Evening star., 1923-08-30
P|NCHOT SEES PLAN.
FOR PEACE ADOPTED
Governor Optimistic as Min.
ers and Operators Meet
to Determine Action.
By ROBERT Il. SMALL.

Special Dispatch to The Star
HARRISBURG, Pa, August 90
Either no anthracite at all or anthracite
at an increase of something like 81 a
ton to the householder
That was the situation today as
Gov. Clifford Pinchot awaited the an
swer of miners and operators to the
compromise agreement he submitted
to them Wednesday evening. The an
swer will come on Friday. the day set
for the strike.
Gov Pinchot does not believe that
his recommendation of a universal
eight hour day and a general increase
OF 10 per cent in the pay Of all mine
employees will actually raise the price
to the consumer. The operators say
the increase is inevitable.
But even so, "the public can better
afford to get anthracite at slight in
crease in cost, if that cannot be avoid
ed. than not to get anthracite at ALL"
says the governor
Sixty-Cent Increase.
MIR. Pinchot figures that his plan of
settlement will increase the price of
mining anthracite 60 cents a ton. He
says the mine owners must absorb at
least 10 cents of this increase, and
that he has plan whereby the rail
roads and the retail distributors of
hard coal will absorb the remaining
80 cents. He vouchsafed no details
of his plan and his words left the
operators mystified
They are wondering if the Interstate
commerce Commission in Washington
Is going to order Il reduction TO
freight rates. They say the railroads
could be reached in that way but
certainly not without struggle and
threat by the roads to lower the
wages OF their employees. Neither
operators nor miners see just how
the retail and wholesale distributors
of coal throughout the east can be
reached by any plan the governor
has in mind. The operators figure
the increase to the consumer at 81
ton. The distributors may make il
even more. they say
Meantime Mr.. Piuchot believes he
has maneuvered both miners and
operators into a position where they
must accept the terms he laid down
to them.
There were others in Harrisburg
today, however. who broadly stated
that neither the operators nor the
miners would accept and that the
governor might have to resort to
some other means of dealing with
the situation. The observers said
Gov. PtnChot was not fully aware OF
the recalcitrant mood of the con-
tending forces in the mine con-
ttr0yersy; SThese forces have been
all set" Tor Il strike and their in
cilnation today was 10 let things con-
tinue to ride in that direction.
Pinchot Optimistic.
Gov. Pinchot himself would admit
no peSsimtSm today. He felt that
while some of the mine leaders un-
questionably would'fight for a strike.
the full committee would veto such
a move and accept his terms. The
governor felt the issue of peace or
war was particularly uD to the oper-
ators, for the proposals he sub
mltted were 4 modification of the
miners demands that he felt the
latter should accept. To the miners,
Mr.. Pinchot said:
notably improve your condition as to
wages, hours, and recognition of the
union"
To the operators Mr.. Piuchot said:
1t is fair to you for it leaves YOU
IN a position to continue to run your
mines, and at reasonable profit"
The miners, of course, are taking
the position that they should have
mad more-in fact that they should
have had all they asked-hur tho
governor has told them that they
would have to compromise in the end
%hether striking or not, and that they
should be satisfied.
Ihe operators are inclined to be
rather bitter over the situation for
Gov. Pinchot save them a fine lac
ing. This is the gist OF what he said;
You are making the greatest
prohts ever known in the anthracite
industry.
You kill 500 men and inture 90 600
In the mines every year.
Your wage scales are antiuuated
haphazard and honeycombed with in
equality
Despite their bitterness Gov Pin
chot felt today he had played the
operators whore they could not con-
slstently refuse his plan for they have
been crying from the house tops that
Ihey desired arbitration of their case
Ihe governor heard their case and
made his award.
Sets Time FOr,Answcr.
But this is one man arbitration"
protested the operators. The words
dictator and star chamber pro-
ceeding" also were heard about the
hotel lobby where both operators and
mn thalners gathered. But Mr.. Pinchot
any sort of statement until both
could come to him at noon on Fri
day. Gov Pinchot fixed the time for
n .ng answers to be given. He wanted
crystalline behind his compromises
plan. He wanted the miners in the
fields to direct their leaders to ac-
cept the 10 per cent increase in nav
and the rest of the money from
home that they might see in the
PInchot plan. He wanted plenty of
time for reflection by both sides.
The fact that the governor asked
TOT answers on the very day that
the strike order is effective has led
TO the belief here that q shutdown of
the mines on Saturday is Inevitable
Such shutdown would not neces-
sarily be serious. for Labor dav
comes on Monday, and generally
there Is little or no work in the
mines the day following holiday.
Thus If settlement is reached on
FRIDAY, strike resembling orders
could be made effective by Wednes-
DAY OF next week. If the operators
refuse to grant the demands of Gov,
I'inchot.s then the strike order stands
Indefinitely.
The issue today was in the balance.