Evening star., 1933-09-16
Several Knotty Problems to
Be Solved Before Big
Operators Sign.
O. K. is EXPECTED TO END
PENNSYLVANIA STRIKE
Roosevelt Cancels Week End Plans
and Vetoes Change in Labor
Provisions.
By the Associated Press.


ministrator Hugh S. johnson expected
within a few hours today final agree
ment by all factions of the bituminous
coal industry to binding code Of COM
| petition.
Representatives of the many scat
tered mining groups began signing the
compact this morning. Although one
OF two knotty questions remained to be
solved before the big Appalachian group
of operators was ready to sign, the off,
cials were informed no extended delay
was likely and that the weeks of tedious
negotiations which repeatedly came
close to breakdown were at an end
at last.
The question of wages in the South
ern field, where pay is based on meas
urement rather than weight of coal
mined, was described at the White
House as the main outstanding issue.
1t was being dealt with in conference
between the operators and the heads Of
the United Mine Workers, who were
completing contracts for union opera
ton Of these hitherto unorganized
mines. Approval Of these contracts was
due before the final signatures were
affixed on the code itself.
Western Operators Sign.
First operators to sign the agreement
were from the smaller mining areas,
| principally in the West. Spokesman for
the big North and South Appalachian
groups producing, between them, 10 per
cent of the country's soft coal, suggested
the administration send the official copy
of the compact to their hotel for sig
nature Immediately the last issues were
disposed of, Dut officials were seeking
to have the final step taken with cere-
mony in Johnson's office.
johnson and his assistants frankly
were delighted with developments of
| the agreement which saved the Govern
ment from having to attempt imposing
code upon the industry against the
consent of important groups. Such
step had been regarded as inevitable If
| the operators found themselves unable
to agree to terms which the administra-
tion could accept.
The full text of the code was put on
paper last night, with the approval of
the industry's committee of 18 leading
| producers. President Roosevelt's de-
sire to have the charter ready for sig
nature last night was blocked when
three-hour meeting proved insufficient
to obtain the Endorsement Of the indi-
vidual operators and coal associations
represented on the committee.
Expected to End Strike.
Final approval will close more than
two months of negotiations and was
expected by the administration to end
the strike of Western Pennsylvania
| miners who walked out in protest
against delayed wage increases.
President Roosevelt Cancelled week
end plans to await the bituminous coal
agreement He also vetoed a statement
agreed on by N. R. AS Labor and In
| dustrial Advisory Boards seeking to
interpret labor's collective bargaining
guarantee in the recovery law.
Mr.. Roosevelt was represented as
believing the laws language permit
ting employees to choose their own rep
resentatives was clear and fair and
that any further attempt at interpreta-
tion would only complicate the existing
situation between labor and industry.
Prominent in the N. R. A. picture
was Secretary Perkins estimate that
$50, 900 workers returned to jobs in the
month ended August Is and that pay
rolls In 80 OF the major manufacturing
industries increased s12,OO0,0O0.
Other Codes Delayed.
Numerous other code negotiations in
progress at recovery headquarters vir-
tually marked time as officials concen-
trated on putting a coal agreement
before President Roosevelt.
When the soft Goals committee of
18 approved the code draft last night,
johnson issued a statement which he
said was authorized by the President.
It said:
After all day conferences, a bitum-
lnouS coal code agreeable to the con-
ference representatives has been ap-
proved for recommendation to the group
of individual operators and associations
of producers to whom copies have just
been relayed.
They are now under consideration
for action at the Shoreham Hotel. The
confereeS represent very large ma
jority of the national tonnage"
Three hours later, the hotel meeting
recessed without final action. John
son was present and told news men not
much more time was needed to get the
code to the President.
40-Hour Week Provided.
The code, as finally written by the
operators, provided for a 40-hour max
imum work week and minimum pay
scale ranging from $3.50 in Montana
to $3.75 for Southwestern States. Ala
bama and Western Kentucky, which
have demanded even lower rates, are to
continue negotiations with the admin
istration. The rates were for skilled
underground labor. Other wages are
to be adjusted proportionately.
The extended struggle Of Appalach-
ian operators for inclusion of clause
which would guarantee the open-shop
at their mines was reflected in the ad-
dition of N. r. AS "clarif1cation"
statement to the collective bargaining
language put in every code.
In that statement johnson and DON
aid Richberg, the administrators gen.
eral counsel, said in part that employ
ers "can make collective bargains with
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