The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-11-28
OPERATORS ACCEPT PLAN

There was much heated oratory, but T. W Guthrie of Pittsburg. acting chairman of the operators committee desertbednthe parliesnentary procedure sucolnctly as he came out. fThe opera tors, by pre-arranged plan, notified the miners scale committee for the cen- tral competitive field of their accept ance of pr. Garfeld's plan
 This the mine workers promptly voted down In turn. the miners put forward counter proposal. that Secre- tary Wilson's suggestion for a 3166 per cent wage increase be granted, and this the operators flatly refused For the third time the operators renewed their formal offer of arbitration, and this the miners voted down Unani- morsly an adjournment was voted
 The operators are pretending to &C., cept pr. Garfield's proposal" MT. Lewis said manifesting indignation as he called the newspaper men around him in the filtered and noisy hall that was the scene of the all-day gatherings.
 But, as they do it they state they are unable to operate many of their mines under it. It would be foolish for US to attempt to make an agreement unless miners are to be given work.
 POSITION UNCHANGED
 Our position is unchanged We hold tle United States government cannot break it's word. The pledge of Secre- tary Wilson to grant us 31 per cen5 1T crease must be redeemed. In my judgment pr. Garfield and the cabinet have committed the most colossal blun- der in the history of our nation. They are blindly following an academic theory. without regard to justice to the mine workers or effects on the people of the United States.
 Responsibility for the crisis now confronting the nation must be with those statesmen, using the powers of government to oppress and deny justice to a great element of its citizenship di- rectIy concerned in industry
 T cannot believe the people of our country will inodrse such a policy of oppression and repression which means continued industrial chaos and intense suffering on the part of the mine work CTS and our citizenship"
 With that, Lewis brushed away an questioners. His associates, however, confirmed the impression that there would be no resumption of work in the mining camps now closed
 TO WAIT ON GOVERNMENT
 Operators. less communicative went away with varying resolutions. One or two had reached determinat tion. they Satd to attempt coal production, regard less of the strikers, but most of them were in doubt on this point. Acting Chairman Guthrie indicated that as an organized body they had ceased to func- tion, and that individual necessity and inclination would govern their action. though all would wait a little to sec what the government proposed
 The open letter to pr. Garfield said that in view of the serious situation, the wage scale committee for the central field would accept his suggested basis of set clement, preserving present differen- t;als."
 At the same time we wish to can your attention to the fact that the Ac- ceptance of this increase in wages with out any increase In selling prices of bi- luminous coal entirely eliminates the profit of large number of mines.- it con ntinued.
 Such large number. in fact. we fear the production of coal will be seri- ously affected. We understand that op- erating statistics for 1919 arc not now in your possession. and we shall rely upon the government, vhen such stAtis-
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