Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-12-26
ATTORNEY GENERAL
SCORES OPERATORS
Palmer Says Their Statement Is
the Merest bubble.
AGREED TO PLAN, HE ASSERTS
Statements Are cf:ed in an Effort to
Show THAT the Mine Owners
cIamored for Arbitration From
the Outset.

ment scoring the coal operators
for denying that shey had agreed to
accept the presidents Elan for adjust
ing the coal strike troubles
| The attorney general said that the
operators statement is "the merest
bubble" and unworthy of the repre-
sentatives Of great industry" Con-
tradicting the operators, he asserts
that the memorandum signed by him
self and acting President Lewis, Of
the miners, did not change the presi-
dents proposal.
THE operators remained absolutely
silent Until after the men were back
In the mines," said Attorney Gener-
al Palmer. "Then for the first time
they began to object"
opersts-s Must Keep Faith
| The attorney general declared that
the government expects the operators
to keep faith and that if necessary.
means will be taken accordingly, and
that the commission will proceed with
| its work. His statement follows:
THE statement of the executive
L VI &Odl JpCA0lOAos III WA4Nh
they deny that they agreed to accept
the presidents plan for adjustment Of
the differences between the miners
and operators, is the merest bubble
and quite unworthy of the representa-
tives OF a great industry. / cannot
beneve that the scale committee of
he opera TORS, which / understand viii
meet in Cleveland, will stand for any
such reputation of the position
which their representatives have re-
peatedly taken.
"On october 10. in letter to the
secretary Of labor, which was sub
mitted to the joint conference Of min
ers and operators, the president pro-
posed to refer the matters in dispute
20 a board of arbitration for de-
cision. In public statement the OPP
orators accepted this proposal using
the following words:
1.-THE operators recognized
! President Wilson's letter as
coiH.aaad from the chief execu-
tive of the naticss. This command !.
itself provides, as the main Oh
sdetive. for continuous operation
OF the mines during negotiations
or arbitration, the first and most
important point for which the OPP
orators have contended at all
times. Under the circumstances
the operators decided that there
was no proper course but to 90
I cept the presidents PROPOSE
without reservations and thereup-
on informed the secretary of la
Dor of their acceptance
svThe miners rejected the proposal.
"On October %. the president is
sued statement in which he repeat
ed his willingness to appoint "a tri-
bunal to Investigate all the facts with
a view TO aiding in the earliest pos
sible orderly settlement of the ques-
tions at issue between the coal oper-
ators and the coal miners This pro-
posal also the operators promptly ac-
\ copied while the miners rejected.
"In the presidents statement dated
December 8, he repeated his willing
ness to appoint such a tribunal to
make further inquiries into this
whole matter and to review not only
/ the reasonableness of the wages at
which the miners start to work bur
1 also the reasenablenesss of the gov
eminent prices for COAL and said that
this plan assured to the miners
| prompt investigation and action upon
matters which are not settled to their
j satisfaction This also the operators
promptly accepted and the miners fin
ally accepted it also.
ain addition to that the operators
at joint conferences with the miners
had repeatedly offered arbitration of
the matters in dispute. offering
amongst other plans. commission to
be appointed by the president. which
the miners had rejected Thus the OPP
orators pledged themselves repeated
| ~ by agreeing to the presidents pro-
/ posals TO submit to arbitration the
matters in dispute and the questions
at issue The memorandum which
was prepared by me and submitted
to the miners conference at Indian
apoiis did not change the presidents
proposal, thus repeatedly accepted By
the operators, in the slightest partieu-
lar. Its reference TO the matters In
dispute and the questions at issue was
in plain harmony with the language
Of the presidents proposal. II re-
eeived ~, unqualified approvar of
MIR brewster, who had been the chief
Spokesman of the operators up to that
time
1.-THE fact is that the operators from
the beginning have been clamoring for
arbitration. More than that. they re-
peatedly stated their perfect willing
ness to go along with the government
in any plan that the president sug-
gested. Their allegation now that
they were not consulted about thS form
of the memorandum. which was sub
mitted to the miners conference, is