The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-09
MINERS DEFY
 M7ERNA TIONAL UNION
F Harrington Sends Ultima tum, Declaring Illinois Men Will Negotiate Di- rect With Operators on Wage Question
Ky Associated Press

St. Louis, March S,-niihOis
 coal miners will enter into be-
 Eotiatiors with the mine opera
 tors of the state in an effort to
 reach wage agreement without
 the sanction of the international
 executive board unless the inter
 nstiOAal officers succeed ia ar-
 ranging an t~terntate conference
 between niHers and officers "f
 the ceztrAi competitive aeid.
 Prank Parxiaktoz. president of
 the IIIinsts union, announced here
 today.
 The sting of this altimatum con tained in a telegram dispatched to international headquarters at Indian apOlis by Harrington, was somewhat removed. however, when the Illinois president announced in an interview that he expected both sides would be called to Washington before the date set in his message. March 31. and that the future really rests in the hands of President Harding and his cabinet.
 Thinks WaikOut Certain
 W. K Kavanaugh, chairman ot the operato tors' association of the fifth and ninth Illinois districts. was less hopeful of averting a shutdown than the union chief. Regardless Of what happens at Washington or the out come of the difficulties between Far rington and international President John l.. Lewis Mir. Kavanaugh said Iliinnfq mi hnftUH he idle for a month or more while new wage agreements were negotiated.
 Farrington's telegram was in an Bwer to an order from the interna- tional executive board directing him not to enter into separate negotia tioDs with the Illinois operators. He replied that the Illinois mine workers would continue to cooperate with the international board as long as there appeared to be prospects of an interstate meeting of the operators of Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana and Illinois, but added that "of one thing you may be sure and that Is that, we are not going to agree to any drifting policy that has but one pur- pose. that being a suspension of work April 1, and if an interstate confer ence Is not in prospect before March 3t, we intend to begin negotiations with the Illinois operators"
 Cause of Differences
 Differences between the interna- tional board and the Illinois leader are the result of Farrington's insis- tence on entering into separate neRo- tiations with operators of his state in accordance with a clause of their state wage agreement In case other states of the central field refuse to abide by any agreement for the joint conferences. Pennsylvania and Ohio operators hage alrcad ys apnounced re- duced wage scales and refused to at tend joint meeting
 Harrington declared that the execu- tive boards telegram was "pre- sumptous and imperitent and a plain attempt to put the Illinois mine work CTS in false position" He said there was nothing In the Illinois miners move to carry out that part of their contract requiring negotiations with the operators not later than March 3i, which could be construed as mean ing they intended to sign new con tracts without the approval of tho international officers. He declared that the question involved was with out of the province of the executive board and that the Illinois miners insist our action shall be determined by the policy committee created by the recent international convention"
 Union leaders declined 10 discuss other business transacted at the meet ing of the Illinois executive board.