Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-30
ARBITRATION ISSUE
DEADLOCKS PARLEY
TOEND COAL STRIFE
Operators Accept Proposal
for Cancellation Board.
Miners Reject 1t.
UNION SEES INJUSTICE.
CHARGES PRICE-FIXING
Sessions to Be Renewed Today.
Coolidge Would Be Asked
to Name Body.
By the Associated Press.

By tho Associated Press.
NEW YORK December 30-The
question of arbitration appeared to-
day 10 he the chief obstacle in the
way of A settlement of the anthracite
strike
Miners and opcra tors began a con
ference Yesterday with a nine-hour
discussion in which the arbitration
issue figured largely. The miners
argued il was unfair TO arbitrate
wages and not prices.
y new peace proposal found favor
with the operators, but is disliked by
tho miners.
The plan was presented by -Alvan
MarkIe, chairman of the joint con-
ference. Mr.. Markle, who is a minor
ity stockholder in large independent
coal company near Hazelton, Pa, has
TO vote in the conference.
The plan calls for the appointment
by President Coolidge of three i'm
partial citizens TO submit recommends
lions TO a joint committee of miners
and operators, consisting of three rep
rcsentatives OF each side. In the
event of a deadlock in the joint COM
mittee of the industry the citizens
would have power TO cast deciding
votes.
Denies Arbitration.
In reply TO the miners argument
Mr. Markle contended that his plan
does not provide for arbitration, but
sets up machinery similar to that Of
the Concilia ation board created in 1908
by the anthracite coal strike COM
President ROOSe-
Selt.
The cancellation board is composed
OF three miners and three operators.
II settles matters of Interpretation OF
the wage contracts that cannot be de-
Cided at the mines between mSn and
mana cement. When the members of
the board cannot agree on a disputed
point it is referred to an umpire APP
pointed by the United States Circuit
court of Appeals at Philadelphia.
The miners asked whether the fact
finding committee provided for in the
AIarkle plan could investigate freight
rates. royalties and other items enter
ing into the cost of delivering coal to
the consumers, and also whether 1t
could fix the selling price of coal. Mr.
Markle replied that the fact-tnding
committee could not go beyond the
limitations of the contract, and that it
would be a violation of the Federal
laws to fix the selling price for coal.
Charge Price Fixing.
The miners charge that price fixing
IS practiced in the anthracite industry,
but this was denied by the operators.
So far as could be learned the ques
ton of the check-off, by which union
miners dues are deducted from their
pay by the operators and turned over
t. the local unions, did not come up
for serious consideration.
The joint conference was called to
meet again at l pm. today. The dis
cussion yesterday, according to Chair
man Markle, WAS conducted with the
best of feeling. The session was inter
ruDted only long enough for the six
miners and six operators TO be the
guests of Mr.. Markle at dinner in the
Union League Club. where the meet
inEs are being held.
William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor. ar
rived today and went to the hotel
where the miners committee Is max
ing its headquarters. Mr.. Green is
here to address the American Associa-
ton of Labor Legislation at its meet
ing tonight. He declined to comment
on the present anthracite negotiations.
1t was reported that Mr.. Green and
Mr.. Lewis would discuss the progress
Of neCotia tions before the mine work
ers committee meets with the opera
tors this afternoon.