El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-11-13
HOPE To REACH
AN AGREEMENT
Long Standing Discomfort
in Coal Fields May
be Ended.

shortage. he would not be earning the
$50 a week which rough multiple
cation by the average individual
might seem 10 be netting him
H. c. OF L. Figures
Third-The miners we're given their
Harry Garfield, fuel administrator.
said they needed II to meet the cost
Of living That was more than
year ago. and the cost Of living has
increased But here the government
steps n TO say that II cannot Increase
cost OF living rather than increase in
wages The situation with respect TO
the coal miners is in this respect the
same as the railroad men who have
been held in check by the govern
menrs promise TO reduce the cost OF
Fourth-The coal miners saw the
fuel administration come TO an end
they saw operators abolishing work
inemen's committees. they saw the
ntional war labor board ssolVed.
they saw the Industrial conference in
Washington and other steps between
capital and labor. all proceeding on
the theory that the war had ended
They saw the price OF coal 90 up TO
the consumer beyond the maximum
price fixed by the coal adminisira-
tlon and thew saw the war end so far
restrictions as to their dlstri button
and price being revoked, and they
t1ar-erore insisted that fhe war was
ended so FAR as coal miners were con
cerned TOO And they sought rev
contracts Now the fuel adminlsr-a-
ton has been revived and maxim I'm
price for coal Is fixed
The Wilson administration VIII
always be blamed By the ullnern
for removing restrictions that nf-
fected coaI operators AID then In
sf=ftu- thar ~. ff-Vrr To- urI
wartime conditions were still in
effect But that - past now The
miners reluctantly reNcinded the
strike order and obeyed the in
junction OF federal e0urf- Vow
they are wondering whether the
same hand that compelled them
to obey the mandates OF justice
on the one hand VIII euahle them
To get q new wage contract the
nnomsS-t the government does de-
eide thai the war O. officially at
IN end.
The department Of Justice has asked
for an extension Of the Lever Law
Possibly q the government con-
tinues its regulation Of the price Of
coal, a sem biance Of war time conci-
tons viii be maintained sufficiently
at any rate 70 impress the coal miner
that the WashhingtOn administrator
81
CoufIdeS~e In Wilson
Fortunately the government nau
available a man like william 3. Wiz
son. secretary OF labor. who VIII pre-
side at the conference He has the
confidence Of both sides. He won his
for fairness when as
walking delegate years ago IN the
coal fields Of Pennsylvania. he nego-
tiated agreements on behalf OF the
miners He knows the coal contro- /
versv from a" 70 z" and his early /
= ffiIiations not only viii not prevent I
him from seeing both sides fairly oul I
will enable him to urge upon his for !
mel. associates the acceptance OF con I
cit ons that seem 70 him reasonable Z
and just
To all interests and purposes secre-
tarv Wilson represents the whole gov
eminent for president Wilson im- i
poses faith in his judgment and anl- I
itv The skin Of secretary wilson {
who has been a factor IN many dts
uutes which the public hears very /
little about because they are local OF +
sectional. viii be tested 10 the utmost 4
when the miners and operators get Z
toeether on Friday.
But the government Is deterIllllle'i
that there shall be a settlement ana .
that all the moral force al its com 4
maud shall be used % make operators .
and miners see that both must agree
20 remove the causes OF perennial
friction and discomfort IN the. coal
fields OF America--Copyrig 1873
The FL Paso Herald