The New York herald., 1922-06-28
HARD COAL STRIKE
PLANS ABANDONED
Continued from First Page.

prevailing suspension an absolute strike
Labor officials and members OF the com
mittee expressed great elation over the
tone of Mr.. Lewis's message. although
they declined to make 1t public.
1T appears that immediate develop
ments in both the bituminous and an
thracite industries may be looked for i'm
medately as a result of the conference
with the President and Government off,
cials." said Thomas Kennedy. president
OF the general scale committee end of
District No. z at Hazleton.
The miners contemplated drive for
funds will go on as planned yesterday,
Mr.. Kennedy asserted. AS proof that
the union Is not abandoning steps for
preparedness in the event OF an ultimate
strike he announced a meeting to be
held at HaZleton Thursday, wheE COM
mittees and campaigners will Invade
dozen of the larger cities of the East
with an appeal for public finarcial sub
scription to the war chest" Of the
United Mine Workers of America.
When the nature OF the Lewis COM
munication from Washington was made
known ii was learned that similar
message from Lewis. predicting the sat
isfactory outcome of the conference at
the Capitol. had been brought 10 the
scale committee by Murray. who ar
rived in Wilkes Barre last night,
The miners delegates and officers TO-
night We're more optimistic than they
have been at any time since suspension
of the mines was ordered last April.
Arbitration lis Probable.
They believe the plan upon which
Mr. Harding and Mr.. Lewis are working
contemplates some form OF arbitration
under Government supervision that Mr..
Harding and his aids have professed a
willingness to investigate the coal in
dustry. both anthracite and bituminous
that the President has agreed to elmi-
nate from consideration the bituminous
operators claim to the right of negotiat-
ing regional or district contracts. and
that his plan includes provision for con-
tinuation OF the agreements based on
the central competitive mining area.
Arbitration such as was proposed by
the anthracite operators with personnel
stipulated nj their last proposal made at
New York will have no place in the
ultimate settlement they believe. Nor
do they anticipate X will be entered
upon until a Federal fact finding COM
mittee" empowered with authority to
delve into costs. profits and sales prices
overproduction. seasonal distribution and
manipulation has made a report.
Both Murray and Kennedy, summing
up tie latest developments in the situa
ton, expressed a belief that Presiden:
Harding and Secretary Hoover had been
won over 10 the ideas embodied In Con
gresham Glands measure, now before
Congress The~official communique OF
the Scale Committee. issued after It's
adjournment. said
'"rhe scale comrittee to-day gave
serious consideration to the question of
the future status OF maintenance men
who have been permitted to remain az
work not only in the anthracite region
but IN the soft coal fields as well. After
exhaustive deliberat.on II was decided
that, for the present at least, this ques.
tion shall be held fol future considera-
tion and action.
Developments within the last few
days and especially within the last
twenty-foi.r hours i'm connection with
the controversy over working agree
monts between the mine workers and
operators of the country was largely
responsible for their action. and il il
our purpose that when a drastic step is
taken II will nc done in a manner cal
culated 10 serve the best interest OF
our members"