Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-07
Bv HARDEN COLFAX

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Copyright. 1922. BY The Great Falls Tribune
Washington, Aug. 6.-Partial relief
for coal consumers appears to be in
sight. Bituminous coal mining probably
will be resumed within 10 days in sec
tons of the competitive field-western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Hi
nois-as the outcome of the confer
land between officials of the United
Mine Workers of America and some
big operators of the -four states named.
Operators whose annual production
totals somewhere between 50.000.O0O
and 60, 100000 tons. will be present at
the present neutrality-suspicious.
the Cleveland meeting. They will come
chiefly from western Ohio. Some
northwest Virginia operators also will
be there as we'll as some from Indiana
and Illinois. Whether n operators
from western Pennsylvania will attend
remains to be seen. The overshadowing
factor in the industry. the Pittsburgh
Coal Producers association. will not
leave its western Pennsylvania head
quarters to negotiate. Indications point
dent Lewis. of the Mine Workers. and
the negotiating operators, will agree
within three or four days on a form of
contract and that mining will be resumed
shortly thereafter at such plants as
adopt the proposed wage scale. Should
the full attendance of operators reach
an understanding with Lewis coal min
ing in the central competitive field
would be resumed at the rate of not
less than 1000. 600 tons n week.
That tonnage, together with an i'm
proved output from the non-union
fields which now is on the mend, will
bring the production of bituminous coal
up to the point where it would approach
requirements.
The Cleveland meeting will be attend
ed only by operators who have intlmated
their willingness to meet the miners at
least half way. The operators who will
be there have all been sounded out by
labor leaders during the three weeks
that have elapsed since the presidents
was rejected. II is reliably
reported here that most of these opera
tors are not unwilling to accept the
wage scale which expired last March
on the basis of their contract with the
miners and that Lewis viii propose that
the wage scale be adopted.
Contamination Of the Cleveland meet
ing with q wage agreement will go far
toward bringing about a gradual re-
sumption of bituminous coal mining
throughout the United States. in the
opinion Of officials here. All the other
union coal districts in the United States
except the anthracite field. wait upon
the signing of a contract in the central
competitive field. The union fields
outside of the four states named are
characterized as the outlying districts
nnd it has been the custom for them to
base their wage scale uopn the contract
signed between the miners and opera
tors in the central competitive field.
Such a contract, If it should be signed
at Cleveland. even though only a small
proportion of the central competitive
field operators sign it. miners could
regard as the basis agreement for that
field and thereafter open negotiations
with operators in the outlying districts. !
IF Lewis succeeds in making n con
tract at Cleveland he will succeed also
in creating a division in the operators
ranks which may result in considerable
confusion for a time in the industry.
Heretofore the operators in the compe-
titive field have existed as a unit. Their
divided. q new state of affairs
will be brought about, the result of
which cannot be foreseen.
Resumption of coal mining at the
of 1,H1O,N 600 tons weekly in Ohio. /
Indiana. Illinois. and western Penn
with the prospect of further
resumption in the outlying districts,
will accomplish much in relieving bust
ness generally from the check which is
Mt present plainly manifest because of
the coal strike. The past week has
Witnessed a still further curtailment of
depleted coal stocks. with the
wdo becoming moro widoenraad
among the chief industries.
More iron and steel plants have clos
ed down.
For the previous week. ending July
%. car loadings of freight continued
to rise. reaching the grand total of
SCI 1854 cars. In making public the
the association of railways exc
say:
Despite the railway strike. the
total loading of all commodities other