The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-21
Tentative Offer on Part of OPP
orators. is Characterized by
Lewis as Possible Chance for
Amicable Settlement.
MINERS WILLING
TO COMPROMISE
Governmental Departments Are
Preparing to Adopt Stringent
Methods in Case Agreement
Is Not Reached in Few Days.

) Washington. Nov. 20.-Although
Acting President Lewis of the miners
termed the operators offer of flat
increase of fifteen cents a ton on coal
mined and twenty per cent increase
for day workers as wholly inadequate,
both sides termed the offer as break
ing the ice and prospects are con-
sidered brighter than any time since
the conference began. Lewis indicat-
ed the miners are preparing to come
down a degree on their demands for
a six hour day and sixty per cent in
crease. The operators estimated the
price of coal at the mines would be
increased from thirty-f five to forty
cents ton if today's offer is accepted
but declined to speculate on what the
middlemen would add to this
Fuel Administrator Garfield still
withheld today, any action toward
nationwide restriction of coal con-
sumption, while sub committees of
mine workers and operators continued
negotiations for a wage scale in the
central competitive field and a basis of
taken in localities where the pinch of
coal famine has been felt, have been
the action of regional coal committees
of the railroad administration.
The joint committees were reported ]
today to be making progress toward
a settlement. For the first time, it /
was said. they were considering de-
tails OF a wage and condition agree
ment.
Chicago, Nov. 20.-Regiona1 direc- |
tors of railroads today had free hand
in dealing with curtailment of nom
essential industries and unnecessary
passenger traffic and extraordinary
efforts to conserve and distribute the
nations steadily diminishing coal sup
ply were being made. Under that au-
thority, granted by Walker ID. Hines,
federal director general of railroads, !,
after a two day conference with the
seven regional directors, the entire
south, east of the Mississippi and |
south of the Ohio rivers, except for |
small area in the Pocahontas region. |
today had been placed on a wartime |
ration basis and annullment, of trains
in addition to the lao already taken |
off was under consideration.
Other drastic action looking toward ,
reserving the available supply for es-
sential industries, public utilities and
domestic consumers included stopping |
deliveries to all non-essential indus /
tries in Cleveland and deliveries in /
Omaha, Nebraska, only on written APP
plication approved by the local coal
committee.
Except in the West Virginia fields |
upon which it was announced the rest |
of the country would draw for abso- |
lutely necessary requirments, there
was little hope today for increased /
production. The majority of the 425.-
900 bituminous miners who went on I
strike nearly three weeks ago. main |
tanned their disposition to disregard I
the strike recall order issued by their !
acting president under direction of the |
federal court and TO await develop |
ments from the miners-operators' con-
ference at Washington.
should the apparently deadlocked /
conference at Washington not reach |
am agreement within a week. martial
law in mining districts and state oper-
alton of mines was planned in Iowa.
Governor Harding said he was con-
sidering taking over the mines, offer
ing the miners an increased wage and
compensating the operators until a
settlement was arrived at.
The troop movement into coal
field since the first days of the strike
was reported from Wyoming. Thirty /
soldiers were sent to winton, Wyom
ing. where small group of alleged
alien miners armed with rifles stopped
American and naturalized workers
from returning to the pits.
!