Markle's Conference

The anthracite mining strike last week passed its fourth month. The 158,000 miners are estimated to have lost more than $100,000,000 in pay. The operators have lost four months' operating profits. Last summer the operators and miners tried to come to an agreement; the negotiations failed and were broken off before Sept. 1, when the strike began.

Although outsiders made efforts to effect an agreement, the operators and miners did not meet again in conference to settle the strike until last week. Then on the call of Alvan Markle, Chairman of the joint negotiators for miners and operators, the representatives of the two factions met face to face once more.

In the Union League Club in Manhattan, the staid rendezvous of successful business men, who look out with satisfaction on Fifth Ave. traffic coming up the hill from the south and going on to 42nd St., three blocks away, miners and operators met again after four months.

Mr. Markle told them why he had called them together again. He had a plan for their consideration:

1) That the miners go to work at their previous wages to Sept. 1, 1926.

2) That there be an agreement to have no strikes for ten years after that date.

3) That a fact-finding committee be appointed consisting of nine members--three miners, three operators and three representatives of the public appointed by President Coolidge.

4) That the three representatives of the public shall employ certified public accountants to go over the books of the operators to determine what wages may justly be paid, and then to make public a report.

5) That, on the basis of this report, the three representatives of the miners and three operators shall in June of every year, set out to determine wages, working conditions, etc., for the year beginning the September following.

6) That if the three miners and three operators do not agree within 60 days, then the three representatives of the public shall be allowed to vote, and the majority of the entire nine members shall decide disputed points.

7) That if in any year an agreement has not been made by Sept. 1, operations shall continue uninterrupted, and any subsequent agreement shall be retroactive.

This proposal was hardly off the tip of Mr. Markle's tongue when argument began. The operators were generally favorable to the plan although it required opening their books.

The miners were favorable on most of the points, but declared that in its main features the plan was arbitration and they remain resolutely opposed to arbitration in any form. The miners put forward the plan offered by Governor Pinchot (TIME, Dec. 7); to this the operators were as strongly opposed because it granted the "check-off."

For two days the debate was fierce, and little was accomplished except agreement on some minor points. On the second day the debate was so bitter that it was not until late in the evening that the two sides were able to agree even on the usual statement of what had taken place (the meetings are secret).

The miners had offered to make a two and one-half or a five year contract on definite terms, but would not hear of arbitration. The operators were equally intent on securing an arrangement under which there would be no strikes for a long period--as near a permanent settlement as possible, with automatic means of adjustment as conditions changed.

Neither side would yield a point. At the end of the two days almost no ground had been gained. A four days' adjournment was taken, the meeting to continue.

In Washington there was little hope of a prompt settlement, but some hope of settlement within a month, In Wall Street coal stocks rose--indicating that a resumption of operations was expected. Rumors began to circulate that if the present negotiations failed, some of the operators would attempt to open their mines on a non-union basis.