Evening star., 1935-09-15
COAL PEACE FAILS,
but STRIKES CALL
is DELAYED WEEK
Present Wage and Hour
Contract Extended to
Next Sunday.
ROOSEVELT CONSULTED
AS PARLEYS COLLAPSE
Each Side Makes Concessions and
Negotiations Start Afresh
at 2 p m. Today.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Appalachian soft coal operators
and the United Mine Workers agreed
shortly after midnight this morning to
extend their present wage and hour
contract until next Sunday midnight,
thus averting a threatened strike in
nearly every soft coal field in the
country.
Edward F. McGrady. the Labor De-
partment's ace labor trouble shooter.
arranged the compromise agreement
after negotiations toward a new con-
tract broke down late yesterday. The
present contract expires tonight at
midnight.
The truce, the fifth in the past six
months. was agreed to after telephone
communications with President Roose-
velts Hyde Park, N. Y, home. 1t
was understood, however. that Presi-
dent Roosevelt took no personal hand
in the negotiations but left the parleys
to an assistant.
The miners gave up their demand
for a retroactive wage clause in any
extension agreement The producers
gave up their proposal for two
week extension of the present con-
tract. Negotiations toward a new
contract were to be resumed at 2 pm.
today. with McGrady sitting in as
the Presidents representative.
Union Leaders Bitter.
Union officials, one after another.
berated the producers for turning
down the 15-day extension plan with
retroactive clause proposed by the
union and McGrady as spokesman for
the President.
The operators sat silent.
in effect, you are sitting there
saying to hell with you, Mr.. Presi-
dent" said G. w. Savage, secretary
of the miners Ohio district.
You are placing yourselves In the
same position as the Communists
defying the Government Of the United
States"
Negotiations toward q new wage
contract broke down completely yes
terday morning when McGrady
stepped into the conference room.
The United Mine Workers had ex-
pressed themselves as willing to keep
the mines working for IS days more
while negotiations continued II the
producers would make any pay in
crease retroactive. The operators re-
fused.
Surely to God we're not going to
allow this industrial warfare to take
place because of a retroactive clause"
McGrady shouted.
Says Coal "Only Bad Spot"
He told the conference he was with
President Roosevelt all day Friday
discussing industrial relations and
that the soft-coal situation was the
only bad spot on the map.
He doesn't want any stoppage of
work-and he's your friend, every one
of you in the industry" McGrady
said.
After McGrady had made this plea,
the union again proposed two-weeks'
extension with a retroactive clause.
Of the new agreement provided for
wage increases, the miners would get
the increased wages for the Is days
of the extension)
The producers did not accept i'm
mediately. but went into a conference
with McGrady and James F. Dewey,
Labor Department conciliator, who has
been following the negotiations.
McGrady's plea put an end TO a
series of strike speeches by United
Mine Workers leaders.
We've been taking it on the jaw
long enough" said Patrick Fagen, pres
ident of the Pittsburgh district.
IF we have to get into an industrial
dispute. we're going to get our pound
of flesh.
Every reasonable effort has been
used to prevent shutdown. The
operators no every proposal.
Were not going to fight only for