New-York tribune., 1922-03-10
Davis $ Plea
To Avert Coal
Strike Fails
Continued from page onc)

miners in the event of failure to ar
range a central competitive field con-
ference, and some reports were tina.
such negotiations with the willing oper-
ators Of that state have already been
begun secretly.
Added to this serious union difficulty
came advices from Kansas City that the
operators of Missouri, Kansas, Okla
homa and Arkansas. following a meet
ing with the miners representatives Of
those states, would not negotiate new
wage agreement on the basis of the
central competitive field scale, as has
been the former practice. The opera
tors suggested instead tnc drawing up
Of new trans Mississippi basic scale,
TO include Iowa with the other four
states. Spokesman for the union de
cared they were not prepared to take
such step, at least without sanction
from their districts, and the meeting
adjourned.
These developments led to strong
belief here that a coal strike, if it
goes into effect April I, may except
q number Of important coal-producing
areas from its operation. Should Far
rlngton be successful in his announced
intentions the results, while not deemed
necessarily fatal to the plans for q
general strike, would inevitably in
crease tho difficulty of conducting such
an enterprise, and might, as the union
heads fear, result eventually in virtual
disruption of the organization
Secretary Hoover is keeping in
most intimate touch with the daily de-
velopments both with respect to miners
and operators. While Mr. Hoover de-
clined to-day to make public any state
ment as to his views of present condi-
tions it is known he sees some symptoms
that the strike will be headed off, at
least in part Of the soft coal territory.
The text of the statement issued by
the Department of Labor on behalf OF
Secretary Davis to-day was as follows:
"Secretary Davis is now in direct
communication with representatives. of
the coal operators Of the central COM
petitive field. 1t is his earnest desire
that boLh miners and operators carry
out the spirit and intent of the resolu
ton adopted at the New York confer
ence Of March, 1920, which provided
for preliminary conference to meet
prior to April /, 1922, to arrange a time
and place for q meeting to take up
and consider the making Of a new
agreement.
"1'he Secretarys action is heartily
approved by PRESIDENT Harding. None
Of the government officials in touch
with the threatened coal situation can
see any objection to a council table
gathering of those directly interested
in the bituminous coal industry, and
particularly in the present situation,
when it is a part of the last agreement
and in line with long time practice in
the coal industry. Joint meetings such
as those of the anthracite operators
and miners called for New York City,
March Is, give to each side an oppor-
tunity to GO into every phase of the
disputed factors and can only result in
better understanding.
THE course suggested by Secretary
Davis is only an expression of the
earnest con yiction of the public, as
is evidenced by scores of editorials in
the leading newspapers of the coun-
try, that until such meeting is held, in
accordance with previous under
standing, the two sides to the coal
situation have not discharged the obli-
cations resting upon them.
The government has no desire to
interfere unduly, but, having not only
the interests of the employers and
employees in mind, it also has a duty
to safeguard the interests of the
people who will be aeriously affected
by the suspension of coal mining.
Secretary Davis cannot see why, in the
interests of common sense, the two
sides to the coal controversy cannot
get together and adjust their differ
ences and save the country from the
costly results Of n strike"