The Washington herald., 1922-04-10
No Strike Settlement Is
Possible Otherwise,
They Insist.
HOUSE COMMITTEE
LOOKS TO HARDING
Considers Direct Appeal
To President for
Conference.


even President Harding. would set
tie the coal strike at this time, in
the opinion of operators spokesmen
here, John l.. Lewis must be per-
suaded to allow district settlements
throughout the so-called central
competitive field.
The passage by the House Of the
amendment providing that no funds
given to the Department of Jus
tice can be used in prosecuting the
operators or miners for entering a
conference does not alter the view
point of the operators, it was said.
Amendment Ineffective.
such an amendment and the as
surances Of Attorney General Daugh-
erty fail to dispose of two factors,
they contend:
l. Judge Anderson. Of the Federal
Court of Indiana, whom miners as
well as operators fear as ruthless
and independent" for in his court
indictments are pending against both
sides.
2. The so-called central competi-
tive field. which is held by the op-
orators to be nonexistent since 1920.
The hands-off policy Of the ad-
ministratiol, as further exempliied
in the White House reply to Senator
Bursum. Republican. Of New Mex
leo. that no Federal troops will be
ii
ings until it is proven conclusively
that State troops are unable to cope
with the situation was taken to mean
a tacit acceptance of the operators
and miners conduct so far.
Sees No Hope of Conference.
P. II. Penna, secretary of the In
diana Bftuminous Coal Operators
Association, has characterized the
House committees efforts toward
joint conference here as hopeless"
He' is regarded as the chief spokes-
nan for the operators of the CEN
traI competitive field, and it was
said his attitude may be accepted
as typical Of the whole bituminous
coal industry.
Members Of the House Labor Com
mittee are now considering a di-
rect appeal to President Harding to
insist" that both sides come to-
Eether With small likelihood OF a
coal famine for many weeks TO come.
with sufficient hands to man the
pumps at the mines. with few IL any
outbreaks Of violence. and with the
administration apparently calmly OBJ
serving the controversy, the opera
tors, it was pointed out, would
scarcely accede to the Presidents
wishes without counter demands that
the United Mine Workers agree to
district settlements.
Believed Final showdown.
The operators are cognizant that
this strike is the last fight" of
the union. it has developed in the
testimony before the House commit
tee, but they are equally cognizant
that this is their own last fight"
II is now a question of who can
hold out the longest. Inasmuch as
Congress has apparently failed to
hasten a settlement. this question,
IL would seem. cannot be answered
for many weeks to come, until the
public. the miners or even the op-
orators themselves begin to feel the
pinch of a coal shortage.
survey Of conditions in the coal
fields, just completed by the Ma
tional Coal Association, discloses that
he country is amply supplied with
bituminous coal, although for the
last week. ending April s. total pro-
duction was slightly under 1000. 900
tons, about so per cent Of normal
Little Market for Coal.
While this is below the capacity
Of the nonunion fields, the only rea-
son for the restricted production Is
to be feared in the inability of the
operators to find a market for their
COAL the survey reads. Thousands
of cars of coal are standing on the
mine sidings and in railroad yards
awaiting billing orders from con-
sumers.
1T is evident that II consumers
go into the market for larger
amounts of coal. mines and mine
workers in nonunion fields are ready
to add largely to their weekly out
pot In the union field the factor
limiting production is, in general. the
strike, but in the nonunion fields
the limiting factor continues to be
the lack OF orders, as for many
weeks past
"Ohio, Indiana and Illinois are
nearly 100 per cent closed down, but
large number Of cars loaded during
the lest week before the strike are
still unsold. West of the Mississippi
union mines are closed: nonunion
mines are operating so far as or
ders for coal enable the mines to