision Satur-
day, and if it is favorable, the
operators will do likewise. The
operators previously had stated
they were willing to put their case
in the hands of the government.
There is every Indication that
the general trend of sentiment
among the miners is swinging
toward acceptance of the proposal,
particularly since it provides for
the framing of a national wage
scale and of federal commission
to investigate coal production costs
two points which have been de-
manded by the workers.
An acceptance from the anthra-
cite operators may be given We'd
nesday. This group has favored ar
bitration for some time.
Government Urges Speed
Meanwhile, the government Is
urging the miners and operators to
consider the proposal with all pos
sible speed, because of the fast.
dwindling coal reserves, which al.
ready have forced the railroads to
discontinue many trains.
BY August l, according to fig
- ures of the geological survey, the
railroad coal situation will be acute
and the transportation systems of
the country badly crippled unless
mining operations are resumed by
that time.
Already many industries have
felt the pinch of a shortage and
reports state that in the middle
western states farmers cannot OBJ
tain sufficient coal to thresh their
wheat.
Many New England industries
will be forced to shut down next
month, if settlement of the
strike is not reached, officials state
PrOfiteering Rampant
Profiteering in coal is rampant
among a small group of operators
Secretary of Commerce Hoover de
clared today in announcing that he
had called another price conference
in an effort to stop rising costs.
Reports from western Kentucky
and several Pennsylvania districts
indicate operators there are asking
as much as S. and Sc ton. Hoover
declared.
An appeal will be made to the
major nOn-union operators to join
with the government in an attempt
to curb this action of the minority
he added.
Government Priority
Under the Harding program, the
government would have first prior
ity on coal. Next would come the
railroads and the public utilities, the
operation of which are essential tc
prevent suffering throughout the
country, then private consumers anG
the essential industries, and finally
the non-essential industries.
At the same time an appeal fol-
the greatest possible conservation
Of coal would be made by the gov
eminent.
Efforts would be made to put
the priority plan into effect, frs
through voluntary arrangements, but
if that were not possible the presi
dent probably would use his emer
gency powers to order it into eff
feet.
President Harding is every vel
satisfied" with the progress toward
settlement of the coal strike, it was
stated at the White House today
The president is certain that a way
will be found TO reduce coal con
sumption.
1t was made plain that the miner:
and operators must accept the gov
ernmentS arbitration plan as q
whole, leaving details to be worked
out by the proposed arbitration com
mission.
Harding will not discuss details
with the miners ana operators, hi:
sole concern being settlement of thu
strike so that industry may not suf