The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-03-17
MINERS STRIKE
IS SURE, BELIEF
Union Head And Secretary
Dawes Confer Without
Result.

washington. March 14.-Secretary
of Labor Davis and John L. Lewis,
president of the United Mine Workers
exchanged views today on the threat
ening situation in the bituminous coal
industry, and both were said after
their conference to be of the opinion
that a national strike in the union
fields was inevitable. Mr.. Lewis as
sured Mr.. Davis again of the willing
ness of the miners union to open
negotiations for a new national wage
contract, a proposition which mine
operators are refusing to entertain.
Later Mr.. Lewis declared the ces-
sation of work in the union mines
after April 1, was coming about au-
tomatically," and asserted that "a
bold commercial policy of the opera
tors for which the public must pay
was in part responsible.
He Attacks Operators.
eff there is no conference. between
the miners union and the operators"
he added, referring to the bituminous
situation, there can be no wage
contract drawn up. If there is no
wage contract, there won't be any
coal dug after April LIST in Union
mines"
Mr.. Lewis accused mine, operators
associations which have sought local
conferences with the union looking
to the construction of district con-
tracts of playing for position" and
shooting propaganda" Operators
in certain districts he insisted, would
like to get an exclusive right to the
coal. market after April /, when all
other mines are shut up" but could
not make wage contracts until the
basis for national scale had been
laid by wage contract in the central
competitive field, (which will deter
mine the wages, costs their cOmpeti-
tors have to meet, and fix the rela-
tionships in the coal market" =.
Frightening Consumers
Meanwhile" he declared, coal
companies can make lot of money"
by refusing to enter conferences.
getting out strike scares and fright
ering consumers into paying high
prices for coal'
He also insisted that district or
CARNATIONS of the miners union, ex-
cept in Illinois, were supporting their
national officials in demanding the
national settlement.
Mr. Lewis came here today from
Illinois, and after his conference with
Secretary Davis, left with several re-
representatives. of the National Union
for New York, where the general
scale committees of the union and the
anthracite operators are in session
to consider terms of a new wage con-
tract.
Suspension Is Likely. g
New York, March 14.-Anthracite
miners and operators will meet in
joint conference tomorrow, with lit
tie prospect of reaching an agreement
on wage scale before the expiration
of the present contract on March 81,
which will mean a suspension of
mining in the Pennsylvania hard coal
fields until satisfactory arrange
ment has been arrived at. p
This was the opinion of operators
here tonight. A suspen-
sion would not mean break in ne
gotiations. Twice before in the his
tory of wage conferences in this in
dustry operators and miner continu-
ed the discussion of wage contracts to
a satisfactory conclusion while the
collieries remained idle.
II is understood from the company
side that the operators are all oppos-
ed to considering a wage increase at
this time. Some operators were re-
ported favorable to renewing the
contract about to expire, while others
were said to be firm for a reduction.
All efforts on the part OF operators
to decrease wages will be bitterly
fought, union leaders said tonight.
there must be no backward STEP"
the slogan uttered by President
John l.. Lewis at the convention Of
the anthracite miners in January. is
being re-echoed here by the men,
bers of the scale committee.