Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-07
GARFIELD NOT To
ALLOW PUBLIC To
BEAR THE burden
Compromise Proposals by
Which People Would Have
to Stand Another Advance
Are Sternly Rejected.
rsy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED vnsri

Washington, Dec. 6.-Fuel Admin
istrator Garfield today flatly rejected
all efforts to compromise the present
coal strike on a basis which would
mean an increase of the price of coal
to consumers.
The cabinet stands back of me on
the principle involved" DR.. Garfield
declared. though / am responsible for
the presentation of facts which moved
their decision. l am sick and tired
of proposals to make the people bear
additional burdens"
The administrator declared the fuel
administration alone had authority to
increase coal prices necessary to pay
wage advances in excess of the A per
cent proposed by the government SO
long as he was fuel administrator, he
said no advance in the price to the
consumer for this purpose would be
allowed.
The fuel administration statement
was made after a day spent in hearing
compromise proposals from delega-
tions of business men and others from
various parts of the country. Using
the most emphatic language. DR.. Gar
field left no doubt that he regarded
compromise proposals as a monkey
"ltlCH lnlOWH lnlO Tie IlldIAlllGlS
which he believes willroperate to ad-
just the situation with justice both to
the public and the mine workers
Position of Government.
The position of the government is
that no wage advance in excess of l4I
per cent is possible under the price of
$2.25 per ton mine run, fixed on coal
by the fuel administrator. At the same
time it was pointed out that the gov
ernment had no authority to fix wages
and that no objection could be inter-
posed if operators fagorably sit
uated agreed to pay more than
the IA per cent advance from
their own profit without charging the
increase to the public. 1t is not the
opinion in the fuel administration,
however, that enough mines to supply
the country with coal can be operated
on this basis.
Discussing restrictions imposed in
the use of coal, DR.. Garfield said to-
night that local differences in the Sc
verify of the application of the curtail-
ment orders soon would disappear un-
der measures now being taken by the
railroad administration, which is act |
ing as the fuel administrations agent |
in distributing coal. He said further /
that the production of coal had in |
creased every day this week and indi- |
Gated his belief that a majority of
miners would sooner or later accept |
the settlement basis which the union
leaders have rejected.
Another step was taken today by the
fuel administrator to restrict coal con-
sumption by resuminS the prices
fixed Oh coke established during the
war Distribution of coke also will be
regulated. Gas coke, however, will not
be affected.
Profiteering Oil Men.
Attorney General Palmer today con-
ferred with President Wilson on the
general situation and took steps to
prosecute oil producers in the west
who are charged in a complaint made
by Senator Capper of Kansas, with
increasing the price of oil from 81 to
$3.50 a barrel since the coal strike.
The railroad administration an
nounced an embargo on OIL effective
Monday, which is designed to make
available full supply for in
dustries in the west and thus
make it necessary to haul less
coal to that section from the east. Fac
tories in the east using oil may obtain
their supply as heretofore through a
permit system and shipments in tram
sit or on order will not be affected
Reports on coal production served
to increase the optimism of officials
handling the fuel situation. Addition
al mines are said to be in operation
now and production was steadily in
creasng, though it continues less than
half of normal.
Forty-five Per Cent of Normal.
Figures made public today by the
geological survey showed that despite
the Thanksgiving Gay lay-off miners
remaining at work since the strike
began produced 5,429000 tons during
the week ended November 20. This
was about IS per cent of normal and l
per cent greater than the output the
week before. II
Total production from the beginning !
of the strike on November l to the
end of November was placed at 49,
1000 tons, compared with 56,27O,-
900 tons in october or about 93 1-3
per cent.
Charges of the American Wholesale !
Coal Dealers association that the rail-
road administration was refusing pay
for coal confiscated OK diverted, We're
denied at administration headquarters.
Officials there said there had been :
some delay in making payments, but
that this had been obviated by the
plan of arranging credits through the i
federal reserve banks.