The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-13
MINERS up IN THE AIR
viii Require Full Interpreta-
ton of Harding Plan Before
They Wfll Consent
DAVIS DEMANDS ACTION
Labor Secretary Says Country
Needs Coal and "by Heaven
We Will Have It"

WASHINGTON. July l2.--Anthra-
cite mine owners today submitted a
response to the governments offer
ot arbitration in the coal situation
that president Harding was said TO
regard as complete acceptance.
Meanwhile the miners union and.
10 a large degree the btuminous
coal operators. continued to pursue
a pollcy which high officials de-
clared was intended to. .eyade order,
delay an immediate response and In
which officials saw a disposition to
reject the governments settlement
plan II public opinion would approve
such course. John l.. Lewis,
president OF the United Mine Work
ers OF America. and other officials
OF that organization. called on Sec
retary Davis today and were UNDER
stood to be endeavoring 10 induce the
president TO make the arbitration
proposals apply TO all the partially
unionized territory as we'll as the
mining area shut down by the biz
luminous strike. So far as the will
ingness of anthracite operators TO
settle was concerned, Lewis said
arbitration in the anthracite fields
would be considered by the mine
workers along with the bituminous
proposals at the general policy
committee meeting Saturday"
Miners Response Slow.
Response from the bituminous In
dustry, il was evident, would not be
IN the presidents hand before Mon
day.
Two conditions were attached TO
the anthracite employers acceptance
Of arbitration as a means of ending
the suspension of operations in their
territory. one that a separate COM
mission consider wage scales in that
industry and a second that tho COM
mission be required 10 return a de-
cision about August l. Meantime,
they agreed to the presidents sug-
restlon Of paying tho wage rate OF
March 81. though protesting that
this would embarrass rather than
assist the effort 10 restore normal
conditions" because public demand
TOR decreased prices Of anthracite
Is Imperative"
Declaring that the anthracite In
dustry has no problems OF part
time employment but had entirely
different conditions OF work and
living than in the bituminous fields
and that a commission now appoint
set up a permanent method "by
which wages and working conditions
IN the future can be automatically
adjusted" the operators asked the
president 70 name three representa-
tlves OF the public on the board and
only one miner and one operator
This, II was held, would assure q
nonpartisan adjudication. A de-
cision from such a commission, they
I, l..
reservation or qualification"
Want All Mines Included.
A high official discussing the pro.
posals today said this was equivalent
70 asking that the presidents offer
or arbitration "in the mines not now
working" be changed 10 an offer oI
arbitration in all mines. II wa!
strongly intimatcd that the govern
ment could not force every operator
ot the 1000 mines in the country q
accept findings OF such a commission
and that the request was intended e
make arbitration impossible.
The bituminous operators ohiec
tlons 10 the proposal were said TO at
fack the presidents proposal 10 pu
the men back At wage scales o
. l92O-22, when nonunion mines. will
100000 employees, had been steadil,
practically Identical with those o
1917.
This not only will force disturb
ances Of operation in nonunion ter
ruory in the view of operators, bu
VIII leave them with high cost Goa
70 sell in competition with low cos
nonunion coal
interpretations of Presiden
Harding's proposal aimed 10 end III
coal strike will be formally re
quested by the miners.
Want II Clearly Explained.
Interpretation OF the peace ofte
before II can prove acceptable I
The miners. II was said. must cove
three major points:
does the presidents plan I'm
ply that arbitration OF the wag
dispute may result in n wage reduC
Ton, in the abolition Of the check
or system, in refusal TO recogniZ
. the United Mine Workers unioI
and In n denial Of the miners rigf
10 collective bargaining2 Unle'
assurance can he given before han
nat arbitration will not result
the rejection OF the miners platfori
there is no useful end TO be serve
through arbitration.
Does the president intend this
his proposal shall apply 10 the thol
sands OF nonunion miners who hay
Joined the union strikers since N
strike was called? IL IL does M
grant the former nonunion me
equal benefits, the plan is not satii
factory to the miners because the
are under pledge 10 see that the'
men share in any benefits, "a
Want Nonpartisanship Assured
g. WIN the president give assu
ance TO the miners that the fi'
members OF the arbitration commi
sion will be nonpartisan, unbiaSS
men sufficiently expert TO cope WI
the problems adequately and in
rpartially?
An operators spokesman, summir
up the attitude OF the employer
stated today there we're certa
technical features OF the president
plan that called for "straightenir
out and application" before
would prove acceptable TO them.
The desire of the miners for :
official explanation OF some OF Il
terms of the governments pea
proposal was communicated 10 Sc
Tetary OF Labor Davis today by Joi
/. Lewis, and Philip Murray. pres
Gent and vice president OF q
united Mine Workers. Lewis Is u
derstood to have insisted that 4
operators In the countFV be bOul