Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-03-16
U. S. UNABLE TO
AVERT COAL WAR
Government Officials Abandon e.
forts to Prevent Mine
Strike.
ANTHRACITE MEET MARCH IS
Miners to Ask That Contract Wage
Scale Be Increased 20 Per Cent
To Strike April if Demands
Are Not Met.

washington, March 14.-GOvern-
ment officials are without hope of doing
anything TO avert a coal strike, it be-
came clear Government intervention,
at least in the preliminary stages of
the approaching conflict, has been
abandoned.
Holding that strike call for April l
is almost inevitable, government Off
Gals are now interested mainly in see
ing that sufficient supply of coal is
provided for the entire country.
The situation with respect 10 sutfi-
Client supply of coal, it is stated on the
same authority, is not acute. There
now is at the surface of coal mines
and in stocks at consuming centers, 1t
is declared, enough coal to last the
country for ten weeks with the pros
poets, it is added. that this supply
will be augmented by production from
nonunion mines and from operations in
union territory which. Department OF
Labor reports show, are covered by
district settlements between the
miners. union and local associations
81 mine operators.
No Forced Conference.
THE degree Of the governments in
tervention in this strike situation"
high official declared in explaining the
policy agreed upon, must be deter
mined by the extent of the public in
convenience and suffering which is
caused by the strike" II is intimated
that the government does not propose
to enter upon any attempt to force
conference between the operators and
the miners, by legal or other means.
: Secretary Davis of The department
of labor has gone as far as he intends
to go in that direction, IL is said, by
repeatedly and publicly pointing out
thar the government considers the
mine operators of the central coinpeti-
tive field to be bound by provisions of
the existing national wage contract
to enter into negotiations for making q
apply by April I, when the old one ex-
pires.
If operators will not accept this view
point, the government considers that
IL cannot interfere until the strike de-
velops and then only in the event that
its progress seriously mensces public
welfare.
Charge Union Violations.
Many operators in the semi-confiden-
tial exchanges with the Labor depart
ment are said to have taken the posi-
ton that the wage contracts provision
with respect to its renewal no longer
binds them. because of local or district
actions by the miners union, which,
they assert. have been in violation Of
contracts.
Government officials in correspon-
dence and conference have challenged
this argument on the ground that.
while the facts may have been as rep
resented by the operators. the con-
tract generally has been allowed TO
stay In effect.
Anthracite Miners Arrange Farley.
New York. March 1.-THE scale
committee of the anthracite mine work
ers met here 10 perfect plans for
joint conference with representatives
Of the operators on Wednesday. The
demands TO be presented TO the oper-
ators were formulated at n convention
In January.
The miners will ask that the contract
wage scale be Increased 20 per cent
and that all men paid by the day be
given an icrease of 81 day. A stand.
ard check-off system will be asked and
q straight eight-hour day underground
for inside day labor.
The scale committee is under In.
structions from the convention Ito per
feet arrangements providing for a sus-
pension of mining on April /, in the
event that no satisfactory agreement
has been arrived at as of that date"
A report circulated through the an
thracite regions that miners will begin
quitting March l5is denied by officers
rof the union.