New-York tribune., 1922-09-29
Conference To Be Held
in Scranton Saturday as
Hard Coal Shafts Close
Because of Car Shortage
Seven Roads Still
Are Holding Ou,
Move Comes ON Heels of
Erie Peace Settlement; i;
Situation Called Critical

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Joint action Of union coal miners in
the anthracite region and striking shor
mechanics to force a settlement of the
railroad strike on the hard coal carry
ing roads is forecast In a conference of
union representatives which has been
called to meet at Scranton, Pa, Satur-
day.
Inc railroads aimed at are the Penn
syivania, Jersey Central, Lackawanna,
Delaware & Hudson, Lehigh Valley,
Reading and the New York, Ontario &
Western, which, with the Erie, haul all
OF the anthracite mined. The Erie set
tied with the striking shopmen Wednes-
DAY, but the labor leaders charge the
other seven roads with banding to-
gether to refuse settlement with the
unions on any basis other than COM
plete surrender by the workers
The miners decision to join forces
with the striking shopmen is due to the
recent closing Of several collieries be-
cause Of lack Of cars. The men are
said to have become restive when thew
were forced to quit work, which thew
resumed only few weeks ago, after a
five months strike.
Shopcraft Board Tells of Parley
The central strike committee of the
shopcrafts unions announced the nlan
1or the conference in a statement is-
sued here last night. No reference is
made as to what action is proposed TO
orlng about settlement with the rail
roads or what form the coalition is to
sssK,e, put the statement contains the
following significant paragraph:
THE community of interests between
the miners and the railroad workers in
the present crisis has led to plans for
the formal pooling of forces between
them and for Joint action"
Lack OF motive power is said by the
labor leaders to be responsible for the
railroads alleged inability to move
coal. Due to the strike, the railroads
nave found it impossible to maintain
locomotives IN repair, they say, with
the. result that important functions
and the yards about the collieries and
breakers have become clogged with
loaded coal cars, and no empty cars
are being returned to the mines.
Expect Others to Close Soon
This condition hns resulted in the
shutting down Of numerous mines
while others are expected to stop work
within few days, according to the
statement.
Leaders Of the striking shopworkers
have made several fruitless attempts
in the last few days to confer with fho
executives Of the anthracite carriers,
ournrAfrp *o noxrfd Wi11}o,o,
of the central strike committee.
AFTER several days Of fruitless
efforts on the part Of our various
general chairmen to secure confer
ences," he said, 1--WE have abundant
proof that the railroads entering what
is known as the anthracite mine Aelds
have organized to refuse to settle the
strike Of the shop crafts upon the
Baltimore agreement plan or any other
plan except the absolute surrender of
the men and the breaking up of our
organizations.
Say Prophecy Is Fulfilled
"a month ago we predicted that un-
less the on-smashing policy of the
executives was ended it would prevent
one-third of the hard coal mined from
reaching the consumer. Our prophecy
Is now being more than fulfilled.
"Our cause is now one with the
miners in Pennsylvania and with the
public in every city which depend on
anthracite COAL"
In addition to the representatives e4
the miners union and the strikers. in
vitations have also been sent to the
mayors of municipalities in the coal
districts and to the members Of the
Pennsylvania Labor Board.
Tho Erie announced Uacfcrdau fha
it had reached satisfactory settle
ment with its 5000 striking shopcrafts
workers. The settlement was reached
at conference at Youngstown, Ohio,
between the regional directors of the
railroads ard the leaders of the strik-
ers employed in it's shops.
Peace on Erie Basis"
Conditions of the settlement were
not made public, but it was reported
that no attempt had been made to ad-
here to the terms of the Willard War
field-J Jewell peace plan. In fact, it was
said the settlement was on "a purely
Erie basis" and does not conform at all
with the Baltimore settlement program.
Peace has now been restored on three
important railroads in the Eastern
group. Immediately after the strikers
receded from their demand for settle.
ment on nationwide basis only the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad settled
with the strikers, and shortly thereafter
the strike on the New York Contra
was settled. Both of these settle
ments, however, were made on the
hocis nf the paltimore apreeu1ent