The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-24
COAL OPERATORS
NOT SATISFIED
Mine Owners Tell Senate Com
mittee That They Were
Not Consulted

Washington. Dec 21-Coal opera
tors of the United States, through
their executive committee, explained
further ,toni9hr their reasons for re-
fusing TO participate in the govern
nen1s plan for settling the bitun1:n-
ouS coal strike. Renewing The den!;4'
Ina1 previous agreements had bound
Them 10 accept the government s pla':
The operators asserted that while ttc:
We're bound by and had agreed TO ar-
,cept strike settlement proposals made
ty Dr. Garfield. former fuel admin
istrator the government proposal as
accepted by the miners differs v:tally
from those Of the Garfield plan.
! The insistence of the operators ON
the stand left open tonight the pos
sibility. it was held. that the commits
sion named Saturday by President
Wilson and given by him power 10 fix
wages and prices of ceal necessary To
sustain wages. might be unable to
function. The executive committee
did not say however. that operators
would stand aloof from the commits
sion in its investigation and decision
but left the question open 20 be settled
probably at a meeting Tuesday in
Cleveland. Ohio. where a general ses-
SION Of the scale committee. central
competitive field. and other operators
generally has been called.
The operators in formal state
n.ent tonight Said: u
I'm the light Of the statenlept of
Attorney General Palmer Of yesterday
in which he says that ii weaiad be an
amazing reputation of@ss8hcir own
statements if the operators Go not ac-
quiesce in The plan .Which their Off
cial representative have repeatedly
agreed 10 in the settlement Of the coal
strike, the bituninous coal operators
feel impelied TO restate their attitude
| so that it may be clearly appreciated
by the public.
Attorney General Palmer, in his
statement OF yesterday asserted that
! the operators had agreed 10 the me-
inrorandum ot the attorney general and
! John L. Lewis acting president of the
Tinted Nine Workers Of America. lay
+ irg down the terms OF agreement for
! settlemert Of tho coal strike. Tho
| fact IS ti.at tho opera tors never learn
| ed Of the existence Of that agreement
/ Until after il had been prcScated TO
miners at the Indiana20li conference
! OF December 9.
A.The operators Gid accept the pro-
posa! Of the government, presented
through Director Garfield former fuel
administrator. and referred to in Pres
ident Wilson's letter of December 6.
under the terms OF this proposal the
mine controversy was to be settled on
the basis Of the five principles an
inounced by Dr. Garfield. The appi;ca-
ton Of one Of these principles deter
/; mined the IA per cent advance which
was granted the miners. The Garfield
proposal further provided for the es-
(; Establishment OF board With advisory
powers only.
/ THE operators still stand by the
acceptance Of the Garfield proposal!
! The presidents letter Of December 6.
referred specifically TO il and II
: seemed clear to the minds OF the op-
orators That it vas the intent Of the
president that the Garfield proposal
was to be used as the basis Of settle
n1ent Of the wage controversy.
eThe operators never haze been
! consulted in regard to the mcmoran-
| dura which was drawn up by the at
| torney general in conference with
President Lewis and Secretary Green
Of the miners organization.
.arrL - I3,,,,, crCnc 20
the Garfield proposal TO which they
assented.
THE operators ro;nt cut the fol-
lowing radical differences between l!c
Garfield proposal and the Palme"-
Lewis memorandum which was &C
cepted at indianapolis
q. The Garfield proposal would
have established {: board with ::dviS-
orv powers only The Palm er-L.:wis
n.emorandum agreement wou!.l 1s-
tabljsh a commission not advisory in
character but with full power 'lnii-
l;jle!y to fix Goa! prices. wages DIFF
feScntials and to- determine the de-
tails of working conditions within
Icath district covered by the n1crior-
al..iun.
%. The question Of diflcrcnt:als
and Internal working conditions III
| the many bituminous coal fields affect
ed by this memorandum. are so in
volved and complicated that a COM
plete review in order u make an in
! telliGent decision would he an inter
! minable task. These matters arc Of
vital importance 10 the coal industry.
The Gifferentials themselves are not in
! dispute.
| ..3. Furthermore the findings OF ;he
| commission contemplated by the
Palmer-Lewis memorandum may be
made retroactive without limitations
as to time
There are other important diff
ences between the Garfield proposal
and the Paimer-Lewis memorandunl
! which have not been made clear 20
the operators UP to his time. The
operators repeat that they have n"vcr