New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-16
Strikers Return ON Peace
Terms Signed at Cleve-
land Setting Up a New
Six-State Wage Field
Indiana and Illinois
To Act Separately
Pittsburgh Holding Out,
but Lewis Expects Major
ity of Operators to Sign
speota, Dispatch to The rrtoan,

@''"t'NtSst
CLEVELAND, Aug. 16.--Plans to ex-
tend the break in the bituminous coal
miners strike, caused by the signing
of an agreement to-day by operators
representing tonnage estimated at
60,0o0,o0o were made tonight stimuli
taneously with ordering of the reopen
Ing Of mines in seven states. Illinois
operators who refused to sign will be
asked to meet the unions district
scale committee in Chicago on Friday
and at the same time Indiana opera
tors are expected to meet the miners
representatives for similar purpose.
Those from Kansas, Missouri, Okla
homa, Texas and Arkansas will be asked
to confer with the union at Kansas
City on Tuesday.
Difference of opinion exists over the
ultimate effect Of the agreement. It
provides for resumption Of work at the
old wage scale of March 81 last, with
the check-off OF union dues and the
appointment Of an advisory fact-finding
commission at a joint conference in
october to report on new contract to
another joint conference in january,
1928, which will endeavor to settle
finally the basis for agreement for
April /, 1923.
Field Is Extended to Six States
Another important feature Of the
agreement Is that it extends the old
central competitive field from four
state to six-state basis, as the dis
ttricts Of northern West Virginia, Mich
iigan and central Pennsylvania were
included. The central competitive dis
trict heretofore included western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois.
According to John L. Lewis, head of
the United Mine Workers, this agree
ment will become the basic agreement
for the bituminous coal industry
throughout the country, and he says he
expects that in few days it will be
executed with majority Of the oper-
ators whose mines are closed by.
strikes.
On the other hand, F. c. Honnold,,
secretary Of the Illinois Cpal Operat-3
ors' Association, declares the settle
ment to be unmportant, because only
approximately 40o,000,0Oo tonnage in
the whole country. The western PENN
sylvania field, producing about 100000.
600 tons Of coal and coke annually, has
committed itself firmly against the
checkof system and large percent
age Of the Indiana operators have
taken the same position.
Victory Says Operator
Still another point of view is that
presented by w. X. Kavanaugh, presi-
dent of the Coal Operators Associa-
tion of the 9th and 9th districts of.
Illinois, who asserts that the bituminous
coal operators of the country have won
great victory because the miners,
who had been contending for four
state agreement, finally signed up with
individual operators in six or seven
states.
In half an hour after the ratification
and signing of the agreement to-day
more than dozen district scale COM
nittees of the United Mine Workers
began signing up the individual
operators here who Immediately tele-
graphed pine managers to begin work
in many parts of the country, and in
many cases outside the central COM
petitive field. While it was difficult to
ascertain the exact amount of tonnage
ready for signature, it was said that
besides the 60000,000 claimed by Mr..
Lewis to be represented there was
35,000,000 more on the ground
Tonnage estimated at 100000 in
the Pittsburgh or western Pennsyl-
vania district-about IL per cent of the
total output there--was signed up by
Acting President P. T. Hagan, for Dis
trist No. 5, United Mine Workers of
America with operators, permitting re-
sumption of work tomorrow, if mines
are ready, by more than 5000 of the
$4,000 striking miners in that district.
Made Basic Pact
The national policy committee Of
the United Mine Workers of America
in meeting to-day made the new
agreement the "basic" settlement
sought, permitting it's general applica-
tion to union mines in the soft coal
districts.
AS the mine workers have done be-
fore, what are called supplemental set
Elements under this agreement were
authorized to be made with associated
Continued on next paus