The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-02
DOUBLE DEADLOCK IS ENCOUNTERED IN. COAL CONFERENCE.
Lewis Raises Question As to Representative Character of Body-Hoover and
 Davis Intervene
By Assocfnted Press

Washington, Juuly 1.-The confer ence called by President Harding to devise methods of settling the coal strike assembled today, listened to the Presidents admonition that if the settlement effort failed, "the ser wants of the American people would be called to the task in the name of American safety" separated into one gathering for the anthracite indus try and second for the bituminous and adjourned in a double deadlock.
 The bituminous representatives by far the larger group after . contro- versial session adjourned until 2 o'clock while the anthracite contin- gent set its next meeting for Tues day.
 Only the itervention of Secretaries Hoover and Davis, the government representatives in the bituminous meeting. prevented a vote being cast on which those negotiations might have ended.
 
 gates assembled in executive session after hearing the Presidents address of welcome. before John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Work CTS of America. raised a question as to the representative character Of operators spokesmen present.
 Hoover Inrervenes
 He demanded to know why Ken- lucky. Tennessee, the New River and Kanawaha fields of West vir- ginia and the Upper Potomac fields of Maryland, had no representative present. AM Ogle. president Of the National Coal association and chair man of the conference, responded that operators representations had been named "only from those dis- tricts seeking a conference with the miners union." Secretary Hoover intervened and the matter for the time being was passed over.
 Immediately, however, the origi- nal issue between the bituminous operators of unionized mines and the miners union, on which attempts failed to bring about negotiations before the strike took place, was raised, deadlocking the meeting for the rest of the day. R. N. Taylor. president of the Southewestern Inter- state Operators association, moved formally that the conference recom- mend the resumption of work be brought about by district wage ne- Eotiations between operators and the union. The proposal was attacked by Mir. Lewis, and other union lead CTS. Practically all the operators present supported Mir. Taylor's mo- tion. It was said that support was evinced for district settlements by the entire delegation of employers.
 Lewis Counters
 Mir. Lewis later countered with the motion to substitute for the district settlement recommended a proposal that the conference urge negotiations through a joint central competitive field wage committee of miners and operators, declaring this the usual practice. The discussion ran on un- til a vote was called, Secretary Hoover and Secretary Davis inter- vened. asking further opportunity for and instead of voting the counter propositions the meeting adjourned.
 Participants on both sides were un- tonight as to whether tho government had a plan to offer be- tween the contending sides.
 Some indications existed that this was the case although there was doubt on the point. During the dis cussion the union representatives possibility of a national wage conference as substitute for both propositions. President Hard- ing's address was taken to mean that by arbitration or otherwise tho | government might sock Intervention. |
 The anthracite negotiations meet | with Secretary Fall and 1t was un- derstood advanced only the differ | enoes which led to a suspension of | negotiations between employers ana | miners several days ago.