Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-22
MINERS STAND FAST
/. ON ANTE-MED|AT|ON,
OWNERS DEMAND II
Phila. Anthracite Conference
Continues Deadlocked With
out Sign Of Agreement.
MINES READY TO RESUME
~ Assoclated Preas 10 Fvsry Evenlnr.

BY Associated Press 10 Every Evening.
Philadelphia. Aug. 22.--The anthra~
cite peace seeking committee entered
another day today with no sign of .
break IN the deadlock between repre-
sentatIves OF the mine workers and
those Of tho operators. The nth sss-
sion Of the conference was scheduled
20 begin NJ p. m.
Both sides were said 20 have agreed
10 restoration Of the old wage rates
until next April I. but 20 far 81 has sp-
parently been impossible % agree upon
"A program for fixing wages after thae
date.
Efforts to read into brief statements
Issued at the conclusion OF yes.er-,
days session. n hope that a settle-
ment was near met with little en-
couragement from either side. As up
on previous occasions, tho statsfnens
merely said that the conference hsd
met IN an effort 20 reconcile Views ~
the opposing sides upon the terms of
| a possible agreement 70 cover va ges
and working commissions and that
there would be another session today
Because Of the pledge Of secrecy
lamong that negotiators any inforna-
ton from tho conference room IL
necessarily roundabout and more ~
less cOnjectural, but enough ha. pens
etrated the curtain Of silence % make
Il fairly certain that the deadlock
arises over the inability TO determines
the method Of settling further dis-
pute.
The operators were declared 20 -
insisting upon outside arbitration.
while the attitude Of the miners were
reported 10 be that they have won the
walkout and do not need 20 arbitrate.
Heads OF the various districts wers
asserted to have returned to the con-
ference yesterday with Instructions
that an agreement accepting the
operators terms OF returning 20 work
AT the old wage scale, extending only
to next April. would not be rst.hed at
the miners convention which would
follow. The minere' leaders were zaid
20 insist that wage scale OF at least
= two years duration must be the out
. come OF the present meetings betora
mining Is resumed. They were repre-
sented as refusing 10 return TO work
pending arbitration OF a fixed wage
scale contract or terms OF working cou-
e ditions.
!, In the meantime reporr~~ from the
L hard coal fields Indicated that activa
preparations were being made for a
: resumption OF production. Mine bosses.
superintendents and other workers
who remained on the rolls when tho
waikout began have been put 70 work
cleaning up runaways in expecta tion
; of an early settlement OF the strike.
1 Ordinarily after a shutdown OF the
mines for several months. a period Of
two weeks to a. month ia required be-
fore the output can be brought up %
normal. Falls OF rock and coal. re-
placement OF timber where needed and
a general overhauling OF equipment ia
{ necessary. In addition cloudbur-ts
u have caused serious damage in one I'M
. portant region and the pumps may be
= busy for weeks before the mines ars
E free OF water
A labor survey has been made In all
the hard coal districts 70 determine
how many men will be available when
work is begun. for IL has been reported
that the long idleness has broush:
about shortage OF men because o.
those who have sought other work
Mining experts have pointed out ina;
the larger operators can increase pro-
duction by shifting into other mines