The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-15
United Mine Workers
and Operators Were In
Session Most of the Day
In Cleveland Attending
To the Final Details

In Cleveland Attending
To the Final Details
Developments today in the coal
strike situation included:
Wage scale agreement between min
ers and operators in conference at
Cleveland expected to be signed this
afternoon.
Formal call for meeting tomorrow
at Philadelphia between miners and
anthracite operators to be issued to-
day.
Sign Agreement Today.
Cleveland. Ohio. Aug. 15.-(By The
Associated Press.)-Soft coal opera
tors participating in conference with
miners on part settlement of the
coal strike said today through their
spokesman, T. X. Maher. Cleveland,
that they would sign the scale that
was agreed on in principle last night.
The operators decision was reach
ed at their caucus and MEANWHILE the
unions policy committee was in ses-
sion to pass on the tentative scale
agreement.
A sharp division was said to exist
in the miners committee. but the
majority seemed to favor acceptance.
according to members coming from
the closed conference room.
Actual signing of the agreement
was set for an afternoon joint meet
ing of both sides.
No Confiscation of Coal.
Washington, Aug. 15-Railroads
were warned today by the Interstate
Commerce Commission to cease con-
fiscating coal moving over their lines
under priority orders for delivery to
consignees who have been declared
preferred under the federal distribu
ton plan.
Cleveland, Aug. ia wage scale
was ready this morning for the sigma
lures of coal operators and miners and
prospects were that some mines would
be opened on Wednesday.
Formal ratification was set for this
afternoon.
All details of the scale were ap-
proved in principle by both sides be-
fore the drafting of a tentative un-
derstanding." which was described to-
day by both sides as the entering
wedge into the soft coal strike that
began 20 weeks ago.
Separate meetings of miners and
operators were held this morning for
voting final approval.
at is all a matter of procedure"
said President John l.. Lewis. in re-
ferring to the delaying of actual rati-
fcation The strike is now over"
said Joseph Pursglove, an operator
who served on the subcommittee. In
brief the settlement provides that the
miners shall be returned to work at
the same scale of wages that were in
effect when they Went on strike; the
new contract is to continue in force
| until next April l; the agreement al
| so provides for appointment OF an ad-
visory fact-finding committee, part
of it's duties being to consider future
| settlements of disputes in the coal
| industry.
The settlement came after week
| spent in marking time here by the
operators and miners. Finally the
showdown on the issue of compulsory
arbitration, resulting in three big op-
orators Withdrawing from the confer
ence when President Lewis refused to
accede to the demand. Then the con-
! ference reOrganiZed and threw the
doors open to all soft coal operators.
| A quick agreement in principle fol-
lowed. with operators controlling the
production of 600O0,000 tons annually
committed to its adoption.
The operators in the meeting have
mines in Ohio, West Virginia, Penn
sylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Michi-
gan.
The miners, too were confident that
an early resumption of work at scat
tered mines would result in other op-
orators hurrying their acceptance of
the agreement.
More Hopeful Situation
Washington, Aug. 15.-The bright
est ray of light in the darkened in
dustrial situation appeared today from
the anthracite coal fields of Penn
sylvania, where, persons in close
touch with the situation expressed
belief that the chances for a quick
and satisfactory settlement of the
long drawn out strike of union miners
were good.
Results from the meeting tomorrow
of Pennsylvania operators with
President John L. Lewis OF the Unit
ed Mine Workers we're predicted
4 No intimation was given as to the
basis on which the settlement would
be negotiated. 1t was believed possi-.
tie however that at least temper
ary settlement should result from the
that might result In q presidential
or congressional commission e inyes-