The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent., 1919-12-26
END Of STRIKE IS I'M
SIGHT, SAYS PALMER
ATTORNEY GENERAL ON SAME
TRAIN As LEWIS, GOES TO
INDIANAPOLIS
MYSTERY sHR0UDs DETAILS
Palmer to Confer With JUDGE Ander.
oon ~ Soon as Possible,-Strjct
silence 10 Kept by Officials
and Union Heads

Washington. Dec. S.-Governmen
proposals for settling the coal strik
were last night cloaked in :; veil O
mystery which promised to lift only a
indianapolis tomorrow when the fed
eral court and the leaders of the Unit
ed Mine Workers alike. will be calle,
on to consider them.
Attorney General Palmer and hi
special assistant, Judge Ames. wer,
travelling to Indianapolis last night or
the same train with John l.. Lewis
acting president, and William Freen
secretary of the mine workers union
whose secret visit and equally secre,
conference Saturday with Mr.. Pal
mer and Joseph +. rumulty, secre
tary to President Wilson. resulted ir
provisional agreement to settle. No,
one of the participants would discuss
Its meaning or intea! in any detail
before boarding the train for Indian
apolis, Mr.. Palmer said he was quite
sare the end Of the strike WAS in sight.
IT was learned that he would confer
with Judge Anderson Of the federal
district court OH reaching Indianapolis.
In official quarters. Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield, speaking with hrevity
and emphasis added only doubt to the
situation
MY position has not been hudged
one inch and will not be- he said.
1t was recalled that Saturday DIR.
Garfield had reiterated that not cent
could be added to the price of coal to
finance wage increases to the miners
greater than the ii per cent he sug-
gested which operators could pay ont
vt profits and that the government was
behind him in the stand. 1t also was
pointed out that on November 26 he
suggested this basis of agreement to
the miners, with a provision that an
arbitration commission be appointed
by the president to review his decision
with power to change it if the COM
mission should find economical justi-
fication. This proposal the miners
representatives instantly rejected.
From other authoritative sources
there was only the attorney generals
statement that definite. concrete
proposition from the president looking
to the speedy settlement of the strike
had been taken before Lewis and
Green and that they had agreed to
recommend it to the natiOna! board
and policy committee of the mine
workers union.
The miners representatives. it de-
ron at noon Saturday. and We're clos
eted until midnight With the attorney
general. They Went from the depart
ment of justice to the home of friend
and did not appear until train time
last night and would not talk nor add
anything to the attorney generals pub
liShed version of the situation.
Who sent for the miners leaders. or
whether they came to Washington OF
their own accord. was Il question left
unanswered by all concerned.
That the step taken guaranteed the
cessation of the coal strike on the part
uf organized miners still out. was not
was maintained officially on this point.
Likewise. the executive committee Of
hituminouS coal operators watching the
government activities had not infOr-
nation which it would divulge last
night.
1t was said in labor circles that the
presidents proposal would result in
giving the miners more than previous
government suggestions would allow.
Other versions said that practical
repetition of Or. GarfeldS arbitration
offer had been professionally accepted
by the mine workers union chief.
1t was further said that a difficulty
of method in dealing with the strike
had developed among the government
agencies chiefly concerned. though all
were working toward n settlement.
Or. Garfield labored most of the day
nn IA multitude of details of the great
Job of trying to conserve every pound
OF coal. Officials were confident that
the country would weather the emer-
gency and those who profeSSed to see
early settlement of the strike on terms
agreed to by the attorney general and
Lewis predicted that ii would be only
a short while before the coal output
would be back 10 normal.
Meanwhile, however, the fuel admin
iStration. acting with regional coal
continued 10 maintain
restriction Of fuel supplies of concerns
not on the priority list and Ia reduce
passenger train service to what it was
In war days.