The Washington herald., 1922-07-02
Government Officials Lay
Down Program for
Strike Settlement.
ANOTHER SESSION
IS CALLED TODAY
Ohio and West Virginia
Operators Barred From
Conference.
The text Of the Presidents
speech to the coal conference
viii be found on page 5.

Solution of national coal problems
and disruption OF the present mine
eminent officials. operators and miners
behind closed doors.
Government representatives are
underwood to have laid down a pro-
gram calling for complete solution
Of the various ills OF the mining in
dustry and demanded that the mines
be reopensd Immediately pending a
settlement
The conference adjourned late yes
terday afternoon until 2 o'clock today.
Today's meeting, IL was understood
was insisted upon by Secretary Hoover
and was regarded as another indica-
tion that the governments plan is to
keep the two sides in as continuous
session as long as possible until some
agreement is reached for the proposed
larger conference later on.
The operators. it was reported.
wanted to adjourn until tomorrow so
they would have time to talk over
their position, while the miners agreed
willingly to meeting tomorrow.
Secretary Hoover left the confer
ence with his face wreathed in smiles.
but lips tightly sealed. When asked
IL he was confident an agreement
would be reached finally, he said:
Sure I am / am always confident
that good will result when this many
men get together and talk things
over"
Although an air of absolute
secrecy was thrown around the
proceedings. after the opening OF
the peace conference yesterday ap-
parently reliable information leaked
out to the effect that Secretary
Hoover told the operators and
miners that there are but three
courses they can take.
THREE Courses offered.
1. Stay on the job until they
have come TO an agreement among
themselves.
2. Agree to LET the government
act as temporary mediator In the
dispute. with a resumption of work
in the meantime.
3. AZ a last resort, submit to
government operation OF the coal
mines for an indefinite period
1t was made plain that govern
ment seizure and operation of the
mines would come only after every
other means of ending the coal
strike had failed.
Despite the Presidents pointed
warning that the government stands
ready to exert all its power toward
settling the trouble in the coal
fields and forcing a reopening of
the mines, there were no visible
signs last night that operators at
tending the conference were weak
ening on their determination to
stand pat for district or State set
Elements with the miners.
Miners Pessimistic.
The miners representatives were
plainly pessimistic. Although they
respected President Harding's re-
quest and would not talk for pub
lication. they made no secret of
the fact that they regard the op-
orators with whom they have been
called to deal as a hand picked"
lot, selected from among those who
most strongly oppose a general
settlement
The miners said their assertions
were backed up when a zroun of
Ohio and West Virginia Operators
who have been willing for weeks to
meet the miners in a general confer
ence were barred from :be meerfnp
yesterday. They came to Washington
unlimited and when they sought en-
trance to the conference at the Inte-
rior Department, they were told they
were not on the list that had been
prepared by A. NJ. Ogle, president of
the National Coal Producers Associa-
ton
The miners representatives were
near open dissension when the oper-
ators whom they regard as friendly
to a concilation were excluded. 1t was
learned.
Other Operators Barred.
Besides this Ohio-west virginia
group. there were other operators who
came to Washington and did not get
into the conference, but they were
mostly operators from the producing
felds. They raised no protest against
being excluded. IL was said, finally
deciding among themselves that IL
was to their interest to stay out of
the conference
The group excluded from rne con-
ference included Joseph Pursegloye,
Horace Robbins and 7. K. Maher, all
OF Cleveland, who are among the
largest operators in the Hooking field.
They are among the operators who
have been anxious to meet the miners
on a national scale
One miner official safd last night
that so far as he could see there Is
only one operator. Michael Gallag-
her, Of Cleveland, who represents
the men on the other side of this
controversy who are honestly seek
ing q settlement on national
scale"
John L. Lewis and other miner
leaders. although declining to be
quoted. declared emphaticalIy they
would stand Pat to the end" in their
refusal to enter anything but a gem
eral aEreement. Covering all fha. hIn