Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-07
GARF|ELD WON'T
PERMIT RAISE
IN COAL PRICE
Fuel Head Says He's "SiCk
And Tired Of Proposals to
Make People Bear Ad-
ditionaI Burdens"

Washington, Dec. o.-The coal
strike cannot be compromised with
the conslnt of the federal govern
ment in any fashion that will mean
an advance in the price of coal
!, to the public, Fuel Administrator
I. Garfield announced Saturday.
Declaring himself sick and tired
of the proposals to make the people
bear additional burdens" DR.. Gar
field said the Fuel administration
alone had the authority to increase
coal prices necessary to pay wage
advances in excess of the II per
cent proposed by the government.
So long as he was fuel administra.
tor he said, no advance in the price
to the consumer for this purpose
would be allowed. ...
THE cabinet stands back of me
! on the principle involved" DR..
Garfield said, though l am re-
sponsible for the presentation of the
facts which moved their decision"
Compr omise Proposals.
The Fuel administrations state
ment was made after day spent
in hearing compromise proposals
from delegations of business men
and others from various parts of
the country. Using the most EN-
phatic language, DR.. Garfield left
no doubt that he regarded COM
promise proposals as monkey
wrench" thrown into machinery,
which he belives will operate to
adjust the situation with justice
both to the public and the mine
workers.
The position OF the government
is that no wage advance in excess
of Ia per cent is possible under
the price of $2.3S ton, mine run,
fixed on coal by the fuel administra-
tor. At the same; time it was pointed
out that the government had no
authority to fix wages and that no
objection could be interposed if
operators, favorably Situated, agreed
to pay more than IA per cent adj
vance from their own profit with
out charging the increase to the
public. 1t is not the opinion of
the Fuel administration, however,
that enough mines to supply the
country with coal can be operated
on this basis.
Production on Increase.
Discussing restrictions in the use
of coal, Dr. Garfield said that local
differences in the severity of the
application of the curtailment orders
soon would disappear under meas
ures now being taken by the Rail-
road administration which is acting
assthe Fuel administrations agent
in distributing coal He said furth-
err that the production of coal
had increased every day this week
and indicated his belief that major
ity Of miners would sooner or later
accept the settlement basis which
the union leaders have rejected.
Another step was taken by the
Fuel administration to restrict coal
consumption by resuming the fixed
prices on coke established d,ieing
the, war. Distribution of coke al
SO will be regulated. Gas coke.
however, will not be affected.
Prosecute Oil Men.
Attorney General Palmer con-
ferred with President Wilson on the
general coal situation and took steps
to prosecute oil producers in the
west who are charged in complaint
made by Senator Capper of Kansas
with increasing the price of oil from
81 to $3.50 barrel since the coal
strike began.
The railroad administration an
nounced an embargo on oil, effective
Monday, which is designed to make
available full supply for indus
tries in the west and thus make it
necessary to haul less coal to that
section from the east. Factories in
the east using oil may obtain their
supply as heretofore through a per-
init system and shipments in transit
ORION order will not be affected.
Officials Optimistic.
Reports on coal production served |
to increase THE optimism of officials |
handling the fuel situation. Add |
tional mines were said to BE in op-
Grafton now and production was
steadily increasing. though it con-
tinues less than half of normal.
Figures made public by the geo.
logical survey showed that despite
the Thanksgiving day 1ayoff, miners
remaining at. work since the strike !
began produced $4,000 tons of |
coal during the week ended Novem-
Der %. This was about As per cent
of normal and per cent greater
than the output the week before.
Total production from the begin
ming of the strike on November l to
the end of Novemberfwas placed at
18,S15,000 tons, compared with &c. !
10000 tons in October, or about |
SO l-3 per cent.
Charges of the American Whole
sale Coal Dealers association that
the railroad administration was re-
fusing to pay for coal conhscated or
diverted we're denied at administra
ton headquarters Officials there
said there had been some delay in
payments, but that this had
been obviated by the plan OF arrang
ing credits through the federal re-
serve banks.
Coal Shortage Is Blamed. |
! For Crime Wave In Chicago