The Washington times., 1919-11-17
OPERATORS PASS
BUCK TO GARFIELD
Continued from First Page

Continued from First Page)
the operators, who ask what virtual |
ly amounts to a pledge of Govern |
ment support during the anxious per-
iod ahead of them.
Thomas 7. Brewster, chairman of
the operators scale committee, said
today: 1--WE are going to try and
devise ways and means to reach an
agreement that will protect the op-
orators, protect the public, and pro-
tect the miners"
The operators postponed their
meeting with the miners until
o'clock this afternoon, desiring to
confer with DIR. Garfield and other
officials before proceeding further
with the negotiations.
Operators to Give Data.
They expect to place a counter-pro-
posal before the miners either today
or tomorrow, embodying the maxi
mum of concessions which they can
make at this time. They will place
before the Fuel Administration sta
tistical data showing exactly what
these concessions will mean to the
American people in increased coal
prices.
timism that a settlement is near, and
believe that me conference must come
to some tangible agreement before
long. Failure of the mting will
cause Government intervention. they
say, and this the operators are re-
solved to avert.
Not To Prosecute Men Out.
The Department of Justice will take
St W
returning to work, pending negotia-
tions for a new wage scale, it was
stated today. Should the negotiations
extend beyond a reasonable time and
the miners still refuse to work, the
Department will then proceed to en-
force the injunction orders, it was
stated.
p. ]. Quealy, president of the Wy-o
ming Coal Operators Association, to-
day informed the Department of
Labor that his body would accept in
advance, as a basis for negotiations
with their miners, the new scale. to
be negotiated here for the central
competitive field. The Wyoming dis
trict is the first to take this action.
Coal stocks Melting.
The country cannot stand many
more weeks of the present nonpro-
ductivity," says an Administration Of
fetal. Coal stocks are dwindling
like snow in the sun"
There are two courses open to the
Government:
Appeal to John L. Lewis and the
other leaders of the United Mine
Workers to get the miners back to
work, in accordance with the spirit of
their acceptance of the Governments
stand in the Injunction case.
2-Pressure to be placed upon the
miners and operators to hasten their
negotiations. This would be done un-
der threat either of Government aS-
ministration of the mines, or of the
appointment of an arbitration tribu-
nal, which will reach at least tenn
porary modus operandi without delay.
Peace Not In Sight.
The negotiations here probably will
be lHg drawn out, unless pressure
OF some sort comes from the Govern
ment The actual basis of an agree
ment Is yet far away. There is a sur
face spirit of conciliation on both
sides; but bitterness crops out un-
awares frequently. and yields a
glimpse of how far the two forces are
from meeting on common ground.
The operators already have an
nounced that they will go to certain
lengths to reach an agreement, but IL
that proves impossible, they will let
the future take its course"
The miners on their part, despite
Secretary of Labor Wilson's tagging
of their six-hour-a-day demand as
impossible" are sticking to their orig
inal position, claiming that six hours
of actual work is now their PROPOSE
tion, instead of six hours from bank
to bank" which generally means that
a half hour or more is absorbed in
getting to and from work.
The operators of the outlying dis
tricts, with the exception of the
Wyoming operators, have not pledged
themselves to accept the new scale of
the central competitive district: but
miners representatives are confident
that they will be forced to do so. Mr..
Lewis declared that the miners dele
gates from the outlying districts
would remain here until settlement
is reached.
81 think the operators will negoti-
ate with them, if they expect to oper
ate their properties" he said.
The concern which is felt over the
idleness of the miners is shown in
the fact that Governor Allen of Kan
sas is preparing for State-operat;On
of the mines should the Washington
conference end in failure.
U. S. War Powers Ample.
1t is hinted that this action win be
followed by other States in the near
future. The American Government,
under basic constitutional law, has
no control over coal mines, but only
over the traffic, which comes under
the interstate commerce clause The
war powers OF the Government would
permit the Communicating of the
mines. however, should a national
emergency require this action. The
machinery of the Fuel Administration
is being restored. not only to fix max
imum prices for a temporary period
of unstable production, but to take
whatever emergency action tile Gov
eminent deems necessary, should the
Washington conference fail Of Its
purpose.
Leaders OF the United Mine Work
ers are dubious of the SUCCESS of tho