New-York tribune., 1922-08-19

u ia ruanifestly my duty to bring
!. xour attention the industrial sit
..sion which confronts the country.
rh, situation growing out Of the
.r.vailing railway and coal-mining
..sskss is so serious, so naenacing to
- ,ation,s welfare, that should
u. x..,iss IL I failed frankly to lay
a ssa natter before you and at the
uas Wv. t;rne acquaint you and the
ssn.s raonle with such efforts as
whos .svssutive branch Of the govern
1ns has made by the voluntary
m-.;.a az it's good Offices to effect
! settlement.
". ssses hack to last April /, when
M working agreement between
las,.s - sserators and the United Mine
Mrsssers came to an end. Anticipat-
~ taat expiration of contract,
s,S;eh was negotiated with the gov
.ynruertss sanction in 1920, the
s,sssnt Administration sought, as
ssrly as last October, conferences
istgeen the operators and miners
4 order to facilitate either new
4 extended agreement In order
Il avoid any suspension of pro-
auction when April / arrived. At
rat time the mine workers de-
ss;ned to confer, though the opera
xsys were agreeable, the mine work
* excusing their declination on
sbe ground that the union officials
scu,5 have no authority to negor
date until after their annual con-
sention.
invite Conference
4 Competitive Field
short time prior 60 the expira-
1sn Of the working agreement the
.,sne workers invited conference
-sth the operators in the central
.nrnretitiye field, covering the states
"a pennsylvanis, Ohio, Indiana and
yI;inois. and, in spite Of the union
s.el;nation of the governments in
seymal suggestion for the confer
ssse. fye months before, the gov
ssnment. informally but sincerely,
s.rornended the conference, but 1t
vas declined by certain groups OF
.sarators. and the coal-mining con-
ssoversv ended In the strike Of
l,y;l /. 1t was instantly made
sstion-wide. so far as the organized
s;na workers could control, and in
,lsded many districts in the bituni-
.ons Held. where there was neither
sisyance nor dispute, and effected
complete tie-up of the nroduction
b the anthracite field.
Il is to be noted that when the
rspension began large stocks OF coal
vsfe on hand, mined at wages higher
Aan those paid during the war; there
ca only the buying impelled by
rsstssity, and there was g belief that
nj must yield to the postwar re-
ssiastnent. When the stocks on
hsd began to reach such dimiuution
Is menace industry and hinder
7snsportation, approximately June l.
asrtures were initiated by the gov
ssaent in the hope of expedlting
.slement. None of these availed.
Miyidual and district tenders OF
ntlement on the part OF operators
-se some Instances appesls for
nalsment-were wholly unayailing.
The dominant groups among the
eperstors were insistent on having
district agreements; the dominant
nins workers were demanding .
nation-wide settlement. The govern
usnt being without authority to en-
force strike settlement in the coal
industry, could only volunteer it's
good offices in finding way OF ad-
justment.
Accordingly a conference Of the
coal operators associations and the
general and district officials Of the
Uaised Mine Workers was called to
meet In Washington on July 1. The
designation of representation was
left to the officials of the various
organizations. There was nation
n. Al
non-union fields Of the country. Be-
che deep concern Of the country and
invited them to meet at conference
table and end the disputes between
fAsm. The conference did not develop
eysn . hope. The operators were
asking for their DISTRICT or territorial
conference; the workers demanded
NATIONAL settlement on old bases.
Ran for Commission
Laid Before Both Sides
Appraising correctly the hopeless
pss OF the situation / again invited
eo.n operators and workers to meet
s.s., ..a me. and rendered means Of
sestlement SO Justly inspired that it
vas difficult to see how any one be-
neyiHg In Industrial peace and JUS
,aee TO all concerned could decline it.
Ia substance it called on the opera
sors to open their mines, on the mine
Workers to resume work at the same
psy and under the same working
ssndttions as prevailed at the time
ee strike began. In turn, the gov
ssanaent was to create at once a coal
snmission, or two of them, If pre-
fred by all parties to the dispute,
. thar one could deal with the hi
aninous situation, the other with
sns problems in the anthracite field.
among the commissioners were to
representatives of the operators,