New-York tribune., 1922-09-02
L epper Certain
OF Hard Coal
Truce To-day
Operators and the Union
to Resume Negotiations
at Once and Agree to
a Compromise Plan
PublicMandateUnderW Way
Owners Put Wage Pro-
posal Up to More Than
200 Papers and Mayors
Special Dispatoy, to The Tribune


PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 1.-Negotia-
tons in joint conference between an
thraclte operators and miners will be
resumed tomorrow and peaceful end
! to the five months strike is expeeted
oy tomorrow night. From sources
close to both sides It was learned To-
night that the operators have absn-
doned their insSstence on arbitration
and the miners their demand for two
years, contract at the old wage scale,
inns leaves only minor obstacles in tho
way OF settlement and little doubt is
/ expressed OF the ability of the Joint
conference to iron these out. Senator
Ieppef, after conferences with opera
Tors ana John l.. Lewis, head of the
united Mine Workers, to-day predicted
that a peace settlement would he
reached tomorrow.
| In order to develop the "public man
date" on which the hard coal Operators
VIII base their reasons for accentin o.
ane demands of the striking miners
aoo kilograms were sent out today
70 mayors OF the principal anthracite
consuming cities, newspapers in those
cues and to chambers of commerce
Sixty answers were soon received and
others We're coming in rapidly tonight,
put no announcement as to their CON
tents was made. There will he No
statement concerning them, the onera-
tors SAID, until they are read and
ulgested at a meeting of the operators
tomorrow in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Pubiic's Opinion Sought
me text of the request for the CON
] sensus was the same in each case anS
read as follows: "''U
raced by the miners demand for
continuation of the old wages bevond
; next April, which would mean confinu.
asion OF present prices, the producers
OF anthracite coal are seeking to And
out whether the public approves OF
concedlng this demand as means of
bringing about the prompt resumption
| OF production necessary to secure an
winter. eostit' Z
Shall greatly appreciate telegram
from you to-day stating whether Won,
community favors concedinp this a. a.
mand In view of the existine emer.
gency" ehiet-
| While the newspapers of All +bo
eleies IN the anthracite consuming
Ierrl6ofy were communicated with the
hiiaqelpnla newspapers were not in
ciuded. This was accounted for bv the
operators on the ground that athev
would get the reaction in the editorial
columns t the papers here without
/ the query =
lt is understood that efforts to have
PRESIDENT Harding bring pressure to
pear on the operators to convince Their,
tn tnae pubic mandate" for continua-
lion OF tne old wage scale beyond
| Apfii L. 1913, really exists, have been
successful and that the President bas
notified the operators that such Is his his
/ desire. This will not be definiteiy
known, however, until the operators
meet tomorrow :
| 1here are prospects that the cuera.
sers % may not have a separate meeting
II the cali for the Joint conference ;ss
issued by James A. German secretar y,
| or that body. Mr.. German. howeve, : !
issue the call, first must be reouas+ "a
to do SO by either the miners, renre.
sentatiyes or the operators comm ittaa
it is not known which side will mako
the request -''e' =
Repetition of Soft Coal Case
| The ending of the struggle is viz.
tuaiiy repetition of the miners. v;s.
| tory at the Cleveland conference ave,
| the 'pltnmlnous operators. Wages will
remain the same in the coal regions "a,
the next seven months at least. ana
according to the operators plan. Il nmb.
! lic demand is FOR such action. viii cor,
tiuue beyond that date for a period yet
J to be determined. = = =
The plan Of the operators for
| public mandate, however, has caused
much amusement among the reprases,.
tatives Of the mine workers. Who SEE
in It plan to provide a scapegoat Il
event Of any future protest at high
coal prices. II was pointed out by one
| leader to-day that the public will Nave
only itself to thanh, according "a fh;s
plan. il it finds prices exorbitant
\ With the return of the miners ~
| work, union leaders assert i norr, Il
| production of anthracite can be ex.
pected by October i.