Evening star., 1925-12-01
OPERATORS OFFER
TO MEET LEWIS ON
NEW PEACE BASIS
Rejection of PinChot Proposal
Does Not Close Doors,
IngIls Declares.
GOVERNORS PROGRAM
DRAWS OWNERS FIRE
Miners Declared Given Every Bene-
fit With No Concession to
Other Side.
Fv tho Associated Press

PHTJ.A DELPIIIA. December l.
Mai William W. InClis, chairman of
the anthracite operators wage uego-
rating committee. today further dis
cuSsed the action Of the mine owners
i'm rejecting the peac" proposals of
Gov. Pinchct. which were accepted by
the United Mine Workers.
Mai. Inglis said the door to a re
sumption of negotiations is not closed
and pointed to the operators offer of
TWO weeks ago, elected by John l..
Lewis. president OF the United Mine
Workers. as a basis for taking up
anew The differences which have kept
the mines idle three months.
Hits Pinchot Plan.
Il do not see how any one who
HnalyZes the governors plan could
lind in It any hope of settle
lnent of the existing strike" said Mai.
lnGlis. Il note reference by some to
the concessions made by Mr.. Lewis.
|. What concessions did Mr. Lewis
make? II is true he receded from his
demand for a wage increase. made in
'ccordance with his policy Of each
time demanding more. and which he
ineW he could not sustain before any
falr-minded person in the light of
facts. II is true that he agreed to ar
duration, but of a kind which assured
him the present wage level for five
years. with arbitration of one item
only-waE EeS upward.
can these he considered ConCeS-
sIOnS: and. if SO, what did Mr.. Lewis
Get in return? The cheCk-off. dis
Guised to make it look harmless, but
The check off. with all its iniquities
uevertheless-the thing that the
miners organization has demanded
for % years. and which the governor
and Mr.. Lewis knew the operators
would never consider.
Sees Plan as Illegal.
What did the operators get? A fixed
price for five years with arbitration
that has power to further increase
operating costs. \ proposition not
only illegal. but absolutely impracti-
cable
is ii any wonder that the miners
accepted the proposition and likewise
Is it any wonder that the operators
turned il down, not only as a settle
nent but as furnishing a basis for
renewal of negotiations?
However, the door is not closed.
The operators offer of two weeks ago,
as it appeared in the letter to the
governor of November 80, is still open.
and any time Mr. Lewis is ready we
are ready TO resume negotiations and
make one more effort TO reach con-
Clusions However, with the under
standing that if we get nowhere in 30
DAYS. an impartial board shall step in
~Tnd decide the issues between u.s."
Operators Letter.
The letter of the anthracite opera
tors negotiating committee To Gov.
Pinchot follows:
Dear Gov. PinChot:
acknowledging your letter of No
vember IS, inclosing copy of the prop
osition which you laid before the meet
ing last Saturday afternoon and which
You refer to the anthracite operators
committee for consideration.
''As a first step we have asked our
selves: Are the proposals you have
submitted practicable? VIII they end
the present Industrial strife in a way
that will enable us for long period
to operate our mines, give employ
ment to labor, hold prices at a rea-
sonable level, and give some assur-
ance of reasonable return on the in
\eStment? These questions are vital
to the life of the industry and the an
Swer to them necessarily determines
our answer to you.
You propose that prices shall not
he Increased and wages shall not be
decreased for a period of five years.
reGa rdleSS of changing conditions. You
suggest A board of investigation and
award which, however, has power TO
10 but one thing-increase wages.
This is not arbitration and cannot be
: accepted as a substitute for real arbi-
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