The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-31
SIDES.
BALK At
PEACE
Plan
Negotiations Still Going on Be-
hind Closed Doors at
Harrisburg.
BY GEORGE &. DURNO,
H,.f r.r,1tfns.nl lrn..,n. aar.ri..a. /


All hope Of preventing the 1928
anthracite coal strike was aban-
doned here today.
Behind the closed doors Of Gov
ernor Pinchot's office at the State
house here miner and operator
delegations presented their an
swers u the peace plan submitted
to them by the States chief
executive last Wednesday.
81 d 81
Shortly after the meeting opened
/ the publicity department Of the
operators committee issued . state
ment setting forth the owners
views.
Like the miners the operators
made q QUALIFIED rejection
On one point-that Of wages-the
operators were definite.
We are still firmly Of the
opinion that no general increase In
the wages Of anthracite mine work
ers at this time is Justified"
An unconfirmed report outside
the executive office was that the
operators had accepted the plan.
The miners, however, presented q
qualified rejection, as their answer.
AS q result the mines will close
down at midnight-the hour the
present wage and working contract
between employer and lemploye ex-
pires.
But through Governor Pinchot's
program the way has been paved
to the reopening Of negotiations be-
tween the union officials and the
operator representatives. The PIN.
chot plan" will be the ground on
which further negotiations, end
eventual settlement win be debated,
1t was the plan Of Governor Pin.
chot to keep all proceedings of the
meeting secret. He planned to
make the announcement OF its result
himself.
Lewis Gives Position.
Samuel d. Warmer. spokesman
for the Operators Association, who
at noon asked tho meeting be de-
layed a half an hour, announced he
would remain silent, letting the gov
ernor speak for the operators.
John L. Lewis. president Of the
union mine workers, ordered q
written statement Of the miners po-
sition prepared and released by his
secretary after the miners had en-.
tered the conference room.
Lewis statement gives his posi-
| ton as:
First, AS for the eight.hour day.
the principle of the eight-hour day
4 I~~ And
Second, The 10 per cent in
crease offer as affecting the con-
tract miners is a step in the right
direction. The figure. however, is
not sufficient for the day me'l---
the lowest paid men in the indus
try.
Regret Governors Plan.
Third. The mine workers regret
the governors refusal to incorporate
the check-off in his recommends
ton. No valid objection can be
made to the check-on unless one per-
suades himself to believe that the
extension of a courtesy to the union
can be construed as a reprehensible
act" Here Lewis went into detail
to show that the important produc-
ers of hard coal have the check-off
in their soft coal mines. He, names
the hard SuSQuehanna Coiler1eS Con-
pany as an example. He termed
such companies a DIR. Jekyl and
Mr.. Hyde in their labor policies.
GAS representatives of the United
Mine Workers we feel that in the
absence Of any valid objection to
the check-off by the anthracite
operators, we are entitled to recog-
milton on this point
s'Fourth. On collective bargain.
ing, we assume the governor means
operators would forego their prac-
tices Of contracting with individual
employees for services at less than
the prescribed rates. With this
recommendation we find ourselves
in entire accord"
1--WE feel that your action has
paved the way to reopening of
Joint wage negotiations, Lewis
told the governor.
His statement did not mention