Evening star., 1922-03-07
mime OPERATORS
| OPPOSE PARLEY
Secretary Davis NotReady to
Report, But Opposition Is
Encountered.

The Secretary Of Labor Is mot pre-
pared to make public theh progress
made" in the negotiations Of the
Labor Department with soft coal
mine operators in the central COM
petitive field. Secretary Davis de-
ciared today. The Labor Department
Is acting at the request Of President
Harding in arranging a conference
between mine workers and mine own
ers before April /. when a national
strike in union fields Is threatened.
1t was understood today that a
considerable number of minet opera
tors. especially in Pennsylvania, have
indicated their refusal to enter a ma
tional conference with the union on
the ground that they do not intend
again to join in national wage-fixing
agreements. They have, in some. cases.
proposed the alternative of ma king
state or district wage agreements to
replace wage contracts which expire
April l.
Production Jumps 40 Per Cent.
"Thc telesraphic correspondence be-
tween the international president OF
the United Mine Workers. John l..
Lewis. and President Harrington of
the Illinois miners" Secretary DAVIS
\
local adjustment. regarding separate
state conferences indicates there Will
be no move to secure separate state
agreements in the central competitive
field"
In the bituminous field, he added.
coal production has jumped about 40
per cent during the last seven weeks.
or an increase Of about 100000 tons
daily, the bulk of which goes into
storage and indicates a further ma
terial increase in coal surplus"
Field Contract Basis.
The central competitive field In
cludes the states of Pennsylvania, In
diana. Ohio. Illinois and part of West
Virginia. where under previous ar
rangements in the industry practi-
cally uniform scale of wages has been
adopted under contracts between the
unions and mine operators. The CEN
trail field contract has been used as a
basis for wage contracts In all the
outlying fields In the United States
ton of the American Federation Of
Labor. issued review Of recent coai
mine wage negotiations, in which he
said that Operators up to this time
are in violation of the agreement
contained in the national wage con-
tracts which expire April l, because
they have not entered conference TO
consider renewal.
Rely on Non-Union Mines.
Cover nment officials observing de-
velopments In the situation that
threatenes to bring on a national coal
strike at the end OF the coal year, on
April l. were inclined today to agree
with Secretary Of Labor Davis and j.
D. A. Morrow. vice president Of the
National Coal Association. that non
union mines may be pushed to maxi
mum production of about 100000
tons weekly-enough to meet current
consumption.
Secretary Of Labor Davis will not
speak of the developments that have
taken place since he sent out over
lures to the miners and operators at
the suggestion of President Harding.
The Labor Secretary. however. be-
ieves that non-un;on mines now pro-
ducing about 100000 tons Of coal a
week. may be pushed to produce nearly
5000. 900 tons-an amount sufficient to
save railroads and public utilities
from suffering from lack of fuel.
Mr.. Morrow has presented the In
terstate Commerce Commission with
figures showing production at nom
union mines, which are believed to be
valuable in arriving at an estimate Of
the tonnage that may be produced In
in the non union fields in the event Of
strike.
UNION EXECUTIVES MEET.