New-York tribune., 1922-08-15
Peace To Be Signed To.
day at Cleveland Send
ing $4,000 Miners to
Work ;More May Follow
Governor of Ohio
Recalling Troops
Operators May Accept as
individuals; Anthracite
ParleyOpensW W ednesday

CLEVELAND, Aug. Ia (By The
Associated Press).-The soft coal
strike was virtually broken tonight,
but prospects were that the actual
signing Of an agreement between
the United Mine Workers and oper-
ators controlling an annual output
Of 60,000,000 tons would be delayed
until tomorrow. The signing of the
contract will actually end the strike
in part.
All details of the agreement were
accepted in principle by both miners
and operators, and the actual draft
of the contract was left to a sub
committee, which continued its work
into the light. The actual signing
of the contract, President John J.
Lewis of the miners said, was ex-
pected to follow meeting to-mor-
row of the unions policy committee.
Open to All Operators
Under the decision of the confer
ence it was understood that any soft
coal operators anywhere in the coun-
try might become parties to the
agreement, the reopening ofstheir
mines to follow Immediately. These
operators, it was said, might sign
the agreement as individuals or by
state or district organizations.
No exact estimate of the number Of
miners who will be put back to work
under the settlement was obtainabIe,
but varied between $4,000 and 75.o00@
men altogether. There are 900 soft
coal miners on strike, Union officials
said. 1t is expected by them that the
other operators will accept the settle
ment perfected here, but meanwhile the
strike will continue at their mines.
Hope of Hard Coal Peace
Hopes of a settlement also Of the
anthracite controversy that has kept
900 Pennsylvania miners idle for
four months doomed up when Mr..
Lewis accepted, on behalf of the mine
wa1kers, an invitation TO meet the an
thracite operators in Philadelphia next
Wednesday to discuss a resumption OF
work at the old wage scale pending
the framing of new agreement. MIR.
Lewis indicated that the "broad basis'
held out by the operators in their in
vitation gave grounds for hope that an
agreement would be reached.
As result of the progress made here
tonight by soft coal operators and
miners, Governor Harry L. Davis, of
Ohio, announced he would call off the
conference of governors of five coal
producing states that was to have met
here to consider the strike situation.
He also announced that he would with
draw Ohio militiamen who were sent
into the coal fields recently.
Agreement to Run to April
The agreement reached, it was said.
provides for establishment of the
wage scales that were effective last
April i, and new contract to run
until March 81 next.
1t was decided to establish a fact
finding commission of advisory powers
for dealing with future negotiations in
sion would be chosen by miners and
operators, with the personnel to be ap-
proved by the President.
The terms of the settlement mark a
breakdown in the system of collective
bargaining that has grown up in tho
soft coal industry since 1884. 1t means
the abandonment for the, present, at
least, of the central competitive field,
comprising western Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, as the basis fer
fixing wages in fields outside the four
states. In the past wage contracts
have been made for the central field,
and those of outlying districts have
been fixed on the central field scale.
This is not the first time, however,
that the wagemaking machinery on
the central field basis has broken down.
1t failed in 1906, and was not fully re-
established until 1910.
The new plan of settlement is
fundamental change in the policy OF,
the United Mine Workers of America
and for that reason the union policy
committee of 1913 members was called
to meet tomorrow to pass on it.
Before the agreement was reached,
three operators. representing 100000
tons, bolted the conference because the
miners refused to agree to arbitrata
future disputes These three were
Michael Gallagher, of Cleveland, chair.
man of the conference, representing
the M. A. Hanna Company, and S. Fl.
Robbins, president, and w. L. Robson,
secretary-treasurer, of the Youghio-
gheny and Ohio Coal Company. The
conference promptly elected T. K.
Maher, of Cleveland, president of the
Maher Galleries Company, chairman
and proceeded with its work
The meeting the Ohio operators bolt
ed was that of the joint wage scale
subcommittee Of operators and nine
workers of western Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois The sub-con,-
mittee itself adjourned in about twe,i-
ty minutes co report to the full wage
scale committee.
At the anthracite conference in
Philadelphia the operators and mira
workers will discuss an immediate re-
sumption of work at the old wage scale.
pending the working out of an ags4e-
ment. kilograms were exchanged be-
tween S. D. Warriner, of Philadelphia.
chairman of the policy committee os
the anthracite operators, end John 4.