The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-10

paying as high prices for coal as it ought to he required to pay, and' that any wage increase made nt this time ought to come out Of the profits of the coal operators
 ''in reaching this conclusion the fuel administrator Nxpreased the personal opinion that the fl per cent increase in all mine wages is reasonable, because it would equal ize the miners wages on the aver age with the cost of living, but he made it perfectly clear that the operators and miners are at liberty to agree upon larger increase provided the operators will pay it out of their profits, so that the price of coal would remain the same.
 "fhe Secretnry of Labor in an effort at consolidation between the parties, expressed his personal opinion in favor of larger in- crease. His effort at coneiIiation failed, however, because the coal operators were unwilling to pay the scale he proposed, unless the government would advance the pr1ce fof coal to the public, and this the government was unwilling to do.
 FAVORS TRIBUNAL
 "'The fuel administra tor had also suggested that tribunal be ere- ated in which the miners and Op- orators would be equally repre- Sputed fo anpufao. ticns of wages and working con- dltiOns, as well as profits of Opcr- ators and proper prices for coal. I shall, of course, be glad to aid in the formation of such a tribunal.
 '''I understand the operators have generally agreed to absorb an in- crease of n per cent in wages so that the public would pay not to exceed the present price fixed by the fuel administrator, and thus a way is opened to secure the conI of which the people stand in need, if the miners will resume work on these terms tpending a thorough investigation by an impartial conn mission, which may readjust these wages and prices). N
 By the acceptance of such a plan the miners are assured imme- diate steady employment at n sub .Stantial increase in wages and a further assured prompt investiga- tion and action upon questions which arc not now settled to their satisfaction. l must believe that with q clear understanding of these points, they will promptly return to work. If, nevertheless they persist in remaining on strike. they will put themselves in an attitude of striking in order to force the government to increase the price of coal to the public. so as to give a still further increase in wages at this time, rather than allow the question of further increase in wages to be dealt with in an or derly manner by fairly consti- tutcd tribunal. representing all parties interested.
 POSITION NOT JUSTIFIED
 ''NO group of our people can jus tify such a position, and the miners owe it to themselves, their families, their fellow workmeD in other i'm dustries nnd to their country fo return to work. aa
 'iinmediateiyf upon general re- sumption of mining, | shall be glad 10 af0 m the prompt formation Of such n tribunal as | have indicated to make further inquiries into this whole matter, and to review not only the reasOnnbicness of the wages at which the miners start to work, hut also the reas0nableness of the government prices for coal. Such a tribunal should within 60 days make it's report. which could be used HS a basis for negotiation for wage agreement. must make 1t clear, however, that the government cannot give its aid to any such further investigation until there is q general resump- ton of work.
 Il ask every. individual miner to give his personal thought to what say. I hope he understands fully that he will he hurting his own i'm terest, and the interest of his fam lily. and will be throwing countless other laboring men out of employ ment if he shall continue the pres ent strike, and further that he will create an unnecessary md unfor- tunate prejudice against organized labor. which will be injurious to the best interests of worlSingmen