New-York tribune., 1922-07-09
Coal Deadlock
Faces Harding.
On His Return
Lack of Promise i'm Confer
ence Called by President
Expected to Move Him
to Take Hand Tomorrow
Hoover, Davis i'm Farley
Bitnrninous Section May
Suspend With Original
Disagreement Unchanged

WASHINGTON, July 8 (By The AS
sociated Press).--Alignments in the
coal strike situation appeared substan-
TALLY unchanged tonight upon the re-
turn to Washington Of President Hard
ing, who convened representatives of
day in the hope that a settlement
might be reached. The return Of the
President gave an opportunity for the
Cabinet officers, who have participated
in pending settlement efforts, to make
reports, while anthracite operators and
union officials from the anthracite
fields were leaving the Capitol for the
weekend.
Alfred NJ. Ogle, chairman Of the gen.
eral conference and leader Of the BIZ
luminous operators, and John l.. Lewis,
president Of the United Mine Workers,
returned to make preparations for the
Monday meetings, in which both
branches of the industry, and employ
ers and union spokesmen, are again
likely to engage the Presidents per
sonai attention.
Officials Remain Silent
Secretaries Hoover and Davis, who
have sat in the bituminous conference,
held a long discussion Of the matter
to-day, but in government quarters si-
lence was maintained as to prospects
Of action. An impression prevailed
that the bituminous section of the con-
ference might come to at least tempo
rary suspension Monday, with its origi-
nal disagreement, in which the union
seeks national or semi-national wage
negotiation alsa the operators tender
district negotiation uncompromisingly
defined The tie-up of operations in
the anthracite fields, though classified
as work suspension" rather than a
strike, persists through demands Of
operators for lowered wage scales, the
degree to be fixed by arbitration, and
union unwillingness to recede from
levels of 1920 wage contracts.
The wage situation also accounts for
widely scattered bituminous fields upon
district settlements and the union de
mand for national scale, or the semi
national standard fixed by the four
states of the Central competitive field,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania. District settlements, it is
granted by all concerned, would weaken
in a number of ways resistance to
wage reductions, except possibly in
Illinois. 1t is considered notable that
the only important indications of de-
lection from the national demands of
the United Mine Workers of America
have been given by Frank harrington,
president of the unions Illinois dis
trict.
Some Ohio Operators Willing
On the operators side, ~ OHIO cup
has been willing to take national settle
ment, and scattered number of indi-
vidual operators in several states have
evinced willingness, according to union
officials, to make individual wage con-
tracts which will be as high as those of
1920'22. President Lewis and the
union policy committee have so far re-
fused to negotiate for contracts with
these individuals, since resultink pro-
duction of coal would make it more DIFF
hcult to effect contra cts covering wages
for employees of other mines.
In some government quarters the
view is held that public interest will
not be seriously threatened bv the
strike and consequent reduction of coal
output in the immediate future barring
railroad difficulties. 1t is even consid-
cred that the Northwestern region sup
piled over the great lakes rail and
water route might be cared for by
voluntary diversion of enough non
union coal production, now running
about o,500,000 tons week, to suffice,
in emergency. The various views of
Cabinet members Immediately in touch,
1T is known, will be before President
Harding before Monday, and are likely
to guide future action.