Strike's Progress

For the third time since the calling of the miners' strike on Sept. 1, negotiations for a new wage contract in the anthracite industry failed. There was only one meeting last week and then an adjournment. The operators made two final proposals:

1) For a conciliation board of three miners and three operators to write an agreement, and if that board deadlocks to have Charles Evans Hughes (formerly a lawyer of the miners) make a finding binding on both sides.

2) For resumption of work at the old wages until April, 1927, to be followed without cessation of work by a new wage agreement lasting till Sept., 1930, wages being fixed by a conciliation board and an umpire.

Both these proposals were rejected by the miners, who made a counter proposal to modify the second offer by providing for a conciliation board without an umpire to fix the wages for 1927-30. The operators rejected this offer on the grounds that without an umpire the Board might deadlock.

Chairman Alvan Markle of the joint conference brought out a U. S. flag and waved it, counseling both sides to make peace for the sake of the country. Instead they voted to adjourn the negotiations subject to call by Mr. Markle or by either side.

Then both sides issued statements.

John L. Lewis, leader of the miners: "Each of the several propositions of the operators, including those of today, required an acceptance of the principle of arbitration as a condition precedent to the making of a wage agreement for any length of time.

"We cannot now and will not later accept compulsory arbitration. We do not propose to barter away for a mess of pottage the inherent and individual rights of the anthracite workers. Our people are anxious to work, but not at the price of their freedom and manhood."

W. W. Inglis, leader of the operators: "Not only our own ingenuity but the thought of scores of earnest men have been devoted in recent weeks to devising some formula that would meet Mr. Lewis' demands. We thought we had done this in the proposals submitted today. Many others outside of the industry have made the same attempt, only to encounter the same objection on Mr. Lewis' part to anything that limits his power to bring about deadlocks, call strikes and then take the position that they shall be ended only on his own terms, without regard to reason or justice."

Then both sides retired from Philadelphia, the scene of negotiations, and reopened their "propaganda works." The mine leaders arranged mass meetings to strengthen the morale of their followers. The operators turned to print and ink to try to induce the miners to repudiate their leaders.

As for the public, in eastern, anthracite-using states there was a certain degree of coal shortage, but nothing very grave because of the influx of substitutes for anthracite. Tha most suffering was in Pennsylvania, in the coal mining regions, where not only the miners are suffering for lack of necessities but whole communities are in the grip of depression, merchants being in sad straits because of lost purchasers, and banks having to tighten their credit arrangements.

As for the prospect of immediate settlement it rested on two frail hopes, action by the Pennsylvania Government and action by the Federal Government. In Pennsylvania, Governor Pinchot is faced by a legislature which is in good part hostile to him, depriving him of most power except that of persuasion. In Washington, the President has no power but that of persuasion, which he declines to exercise, for most observers are aware that at present persuasion would be futile. In Congress, Democrats made numerous attempts to force the President to act, thinking no doubt that any attempt to do so would bring the wrath of one party or another down upon him. In the Senate, Dr. Copeland, Democrat from New York, called up a resolution last week asking the President to use his good offices, but by vote of 48 to 28 it was denied consideration.

A second time Senator Copeland asked consideration for his measure and again it was denied, by vote of 43 to 38.

Miners and operators have announced their intention of fighting to the finish. There is no one, except the Pennsylvania legislature or Congress, that can actually force them to stop. And from a political standpoint interference is crammed with dangers. It looked last week as if the parties directly concerned would have opportunity for their finish fight, with themselves and Pennsylvania as the chief sufferers.