The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-10
Attorney General Palmer Is
sues Statement on the
Subject
He is NOW ON WAY
TO. INDIANAPOLIS
Momentous Conference to Be
Held By Miners and Officials
Tomorrow

Washington, Dec. 7-Govcrnment
proposals for settling the coal strike
We're tonight cloaked in a veil Of nays-
tery which promised TO lift only at
Indianapolis Tuesday when the fed
eral court and the leaders of the Uni
ted Mine Workers alike will be called
upon to consider them.
Attorney General Palmer and his
special assistant, Judge Ames. were
travelling to Indianapolis tonight on
the same train with John L. Lewis,
acting president, and William Green,
secretary of the mine workers union,
whose secret visit and equally secret
conference yesterday with Mr.. Palm
er and Joseph Tumulty, secretary to
visional agreement to settle. Not one
of the participants Of the conference
would discuss its meaning or intent
Before boarding the trail for In
dianapo;:s Mr. Palmer, however, said
he was quite sure that tae(end of the
strike was in sight. Il was learned
that he would confer with Judge An
OGISOU vi tliG ISStSltti NA-0eA ~SNNA> 80
reaching indianapolis.
Fuel Administrator Garfield speak
ing with brevity and emphasis, added
only doubt to the situation.
My position has not been budged
one inch and will not be" he said.
1t was recalled that yesterday DR..
Garfield has reiterated that not one
cent could be added to the price OF
coal 10 finance wage increases TO the
miners greater than the Il per cent
he suggested which, operators cohld
pay out of profits. and that the gov
t.rnmenf was behind hnn, in the stand.
It also was pointed out that on Noven1
Der &c, he suggested this basis Of
agreement to the miners, with pro-
riso that an arbitration commission
be appointed by the president to re-
view his decision with power to change
it if the commission should find eco
nomical justification. This proposal
the miners representatives then in
stantly rejected.
From other authoritative sources.
there was only the attorney general s
statement issued last midnight that
"a definite concrete proposition from
the president looking to the speedy
settlement Of the strike" had been be
fore Lewis and Green and that they
had agreed TO recommend il to the
national board and policy committee
of the mine workers nnion.
The miners representatives. IL de-
yeloped today. arrived il Washington
at noon Saturday and We're closetcd
until midnight with the atto"aey gen.
eral. Trey went from lh,. department
Of justice TO the home of q friend and
did not appear until train time to-
night. and would not talk, or add any
thing to the attorney generals pub
iished version of the situation. Who
sent for the miners leaders. or wheth-
er they came to Washington Of their
own accord. was a question left un-
answered by all concerned.
That the step taken guaranteed The
cessation Of the coal strike on the
part OF the organized miners still was
not claimed anywhere. A definite 81
lence was maintained officially on this
point. Likewise. the executive COM
,nittee of bituminous coal operators
watching the governmental activities
had no information which ii would di-
vu]ge tonight.
Gossip was active over the situation
which has involved almost exclusive
attention of most government chiefs
for two weeks. 1t was said in labor
circles that the presidents proposal
would result in giving the miners
more than previous government su@-
ccstions would allow. Other versions
said that practical repetition of Dr.
Garlield's arbitration offer had been
professionally accepted - the mine
workers union chiefs.
1t was further said that q differ
ence of method in dealing with the
strike had developed among the gov
ernment agencies chiefly concerned.
though all were working towards a
settlement. But in responsible quar-
terS only silence of statements guard
ed TO the utmost were available.
Meanwhile Dr. Garfield laborcd
most Of the day on a multitude of de-
tails of the great job Of trying I" con-
serve every pound OF coal. officials
were confident that the country would
weather the emergency and those who
professed 10 see c1riv settlement o!
the strike on :"rmS agreed by tn" al
,orncv gener:il and Lewis predicted
that il would be only a short Wnle
before the coal output would be back
10 normal.
Meanwhiie. however. tho fuel adj
ministration acting with regional coal
committees continued {" MAINTAIN
restriction Of fuel supplies of concerns
not on the priority list ami 10 re