Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-29
COAL OPERATORS
ACCEPT HARD|NG'S
> CONFERENCE CALL
President May Open Meeting
Himself on Saturday at
White House.
UNION. CHIEFS TO ATTEND
ny Associated Press 70 Every Evening.

Hy Associated Press 10 Every Evening
Washington, June % Secretary Of
Labor Davis announced today that hi
luminous and anthracite coal operators
had accepted tho invitation extended
last night by President Harding 10
meet Mt the White House Saturday
with United Mine Workers officials
to devise methods upon which nego-
tiatiohs for the settlensnt OF the coal
strike can be initiated.
Secretary, Davis said no Was unable
TO say whether the President himself
would open the conference
Other officials were inclined 10 believe
that Mr.. Harding himself would call
the meeting to order perhaps address
the gathering and then retire II is
probable that Secretaries Davis and
Hoover. will then be resignated 10 rep
resent the government and there was
also possibility although there was
no definite announcement that a rep
resentative OF the Department OF Jus
tice might be included. II is unlikely
that the public will be admitted 10 the
gathering and the total number of
conferees is likely 10 be under forty.
hANtlldIlAtS iIOiIi d lluinDtT QI Ane
miners union district presidents were
| received at the White House, but
while 1t was known that operators in
tended 10 accept, doubt existed as 20
the personnel, President. Lewis OF the
United Mine Workers, being particu-
! larly concerned in that direction. At
the White House, 1t was said that 4
/ NJ. Ogle. president Of the National
! Coal Association would name the in
dividual bituminous operators. Con-
trary to this there was semi officially
announced at the Labor Department
yesterday list Of coal operators and
oal associations which had been tent
atively included among the invitations
This list was declared erroneous last
night.
The union participants pointed out
that the question OF the identity OF
the bituminous operators would be
most important. since a large number
OF individual operators was considered
To be in a mood TO make concessions
To end the strike while another large
number was said TO be willing to face
continued tie-up rather than yield.
ernment intended to place the respon-
sibility for the selection OF repre-
sentative group of operators upon the
National Coal Association. the CHIEF
trade organization in the bituminou;
industry. though that organization il
not created to handle labor problems
Secretary Hoover's view is said tC
be that President Ogle should name
two opera tors from each of the eigh'
chief geographical producing district:
or about sixteen in all.
Elation was expressed privately by
Mr.. Lewis and his supporters over the
governments intention to intervene
for a settlement.
Union spokesmen were emphatic II
declarations that they intend to in
sist, first upon the resumption of Goa
mining under the war time wage seal,
and second to demand the usual semi.
national wage agreement in the bi
luminous field.
The anthracite discussion hinges en-.
tirely upon wage matters. but the bi
luminous controversy has the ques
ton of district versus national settle
ment as a chief issue
While operators have refrained from
general comment in Washington, tn,
Labor Department conciliators wh'
have been in the field long timt
: watching the strike, have establishe,
the idea that numbers of the oper
ators desire settlement.