Evening star., 1923-08-29
HyLL TIME NEEDED
IN AVERT|NG STRIKE
Sunday and Holiday May Be
Required in Final Efforts
to Force Agreement.
BY j. {. ROYLE.

Special Dspatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. August 29.-The fact
that Sunday and Labor day follow
Immediately on the heels OF possl-
bic suspension of work at the anthra-
cite mines will afford additional time
for efforts to bring operators and
miners into agreement before real
ieffects of walkout would become
apparent And apparently that ad-
ditionsl time will be needed.
Many industrial consumers of coal
began today to attribute the slowness
Snd caution which are characterizing
every move in these negotiations to
the fact that a wage agreement in the
bituminous fields is coming up prior
10 April l next. AS one man eX-
pressed it. "aIl hands are singing for
the rcorjs,' He explained. in other
words. that each factor involved was
making only statements or conces
sions, which it would be willing or
anxious to have reproduced in future
contingencies.
Caution on All sides.
In support of this theory, some Of
the consumers pointed out the
caution exhibited by the meeting of
governors and state representatives
TuSedaE, when the plan for meeting
a fuel shortage in the anthracite states
presented by the hituminous operators
went without formal Endorsement
This plan is regarded in some circles
las an effort to strengthen the position
Iof the bituminouS mine owners in
preparation for the coming struggle.
A similar Interpretation is also placed
10 ri ~ HG ~
pamphlets criticizing the stand of the
United Mine Workers now being sent
out by the National Retail Coal Deal
erS Association.
The 'check-off'' demand of the miners
still is felt to contain dynamic. for the
check-off is operative in many OF the
hituminous fields and abandonment OF
the demand in the anthracite mines
might possibly have a bearing on nego-
1iations next April, as the bituminous
operators are anxious to get rid OF the
system.
Wage Issue Far-HenchinE.
Then, also. the statement OF the
operators that II they abandon the sys-
tenn OF checking off amounts due for
rents and supplies from miners wages
AS the union officials demanded the
men might find il necessary to finance
the acquisition of tools. powder oil and
other supplies necessary to the work of
the contract miner from other sources
Wage changes in the anthracite fields
could not but have some effect or
bltumlnouS wage negotiations. The eau
tion of Gov. Pinchot nthe present
crisis is not unexpected, for in event of
bituminous strike the state of Penn
sylvania would be even more closely in
Nolved than i'll the anthracite DISPUTE
Any additional time in view of above
conditions therefore is not likely to be
unutillzed.
Volume of Freight Eastward.
Officials of several of the inter-
coastal shipping lines today ex-
pressed the fear that addition of
more vessels to traffic through the
lanama canal would result shortly
In loss to some owners. They declared
that the Pacific coast was shipping
more than double thu tonnage Of
freight to the Atlantic that was be-
ing received by way of the canal
from the east coast
At present there are about l45 yes-
sells engaged in this traffic and the
United American Lines and the In
tcrnational Marine shortly will make
additions to their fleets. Similar ac-
tion is expected from the Mccormick
and Luckenback lines. Sufficient
eastbound cargoes are being offered
to assure profits for all ships oper-
ating. but shipping men agree that
unless westbound cargoeS improve
quickly most of the ships will take
almost empty holds back to the