Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-12-30
ATTORNEY GENET RAJ
SCORES OPERATORS.
Palmer Says Their Statement Is
the Merest bubble.
AGREED TO PLAN, HE ASSERTS
Statements Are Cited In an Effort to
Show That the Mine Owners
CIamored for Arbitration From
the Outset.


General Palmer has issued state
ment scoring the coal operators
for denying that they had agreed to
accept the presidents plan 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 a 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"
Operators 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
it's work. His statement follows:
"The statement of the executive
committee of coal operators, in which
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
believe that the scale committee of
the operators, which 1 understand will
meet in Cleveland, will stand for any
such Reputation of the position
which their representatives have re-
peatedly taken.
"On October Is, in letter to the
secretary of labor, which was SUBJ
mitted/to the joint conference Of min
ers and operators, the president pro-
posed to refer the matters in dispute
to 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
command from the chief execu-
tive of the nation. This command
itself provides, as the main OBJ
jective, 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 &C
cept the presidents proposal
without reservations and thereup-
on Informed the secretary of la
Dor of their acceptance
'The miners rejected the proposal.
"On October 25. the president is
ed his willingness to appoint "a tri-
bunal to investigate all the facts with
view to aiding in the earliest pos
sible orderly settlement of the ques-
tons at issue between the coal oper-
ators and the coal miners This pro-
posal also the operators promptly &C
copied while the miners rejected.
"In the presidents statement dated
December 6, he repeated his willing
ness to appoint such 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 but
also the reasonableness 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
satisfaction This also the operators
promptly accepted and the miners fin
ally accepted 1t also.
'In 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-
matters in dispute and the questions
at issue The memorandum which
was prepared by me and submitted
to the. miners conference at Indian
apolis did not change the presidents
proposal. thus repeatedly accepted by
the operators. in the slightest particu-
lar. Its reference to the matters In
dispute and the questions at issue was
In plain harmony with the language
of the presidents proposal. 1t re-
ceived the unqualified approval of
Mr.. 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 70 60 along with the government
in any plan that the president sug-
gested. Their allegation now that
they were not consulted about the form
of the memorandum. which was sub
mitted to the miners conference. is
absurd II was. in fact. submitted by
my secretary to their representatives
In indianapolis"