The Raymer enterprise., 1922-08-17
Prospect Considered Bright for
Early Settlement Of the
Coal Miners Strike.
PROPOSALS FOR COMPROMISE
President Hardino's Final Suggestion
for Ending Railway Strike Under
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Men
Are Restless-French Plans
Concerning Germany op.
posed by Other Allies.
BY EDWARD w. PlcKARp

+ 1NLESS the coal operators, the Off.
~ Gals OF the miners union and the
authorities In Washington are badly of
In their guessing, the coal strike Is al.
most over. The four-staie conference
called by President Lewis In Cleve-
land was considering favornbly this
agreement:
/. A -four state" basic contract,
perhaps expanded to include north.
ern West Virginia. under which the
old wages and working conditions In
the contract which expired last March
81 will be continued until next April l..
2. A fact finding body to be set up
under approval or by appointment of
President Harding to find out what Is
the matter with the coal industry and
what can be done to straigliten It out
Definite action is being delayed In
hope that the Illinois and lndl-
ana operators Will change their minds
and participate. Hitherto the oper.
ators have sought to break away from
the idea of central competitive dis
trict on which the miners insist. BY
getting some producers from each OF
the four states into the agreement
irrespective Of how small minority
of production they may represent, the
United Mine Workers argue they car
ry their contention by getting set.
kement on n four state basis. But the
contract will be binding only upon
those who sign up, and Illinois, which
produces about twice as much rs any
other state in the central field, will
have only few Individual signers, the
big associations standing pat on their
own proposals. However, the theory
most generally expressed at the con.
ference was that once mines IN the
East begin TO open up. there will be
a rush on the part Of Illinois and In
diana producers to sign up.
In Washington the government Off
Gals were predicting the early settle.
ment Of the bitumin0us strike through
the adoption Of compromise agree
ment embracing these features:
Restoration Of last years wage
scale until next March, with continue
tion Of the check-off system.
Creation Of coal commission to In.
vestlgate the situation and to recon.
mend n new agreement.
Postponement of further controversy
until next spring, by which time the
proposed investigation will be com.
pleted.
1t was reported that President A.
NJ. Ogle Of the National Coal assOcin-
tlon was favorable to this plan and
that Senf,Or Mckinley had advIces
that the Illinois operators were In
clined ~ enter such an agreement.
Governor McCray's effort to reopen
IndiaDa mines under military guard
proved more OF n gesture than nm nc
complishment. Very little coal was
produced during the week and most
Of the men employed deserted, fearing
for their lives. The governor Intimat.
ell that II nil other plans for avertlng
q fuel famine In the state failed, con.
Wet labor would be employed to get
ont coal under martial law. On the
other hand, the Impeachment Of Me-
Cray for sending troops into the coal
field was demanded by mass meet.
Ing OF strikers and union labor men
at Terre Haute.
1t was the general belief that II
present negotiations fail to end the
strike, President Harding viii seize
the mines and operate them under
guard Of federal troops. That he
might await the sanction Of congress
for such course was indicated by
the fact that he suggested to the Re-
publican leaders OF the house the de-
STABILITY OF maintaining full member.