Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-08-01
FIRST OVERTURES FOR
TERMINATING STRIKE
FROM MINERS
MEET AT CLEVELAND
JOHN L. LEWIS INVITES MINE
OPERATORS TO MEET WITH
UNION OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS
MEANS OF BRINGING WALKoUT
TO AN END.

Philadelphia, Aug. 1-(A.PD- A
joint wdgI c.'n! ''"hc' of operators
and miners of the central cJmrcti-
tive 1itupiinoIS Ieli % be he'd in
Cleveland next Monday for the pur.
pose of negotiating a basic agree.
ment designed to terminate the pres
ent coal strike was called today by
John l.. Lewis, international presi.
dent OF the United Mine Workers.
President Lewis tlsC summoned
the general policy committee CT the
union to meet in Cleveland at the
same time for the purpOSn of acting
promptly on development, as they
may occur in the joint wage confer
enCc All men will remain n a;!lke
urtI. IN agreement or GeGl.l3 IN
dea,;;nding is reaehe'
The Lewis Inv .a'ion.
The following telegram was sent
tCd1v TO the operating in,afcS's in
the central competitive field, which
comprises Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indi
ana and Illinois:
Philadelphia, Pa, Aug /, 1922
"In behalf of the United Mine
Workers | am herewith inviting the
coal operators of the central com
petitive field to meet in Joint inter
state conference at the Hollenden 10.
tel Cleveland, O., at II a. m, Mon
day, Aug Z, 1922, for the purpose of
negotiating basic wage agreement
designed to terminate the present
suspension in the mining industry.
! express the sincere hope that the
interests represented by you will
find it possible to participate in the
joint negotiations,
tSigned) John LEWIS.
president United Mine Workers
Of America"
Ohio Snurns Invitation.
Columbus, Ohio. Aug. 1.--Southern
Ohio coal operators will not partici-
pate in the conference n Cleveland
next Monday, it was indicated tod ny
at the offices of the Southern Ono
Coal exchange Eastern Ohio Oper-
ators previously had indicated that
they would attend he Cleveland con
ference
Pittsburgh Operators Bak.
Pittsburgh, Pa. Aug 1.-THE Pitts
burgh Coal Producers association to-
day declined the proposal of John L.
Lewis of the United Mine Workers
for four states conference to settle
the coal strike, but declared in a mes
sage to Mr.. Lewis that it was willing
to meet the mine workers organization
in this district to negotiate a wage
scale for the district"
Indiana Sends Regrets.
indianapolis, Ind. Aug. Indiana
operators will not attend the confer
ence called at Cleveland by President
Lewis, declared Morton 4. Could pres
ident of the Indiana Bituminous Coal
Operators association. The Indiana
operators, he declared. will meet only
with the miners of Indiana.
Illinois Delays Answer.
Chicago, Aug. Illinois coal oper
ators will pass on John l., Lewis inyi.
tation for a central competitive field
conference when the state operators
scale committee meets here Friday.
Secretary Honnod of the Illinois Coal
Operators association said today. He
added that his personal opinion was
that the sentiment in Illinois would be
in line with that expressed by In
diana.
harrington to Aid Lewis.
Springfield, H., Aug. 1.-(By the A,
P)-President Frank Harrington Of
the Illinois mine workers announced
upon his arrival in Springfield this
morning that he will do everything in
his power to bring the Illinois oper-
ators into the interstate wage scale
conference which international Presi.
dent John l.. Lewis called this morn
ing to meet in Cleveland Aug. I.