The Washington herald., 1922-08-10
BOTH Sides YIELD
Strong Influences Urge
Restoration of Last
Years Wage Scale.
COAL COMMISSION
INCLUDED IN PLAN
President Likely to Seize
Mines if Cleveland Con-
ference Fails.

Administration Olllcidis. IL Was
learned yesterday, confidently ex-
pect . general settlement Of the
coal strike before the cpd Of the
week. They are looking for a set
tlement which will embrace all
the operators and miners. following
the conference between mine lead
ers and a portion of the operators
now in progress at Cleveland.
The administration optimism is
based upon information received
from various sources. The opera
tors 1t is declared, are known to
be less antagonistic to a satisfac-
tory compromise than they have
been at any time heretofore. The
mine workers, as indicated by the
leaders at Cleveland. are disposed
to submit terms less drastic than
those they have been insisting
upon.
Program Worked Ont.
The information received by the
President and his advisers is that
strong influences are at work
among the operators who compose
the national coal association in
favor of the following program:
Restoration of the last years
wage scale until next March with
continuation of the check-off sys-
TEN.
Creation Of a coal commission to
investigate the situation and to
recommend a new agreement.
Postponement of further oontro-
versy until next spring when the
proposed investigation of the in
dustry will have been completed.
A NJ Agile, president of the
National Coal Operators Associa-
tion. who opposed any compromise
which would continue the wage
agreement covering the entire cen
traI competitive field, is declared
by the administrators informants
TO be favorable to the plan now
outlined and willing to use his in
nuence TO bring an end to the
strike on this basis.
senator Aids Negotiations
Senator Mckinley, of Illinois. 1t
is learned, also has interested him.
self in the negotiations in behalf
of the proposed agreement and
through agents in Illinois has been
in communication with the leading
Illinois operators. Advices have
reached him that officers of the
Illinois Coal Operators Association
are inclined to enter an agreement
upon the terms proposed, provided
1t is generally accepted.
The reports to the President. it is
said, Indicate the trend Of sentiment
to be SO strongly favorable to the
proposal as to justify the expectation
that the end of the strike will be
reached before Saturday. Just how
the settlement will be negotiated is a
detail not disclosed here. But it is
confidently believed that whatever
agreement Is reached by the miners
and independent operators at Clere-
land will be followed by a general
agreement which will permit immedi-
ate resumption Of mining on an eN-
tensive scale.
President Would Seize Mines.
IL these plans fail the President,
It is declared. will remain determined
to force coal prouction- His plan
will be to seize the mines and operate
them under protection by Federal
troops. Unless the settlement com,s
this week. the plan will be put into
operation as soon as possible. The
President may wait the return of the
House to get Congressional sanction
to the proceedings he has in mind.
The settlement negotiations now
under way are said to have been car
ried on In large measure by William
A. Glasgow. of Philadelphia, a law
yer for the mine workers, and Ralph
Crews, of New York, for the oper-
ators. Both have been in Washing
ton and at the Cleveland conference
and in touch with operators who de-
clined to participate in the Cleveland
conference.
Relief for acute fuel shortages on
railroads in Illinois, New Jersey,