San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-15

expires on August 81. They say there
has been plenty Of time. plenty of OPP
portunity to agree upon new scale.
If there is no new scale no new agree
ment, there is nothing by which the
workers can be guided, and therefore
they will not work.
At the very outset Of the negotia-
tons at Atlantic City begun on july
o. last. the mine owners asked the
miners to agree to continue work after
August 81 even il no new agreement
had been reached by that time. The
owners even went so far as to say
that it. would be understood that any
agreement subsequently reached should
be( retroactive to September / of this
year. 1t was argued that under such
an arrangement the miners could not
possibly lose any of their rights or
any of their pay under the new scales
which might be worked out.
John L. Lewis, president Of the min
ers, acting under instructions of the
varions presidents of the district or
CARNATIONS. turned the operators pro-
posals down with bang. There are no
new arguments that the coal commits
sioners can bring to bear upon this
subject in the New York conference.
Therefore it IS safe to say that upon
this first essential point there is likely
to be no agreement.
President Coolidge may have to act
and act drastically before the recalci-
tran owners and operators can be-
brought into line.
Thought Little Of Report.
1t is only stating an apparent truth
to say that at the Atlantic City an.
thraeite conference. the first report o.
the national coal commission wac
treated as a verirqble scrap of paper"
Both miners and operators insisted
they could not understand the report
in many of its details. They said the
language was confusing and ambigu
Gus; that even the figures had TO be
studied from many angles before thci'
meaning was apparent. Even then, as
the operators and miners refused TO
view the report at any time from the
same angle. there was no agreement
between them as to the commissiOns
findings.
The report seemed but to throw an
other bone of contention into the ne
gotiations. Both miners and operators
thought the report might be useful for
propaganda purposes. That is, thev
thought each side could get out of the
report something to back up its cor,
tentiOns.
President Lewis claims there is no
excuse to give the miners for asking
them to work after August 81 withon.
a new agreement. He says the minees
have been ready to negotiate for
months. 1t was only at the request
and invitation of the miners that the
meetings with the operators were be-
gun at Atlantic City in July. This
was nearly eight weeks before the ex-
piration of the old agreement. MIR
Lewis contended that if new agree
ment could not be worked out in that
time there was small hope it eveS
would be worked out.
Might Lose Advantage.
President Lewis also contends that
if the miners agree not TO suspend
work the night of August 81. there
will be no telling how long the nego-
tiations may be drawn out. There
would be no incentive for the opera
tors to hurry. The negotiations nigh;
run into next spring and then b.
broken off. The miners feel their best
strategic position is at the beginning
of the winter mining. They deny, how
ever, that they are responsible for the
agreement running out at this time
They wanted the new scale negotiated
last spring. 1t was at the request OF
the operators that the expiration date
was fixed at the beginning of fall-a
crucial time for the stoppage of Goa
production. - 49,
The more he studies the coal situa
ton, the more the new President wis
be convinced that he must act person.
ally rather than through q commission
He alone can avert strike.