Evening star., 1925-11-29
>5-YEAR COAL PEACE
PACT LAID BEFORE
UNION BY P|NCHOT
Operators Mailed Copy of
Proposal to Settle Dispute
by Arbitration.
PRICE INCREASE BANNED,
DISPUTANTS ARE TOLD
Immediate Resumption of Work,
With Settlement of Fight by
Board, Is Suggested.
BY Tho ts-o.i iatcd Press.

Board. Is Suggested.
BY tho Associated Press.
HAERISEGRG. Pa. November IS.
Gov. Piucho, of PENNSYLVANIA to-
day laid before the wage nego.iltnS
committee of the United Mine Work
erS "a plan for settlement Of the
present anthracite controversy and
.arIy resumption Ct operations which
have heen At 4 standstill since Sep
tenlher |.
The scale committee of the three
union districts in the hard coal field
:inuediItely took the proposals un-
der consideration and after a brief
HcSSiou behind closed doors adjourned
To meet here at pm. tomorrow
to so over them further with the pGssi-
bilitv of definite action at that time.
The governor set forth II points
in This plan. These included:
Esrablishmenr Of a board of in
vcsti-ation and award to be chosen
Hv the operators and miners. this
hoard 70 determine wncther increased
WAGES can he paid without inCreas-
i'm. coal prices and to determine the
amount of increase II one Is justified.
A modified form of check off
without full union recognition by
which operators would honor volun-
tary assignments of workers wages
for union dues up to Sli Il wear.
EQUALIZATION OF wages by the an
thracite conciliation board established
under the Roosevelt settlement OF
1908.
No Increase in Price. :.
No increase in coal prices by reason
of the new agreement beyond those
scheduled for 1925.
\ five-vear agreement.
Termination Of the present suspen-
sion and immediate resumption of
mining.
Both operators and miners repre-
scntatiyes had been invited to take
rart in the meeting, but none of the
operators was present. Maj. w. W.
lnCIs. chairman of their negotiating
committee. wired It was impossible TO
get his committee together and sug-
Eested Il separate meeting after next
Monday to consider any proposition
the governor might have. To this
the governor wired that the public
is as much concerned with this set
tlament as either miners or oper
ators," and that his suggestion must
he made public.
Copy Mailed to Inglis.
After the meeting at which he sub
rnitted his plan he forwarded copy
o. It 10 Maj. Inglis. with a letter re-
rerring it to the operators for such
consideration as YOU may desire to
give it
For the first time in connection
. i,-l IN
representing the consumers and busi-
ness interests of the anthracite region,
was represented. 1t included
"mediation committee" of the Scran-
Ton Chamber Of Commerce and heads
Of business organizations in Hazletcn
and Wilkes Barre. They gave their
Endorsement to the plan and informed
+ha executive the organizations they
represented would support 1t. Ger
tain Of the suggestions OF the gov
el.nor, he told the miners. We're modi-
fed in accordance with the sugges-
lions of the Scranton committee.
Text of Pinchot Plan.
The text Of Gov. Pinchot's address
10 The coal conference here today, sub
rlittimg his plan for settlement of the
suspension. follows:
"'The present suspension of work in
Tho anthracite mines of Pennsylvania
ought TO he ended. l believe the time
has come when it can he ended.
The strike has caused an enormous
loss of wages to the miners and of
profit to the operators. What is of
greater consequence, the general pub
lie Is suffering and will suffer yet more
severely if the strike goes on.
The strike is the direct cause OF
financial embarra ssment. physical suf-
fprins and the most eXaSperatlng in
convenience to millions of the anthra-
cite users.
Not only in Pennsylvania. but far
more widely outside the State, this
strike has imposed heavy burdens on
those who burn anthracite. Our obli-
cation TO them is no small part of the
roa son why we should settle the strike.
"J-nnumbered domestic consumers
Of anthracite are unable to secure Gus
tnmary supplies of their customary
fuel.
They must go without or depend
ON substitutes with whose handling
they are unfamiliar. and for which
they must pay prices utterly unknown
before.
The growing use of substitutes in
thousan ndS of homes and business en-
terprises both within and without the
State. seriously endangerS the future
of the anthracite industry and the
we'll being of the whole anthracite
region.
Sees Prosperity Hurt.
The prosperity of all northeastern
Pennsylvania is threatened by the
stagnation of its basic industry, and
with it the prosperity FOR all portions
of the State.
1--WE are face to face not with one
strike but two. The second is the for
nFida BILE strike Of consumers against
the uncertainty of supply and the con-
Stantly rising price of anthracite.
Neither the anthracite industry nor
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
and especially northeastern Pennsyl-
rania, can afford TO leave this second
strike out of account.
There is no good reason why this
situation should be allowed to con-
finue. 1t is to everybody's interest
that the strike should stop. But
miners and operators alike find 1t dlf-
fcult to take the first step toward a
settIement If there is to be a settle
ment before still more serious suffer
ing has fallen upon the public, that
sep must be taken by some public au-
rhoritv. Many appeals have been
made to me to intervene. Every day
.f DELAY adds to the load of trouble.
Accordingly. | have called you to-
rether to propose a specific plan upon
CONTINUED on Page 3. Column B.