The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-08-10
Ice Broken
in Mining
Deadlock
Both Union Chiefs and Opera.
tors Predict Coal Strike
Will Be Settled This
Week.
Illinois Holding Out

Sumption oi INNING well on ITS way
The producers. miners conference me
ior five minutes this afternoon ant
took another - hours recess, in III,
hope that the Illinois and Indiana
Operators association might chang,
their minds and decide to participate
Word over the grapevine" was that
the Illinois producers are still stand.
ing pat on their original attitude
while the same goes for the Indiana
organization. and the word now is
that 3 Thursday afternoon the con.
ference will begin to Junction" to
use the phrase of John L. Lewis, in
settlement OF the mine suspension.
About 80 per cent OF the tonnage
OF the central competitive field was
present at today's session, a total OF
fictwecn 55.000,000 and e0,000,00C
IONS; the great bulk OF it was from
western Pennsylvania and northern
Ohio.
Effect Settlement.
Washington, Aug. 9.-Administra-
ton officials, it was learned in an au-
thoritatic quarter, confidently expect
general settlement OF the coal strike
before the end OF the week
They are looking for a settlement
which will embrace all the operators
and miners to follow the conference
between mine leaders and portion
OF the operators now in progress at
Cleveland.
The administration optimism is
based upon information receied from
confidential sources. The operators,
it is declared here, are known to be
far less antagonistic TO a satisfactory
compromise than they have been at
any time heretofore. The mine work
ers, as indicated by the leaders now
at Cleveland. are not disposed to SUBJ
NIT terms less drastic than those they
hae been insisting upon.
Influences at Work.
The information reeissd by the
president and his advisers is that
strong influences are at work among
the operators who compose the Ma
tional Coal Operators association in
lslak'or OF accepting the following pro-
gram:
The restoration of last years wage
scale until next March. with contin-
uation of the "check-oif' system.
Creation of coal commission to
investigate the coal situation and to
recommend a new agreement.
D1s<o1vnn,art rs f,,Vthnr ~nntrn-
versy until next spring. By that time
the proposed investigation of the in
dustry will have been completed.
A. NJ. Ogle, president of the Ma
tional Coal Operators association.
who has opposed any compromise
which would continue the wage
agreement covering the entire central
competitive field. is declared by the
administration informants to be ia
vorable to the plan now outlined. and
willing to use his influence to bring
an end to the strike on this basis.
Senator Takes Hand.
Senator Mckinley, Illinois. it is
learned, also has interested himself i'll
the negotiations in behalf of the pro-
posed agreement and through agents
in Illinois has been, in communica-
ton with leading Illionis operators.
Advices have reached him that Of
flcers of the Illinois Coal Operators
association are inclined to enter an
agreement upon the terms proposed
provided it is generally accepted.
The reports to the president. it IS
said, indicate the trend of sentiment
is favorable to the proposal so
strongly as to justify the eNpect;a..
ton that the end of the strike VIII
~ reached before Saturday. just
low the settlement will be negotiated
is a matter OF detail not disclosed
here, but it is confidently believed
that whatever agreement is reached
by the miners and independent op-
orators at Cleveland will be followed
by general agreement which will
permit immediate resumption OF min
ing on an extensive scale.
Harding Plans Action.
If these plans fail the president, it
is declared, will remain determined
to force coal production. His plan
will be to seize the mines and oper-
ate them under protection of federal
troops. Unless the settlement comes
this week. the plan. officials here de-
clare, will be put into operation as
soon as possible.
The president may await the re-
turn of the house to get congress
s:onal sanction to the proceedings he
has in mind. The settlement negoti-
ations now under way are said to
Fave been carried on large meas
ure by William A. Glasgow of Phila-
delphia. lawyer for the mine work
ers, and Ralph Crews of New York,
for the operators. Both have been in
ashington and at the Cleveland
conference and are in touch with
operators who declined to participate
in thes Cleveland conference.
Relief Planned.
Relief for acute fuel shortages on
railroads in Illinois, New Jersey
Michigan and the southwest was
planned by the presidents central
coal distribution committee.
Primarily priority ,classifications
'indcr the interstate commerce COM
MISSIONS service order No. % were
- suggested as means of getting fuel
to the railroads. but it sw adecided
temporarily TO leave the matter in
the hands of the committees district
organizations because it was thought
time would be saved in supplying the
fuel.
The committee had under discus-
sion the question of the liability oi
coal dealers on contracts where coal
is diverted to the use OF railroads
I