The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-08-16
Will REOPEN
BITUMINOUS
Mines TODAY
Operators Sign Agreement That
Renews Wage Contracts In
Force When Miners Quit.
ORDERS SENT FOR MEN
TO RETURN TO WORK
Wage Scale Affects Mines In
Seven States and Controlling
6O,0O0,00O Ton Output
(sv The Associated Press,

CLEVELAND. Aug. Is - Immediate
resumption Of coal production in bitumi-
nous mines scattered over seven states
was ordered tonight and in some places
the cutting OF coal will be started to-
morrow. Orders for miners to return to
work were sent by district union off,
ment' renewing the wage contracts that
were in force when the men quit the
mines last March 81.
Formal Break.
The formal break in the strike came at
$40 p. m, when the scale agreement
was adopted by the unanimous vote Of
miners and operators at their joint con-
ference The general agreement then
was signed by T. K. Maher Of Cleveland,
ence. and william Green, miner, as its
secretary.
Supplemental agreements between -op-
orators and state union officials were
then executed. wit hthe union chiefs wir-
newed.
President John L. Lewis. OF the miners.
said that operators controlling an annual
output of approximately 6O.000.OoO tons
| he said, were in West Virginia. Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio. Indiana, Michigan. oklaho-
ma and Washington. James Paisley one
ment. announced that his mines in
| Charleston. Fairmount, Elm Grove and
| Morgantown, w. Va, Valley Camp and
! XnOuO5dHSld SllyB d. anu LdllBIlg anu
Stuartsville. Ohio, would be opened to-
| morrow
VIII Extend Break.
| Plans for extending the break OF the
! strike also were laid by the union men.
Frank Harrington. the Illinois miners
president announced that he would ask
the Illinois operators to meet the unions
i district scale committee at Chicago on
Friday. John Hessler head of the Indi-
ana miners. also asked the Indiana OPP
orators to join in a scale conference at
Terre Haute on the same day. Van A.
Bittner, statistician for the international
union, announced that operators from
Kansas. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and
Arkansas would be asked to meet with
the union at Kansas City next Tues
Under the policy laid down today by
the union, operators viii be required TO
accept the interstate agreement, made
base for thir contracts with the union.
This agreement provides for the re-es-
tablishment Of the wage contracts which
t1st1 that were % in force last March 81. with
the new contract to run until March RI.
1928. Further. the agreement provides
commission, a meeting being called Of all
| soft coal operators for next October to eff
| feet the selection of the commission.
Both Sides Meet.
Both miners and the operators held
seperate meetings to ratify the agree
ment before joining in the afternoon con-
ference where unanimous approval was
voted, to be followed by the signing OF
the document.
THE interstate agreement executed
with operators having a production. OF
GO, 000, 900 TONS. said Mr.. Lewis, will
become the basic agreement for the btu
minous industry throughout the country
, and 1 anticipate that in a comparatively
few days that supplemental contracts
e with groups of operators and Individual
Z operating interests will be executed with
the majority of the operators whose
1 mines are now on strike.
THE plan of settlement is based on
broad constructive premise, which car.
Y ries with it substantial hope for a mate
rial Improvement in the methods of col.
/ lective bargaining in the industry. and
= gives assurance that constructive reforms
- will be inaugurated eliminating some o.
). the organic ailments OF the bituminoui
| coal, industry. Such reforms will not
6 only operate as a preventative Of future
I conflicts OF the magnitude OF this one
but will serve to protect the public in
{ terest and retore mutual confidence and
= respect between the coal operators ant
the mine. workers"