The New York herald., 1922-08-31
ANTHRACITE STRIKE
IS EXPECTED TO END
BEFORE DAY IS OVER
Only Issue Unsettled Is
Duration of Old Wage
Schedule.
CONFERENCES GO ON
District Presidents Reach
Philadelphia on Sun mons
From Lewis.
SOFT COAL PEACE S. Nfif
Vivid Change Is Obsei id So
a Chain of Villages Ne
chants Rejoice.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW Yosx sty
PHILADELPHIA. Aug. 30.-S esl atfAk
of the anthracite coal strife within
twenty-four hours was the forecast to-
night by men in close touch with
both sides, while the operators were
holding a secret meeting in the Ritz
Carlton and mine underwriters We're in
conference at the Bellevue-Stratford.
According to the best reports OBJ
tainable the operators have completely
abandoned their demand for arbitra-
ton. The only important question stu
TO be determined is said to be the
length OF the term for which the old
wage scale shall be restored.
To all appearances the m'rsr stu
were holding out tonight FIR epn
tract at the old rate TO run urdl M1soh
81, 1924 If that is accepteq the
operators it will mean a oi psta
victory for the union.
First indications that settl graf. NeS
In sight came when 1t was le rns lfss
following the all night confe era
ing early this morning in w. stpu
John l.. Lewis international
the United Mine Workers. e pa
the hard coal district preside reHs
to this cig.
To Discuss ComproI f@e-
District Presidents Kennedy, Golden
and Brennan arrived here tonight and
went into conference with Mr.. Lewis
and Philip Murray, international vice.
president. Just before the meeting Mr..
Lewis announced that they were to dis
cuss the so-called compromise plan put
forth by Senator Pepper. but that moth
ing whatever would be said about 1t to-
night.
Confirmation OF the reports current
in Philadelphia that operators had
abandoned arbitration demands was OBJ
tanned IN dispatches from Wilkes Barre.
where the Rev. j. J. Curran. pastor OF
ST. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, pre-
dicted the end Of the strike.
Father Curran. who was central
figure In the 1902 strike. based his pre-
diction on telephone conversations with
Mr.. Lewis He also let II be known
that the length OF contract is the only
issue remaining between men and
operators.
Good Reason for Hope.
with this slight difference between
them" he said the public has good
reason to hope that the stiike will be
settled within the next twenty-four
hours.
Father Curran returned TO Wilkes
Barre yesterday following series OF
conferences here with MIR. Lewis and
other union leaders and Samuel u.
warriner. president OF the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company. and spokes-
man for the operators.
Mi Warmer returned to Philadelphia.
from his Washington conferences this
afternoon When he reached his apart
,nent he said no meeting Of operators
would be held to-day. indicating there
might be session tomorrow.
Later II was learned that w. w.
Ingis w 4. Conneli. w. j. Richards
Mr. Warmer and other operators were
IN session IN a room at the Ritz
Carlton. Repeated knocks at the door
failed 70 elicit any response and there
was no answer to telephone calls.
Mine union leaders refused to go into
any discussion Of the plan put forth
ty senator Pepper for the settlement
Of the strike. In previous talks. how
ever, all union leaders agreed that tho
so-called arbitration obstacle was -
be considered as merely the operatz'
alternative to the long contract Ae-
manded by the miners.
In other words. the real stumbling
block 70 settlement has been the differ
ence Of opinion as 70 how long the con-
tract should run. Miners OBJECTED 10
arbitratiop mainly because they were
put under Tire by the term.
Operators were quite wiiling TO sign
until next March under tho old ra. Ia
some circles Il was believed he wore
willing 10 sign 70 that date ttr TO
question OF how to determ wages
thereafter left open. That az paa
what the miners believed
Such a contract In the opif 81 Nf f4t
miners would give the opera tcrs
thing and the miners nothtng
Ask Longer Contraes
Miners felt that they shot tt
contract running a year HD4 eey0
I months 10 compensate then f- t1NN
I Idle time, Therefore. they AH&e hait
! out FOR such contract That Is u
/ one point left open In Senator Peppers
plan. Presumably Il was the one point
y discussed tonight al the meeting of the
operators
For the present u may he said that
the miners are not particularly Inter-
csted In how others expect to FIX future
wage rates ~ they can get the old scale
until 1924 THAT does not moan that
they will bind themselves 90 any form
or arhitrg tion. which ls likely TO swing
public opinion against tncnl, but i Goes
mean that a scttlefuent may he reached
with that question stlll open. or az least
not definitely decided
soft Coal strike II History.
p1rrsRrrGu. Aug. 80 tAssociate
pressl The bituminous coal strike