Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-12-17
,: L00pH0L.I E FOR MORE THAI
 14 PER CE:H
Operators Thinks Wilson ' posai Will Give Miners
 Doubled Amount
NAMES COMMISSION
 LATE IN THE WE
Fngineer for Fuel Administral Tells Difference Between Sed
 retary Wilson's Plan and
 That of Garfield

Washington, Dec. 16.--The Al ate coal investigation comN| tee, resuming today it's inqulrW to the administration strike x clement agreement, was told # Tracy w. Guthrie, president K the iIillman Coal and Coke d pany, that one clause in PreslN Wilson's proposition would "ba about an increase in the mlrE wages at least doubling the l4N cent which Dr, H. A. Garfield$ signed fuel administrator, thoq| justified.' X
 While the senate committee pursuing it's inquiry, the rail- administration withdrew the semblances of the restrictions fuel and began delivering cod original consignees instead of tributing it to points of grJ est need. It rescinded the 7 bargo on fuel oil being shlT3 cast of St. Louis and the or reducing the amount of coal mitted to go to coke ovens.
 At the white house today 1t said that President Wilson WI not appoint the commission vided in the strike settlement pcsal until Attorney General mer returns to Washington this week.
 The senatorial inquiry was opened with the calling of RI Norris. engineer for the fuel ministration, who was condu1 by Senator Frelinghuysen, \ Jersey, chairman of the comI tee and Senator Townsend, Mi gan, thru a maze of statls bearing on labor costs and pr of necessities.
 Secretary of Labor Wilson posed that the miners be given increase of 31.67 per cent"
 Norris explained, "because he ed his calculations on the
 paid miners. In 1917, when coal mine wages were readjus the pick miners were getting
 greatest amount, and the SC were balanced up by giving | 8 lesser increase than other cl es of labor around the mines.
 was necessary in order to int
 men to do the other work.
 "Dr. Garfield decided that a
 ticular wage group ought moi
 serve now as a basis for calc
 tions, and took the average V
 of all workers. After arri'
 at that, he found that an addi of living since the last adjustm
 were made.
 Many Holidays. "Mr. Guthrie was called to sent actual facts from pay , upon wages" About 20 per cent of mn , are idle all the time, accordln , our experience with 23 mines, told the committee. "That is have to have 120 names on pay roll in order to get 100 on the job as a constant fa
 Miners like to celebrate all Al
 ican holidays and a lot of foI
 ones. Then they have MI!
 day. on April 1, in honor of
 late John Mitchell. They
 rabbit day on November 7 when everybody adjourns to s
 rabbit"
 From mine accounts, he F the record of one miner wh , 187 days of the present year, { ed S3,O70 or an average of s per day. He pair SIP rent
 company house. during the p. [ and his fuel bill was $5. ( < records furnished showed carr , during the first nine month ) 1919 ranging from $1 400 to 5 100, for pick and machine mi r Senator Wolcott, democrat, 9 Maryland inquired as to wh' l an actual settlement of the
 strike had yet been attainee : "You, as an operator, g think you are bound by an al
 ment made at Indianapolis r
 senator asked.
 "No, I don't," Guthrie replie
 "That's right" Senator W. ! said. "There has been no
 ceptance of the agreement | . Nor is there any power in the z ernment to set up a commi z which will fix wages and pric r |, coal. It can be merely advis Chairman Frelinghuysen, ', adjournment of the session, ,r there would be more hear :, , but it did not fix a date for . n0~n nnn N TN :.