The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-11-24
COAL PRICES
PASSED To
ALL OF US?
Garfield to Recommend What
Portion of Increases Shall
be Borne by Public Con-
ference Continues.
famine IS NEARING
(By Associated Pre.s)

(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON. Nov. 24.-Operators
and miners Of the central competitive
bftuminous coal field. marked time to-
day in their negotiations for a new
wage scale. while awaiting a decision
by fuel administrator Garfield as to
what portion Of any wage advance
should be passed on to the public.
When the wage scale committees
met this morning the operators OBJ
tanned an adjournment until tomor-
row. at which time they expect d..
Garfield will be prepared to make =
statement based on further investiga-
tion Of facts connected with the coal
industry.
TWO separate proposals are before
the committees. One is the offer Of
the operators for an increase Of 20 per
cent per day, and Is cents a ton for
mining. and the other Is the demand
Of the miners for a wage increase OF
40 per cent and z hour day.
Operators have challenged sharply
the correctness Of Secretary Wilson;
compromise suggestion for a 81 per
cent advance in wages as necessary tn
meet cost of living conditions. How
ever. the miners have accepted It pro-
vided their working day cen be Short
ened to seven hours instead Of eighs.
the present standard.
CHICAGO. Nov "a. - Industrial
plants all over the middle west contin-
ued to close down today, fuel supplies
to public utilities were curtaield fu--
ther and regional coal committees ad.
vised individuals to save coal as the
nation wide strike Of bituminous min
ers entered its 18th day.
The only large producing center re-
porting an improvement during the
last "a hours was West Virginia where
the output in the non-union fields Of
| the southern part of the state was
said by the operators to be normal.
The operators also asserted that ad-
ditional organized mines in the New
River and Kanawha districts in that
state were expected to open today.
In the great bituminous fields of
Pennsylvania. Ohio, Indiana and H.
linois. the miners apparently were de-
termined to remain idle until a set
| tlement of the controversy over wages
and hours is reached by the confer
officials of the United Mine Workers
of America.
indianapolis, manufacturers have
agreed to close their factories three
days a week. beginning today. until
| the coal shortage is relieved. In Chi
caeo heat was shut off in street cars.
Five hundred Virginia state troops
today reached ST. Charles. a mining
| town near the Virginia Kentucky bor-
der. where it was reported radicals
had threatened to shoot any OF the
striking miners who attempted to re-
turn to work.
RICHMOND. Va, Nov. 24.-No fur
ther trouble at St. Charles, small
mining town near the kentucky bor-
der. had been reported at the execu
tive offices here today. Governor
Davis was expected to reach the town
some time today to take personal
charge of the 500 militiamen who were
ordered there following appeals from
local coal miners for protection
against redicals. who, they said, had
| mounted high-powered guns on the
hills commanding the entrance to the
mines. and had opened fire on those
miners who had attempted to enter
the shafts to resume work. The rad
icals also were said to have declared
their intention of dynamiting the
mines, should operations be resumed.
and the little town was reported to
| be an armed camp with the possibility
of serious trouble at any minute.
Governor Davis expected to make
personal appeal to the strikers to
return to work. Should this fail the
| troops were expected to take control
over the community. AS several of
the mines extend under the state line
into Kentucky. where there also are
entrances, troops from that state
probably will be called out to assist,
| it was said.