Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-08-02
~ ftH'NIH3III =
Mine owners
FAIL TO ACCEPT
CALL TO PARLEY
Lewis Head of Miners, An
nounces Meeting August
7, In Cleveland.
DISTRICT COMPACTS
One Bureau In Southern Ohio Will
Confer-West Virginia Fields a
Factor.

Philadelphia, Aug. 2.-Despite re-
peated assertions of the officers OF
the United Mine Workers, includ-
ing President John L. Lewis, that a
call for a conference of the miners
and operators of the central compe-
titive district be made only when a
sufficient tonnage was assured to make
the meeting success, none of the op-
orators organizations replying to Mr..
Lewis call issued yesterday accepted
his invitation.
1t was stated by some of the or
ganizations replying that they would
meet with the men of the districts,
but none was willing to enter into an
agreement on the four-State plan.
Actual reply to Mr. Lewis was de-
ferred in some cases, but it was made
apparent that the attitude Of the or
ganizations, with few exceptions, is
unchanged They will negotiate by
districts, but will not enter into an
interstate arrangement.
The same Governmental and finan-
cial influences which are said to
have brought about the calling of the
Cleveland conference, it was de-
clared here, will be exerted to make
! the meeting success.
At the office of the Southern Ohio
Coal Exchange at Columbus, it was
said that Southern Ohio coal opera
tors will not participate in the Cleve-
land conference, though definite
answer will not be made until to-
morrow or Thursday.
On the other hand j. NJ. Rowan
commissioner of the Coal Operators
Bureau, representing operators IN
the Jackson field (Southern Ohio
expressed a disposition to favor such
conference to end the strike. 1--WE
have never stood in the way of any
settlement which would bring about
an agreement between the miners
and ourselves and end the present
controversy, and we stand unreser-
vedly behind the President Of the
United States" declared Mr.. Rowan
The Pittsburgh Coal Producers AS
sociation declined positively the
Lewis invitation, but declared in g
message to Mr.. Lewis that 1t was
ready to meet the mine workers or.
ganizaton in that district to "nego.
tiate a wage-scale for the district
eve will not attend a four-Statt
Joint conference, for the reasons. a..
ready given you" said the TELEGRAM
to Mr.. Lewis. GAS you have been 'e
peatedly informed, the operators OF
! this district are ready and willing tC
meet the mine workers organization
of this district to negotiate wage
for this district, all miners to return
to work at once and abide by the
wage to be agreed upon.
'In case of failure to agree, we of
fer to arbitrate, in accordance witt
the proposal made by US to Presiden
Harding on July II last, that the
mine workers return to work I'M
mediately on the wage-scale in etfec
in November, 1917, without the checl
off.
"The board of arbitration to be ap
pointed by the President from resi-
dents of the Pittsburgh district, NJ
arbitrator to be a miner or operate
or in any way connected with the bit
luminous coal industry. The check-ot
practice to be eliminated, and th
competitive relations in and abou
our district with competing non-unlol
and union districts and operations t.
be the determining factor in arriv
ing at a wage.
"If you are sincere in your desir'
TO terminate the strike in order tina
the public may get coal, our propose
is obviously fair to the miner. W.
cannot. however, be expected to agre
indefinitely to meet representative
of the union"