The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-23
MINERS WILLING TO
ACCEPT COMPROMISE
PLAN FOR INCREASE
AND A 7-HOUR DAY
Operators Declare Public I
Would Not Stand for Adj
vance Above Their Of
fer of Is Cents a Ton
and 20 Per Cent

AssOefdteu
Washington, November %.
Refusing to accept proposals
made by Secretary of Labor
Wilson as a basis for further
negotiations, soft coal opera
tors of the central competitive
field rested their case today
with Fuel Administrator Gar
field, whose official approval is
necessary to validate any new
wage agreement.
The public would not stand for a
wage advance above their offer of Ia
cents per ton to coal diggers and &c
per cent to day laborers the operators
asserted. They refused to make fur
Their overtures or even to reinstate
their proposition, which was Withdrawn
following the deadlock Friday. unless
the government, through the fuel ad.
ministration, assumed responsibility for
the added burden to the nations fuel
bill
The operators prepared to
leave the entire situation in the
hands of the government unIess DIR.
Garfield can find way out of the
difficulty. their spokermen an
nounced. No joint meeting of the
subscaie committee was held today.
CABINET MAY ACT
DR.. Garfield notified the mine own
ers he would not meet their commit.
tee. of which Thomas r. Brewster is
chairman, until after he had consulted
Monday with Attorney General Palmer.
Director Hines and Judge c. b. Ames,
assistant attorney general 1t was con-
sidered likely the negotiations might
have to go over until after the cabinet
meeting Tuesday, when 1t is expected
a policy to get the mines back 70
operation before the threatening coal
famine brings disaster viii lbe worked
out
Operators representatives authorized
the statement that in their opinion fig
ures on which Secretary Wilson based
his proposal showing living costs in
the coal regions, were partisan. The
secretary told the subscale committee
Friday he did not speak for the gov
eminent, 1t was said
John L. Lewis, president OF the United
Mine Workers tonight charged the OPP
orators with "criminally delaying the
negotiations, through Conspiracy"
on the part of powerful interests, in
GLIDING both mine owners and others
who have been openly opposing a set
Element"
MINERS ACCEPT PROPOSAL
Following n tw0-hour session of
the miners, MIR. lewis announced
the workers had accepted Secretary
Wilson's proposal. This proposition,
submitted last Friday. ms made pub
lie today by Mr.. Wilson. provided
for flat increase in mining rates
of 27.i2 cents per ton, n flat in
crease in day wages of $1.JS and AN
increase iu yards and dead work of
31.61 per cent. Mr.. Lewis also an
nounced the miners stood on their
counter proposal for n seven-hOur
Z day, n Saturday haif-hoiiday, and
reference OF all internal disputes
back to the districts in which they
originate for settlement.
Some of the operators, including
members of the scale committee of the
central competitive field. Mr.. Lewis said
have indicated a Willingness to make
a separate treaty of peace without
waiting for concerted action. He said
he had agreed to sign separate con-
tracts.
Explaining his suggested wage adj
vances. Secretary Wilson said he based
per cent in the cost of living In three
bituminous mining towns since Deem
Der, 1914 The increase of 27.12 cents
per ton was arrived at by averaging
the balance needed to make the Pitts
burg and Hooking valley pick mining
rates equivalent to the increase in tho
cost of living with the margin on the
same basis in the Danville and Indiana
fields.
Operators attacked Mr.. Wilson's fig
ures on the ground that from so to 30
per cent of mining in the central COM
petitive field is by machine. Calcu-
lated on a basis of machine mining Mr.
Wilson'S proposal would mean wage
raise ofS1fS per cent. they said. Secre-
tary Wilson's suggestion of 31.61 per
cent increase in day wage would mean
an increase over 1914 of 1917 per cent
he added.
GOMPERS REVIEWS CHARGE
Washington. November 22-In an ad-
dress before the Central Labor union