New-York tribune., 1919-11-16

| 49, :.' pe paced falrly and squarely
Mr.. Green said everv min. worker
secretary's opinion and Judgment. hut
when ne opposed their wage demands
ne was opposing nm effort on the part
present had profound respect for the
o' the workers to get a decent living
wage to enable them to maintain the
american standard Of living.
mr. 1reen said the average family
puaget OF the miners was between $500
and 81. 200 year. ~'''
II take exception" he said 4Mr Co..
retary, to your statement that the de-
mands OF the miners are impossible
Let's not prejudice our case before we
get into it. If you want to develon
Americanism in the hearts, and minds
ana lives of the workers YOU must give
1nem me an American standard of living
mays what they're asking for, and
that's what they should get"
Contract Violations ALLEGED
Z: M; Clark, Of the Central Pennsyl-
vanla fields, explained why he felt q
general committee could not success
fully attack the present problem. He
accused the unions in his district with
/ breaking contracts and with bad faith
IN striking November when they were
not directly involved in the contro-
versy.
P. II. Penna, speaking for the GEN.
tral competitive fields, said he was
sorry to see the spirit of elimination
and recrimination crop out.
=, When the coal operators get beyond
the pale of the law l want to see them
prosecuted" he declared. "That's what
we want. / don't object to it or make
any complaint"
:, Mr.. Penna said the question of fixing
the central competitive scale first
or fixing all at the same time was an
old one, but that the latter method was
too unwieldy and complicated. He said
the operators still were willing to ne
gotiate and leave disputed points to
arbitration. When Mr.. Lewis, sitting
rev seats away sneered audibly, he
added, and we mean what we saw"
| Mr.. Lewis laughed.
r. II. Taylor, of the National Coal
operators Association. said he did not
WISH to SIT IN conference "throwing
mud from one side to the other" He
suggested that Mr.. Wilson had made
three distinct proposals for beginning
negotiations and since one was unac-
ceptable, another, that of first nego-
tlatlng the central scale, be adopted,
although the first would be of greater
advantage to the outlying operators.
Wilson Plan Not Mandatory
Secretary Wilson made it clear that
ne had proposed the general commit
tee plan only in the belief that it would
pc the quickest way of reaching a set
tlement and insuring return to worn
OF the miners. "Mr. Taylor said he did
not know when the miners in each of
the fields would return to work, and |
don't know if any of the miners or op-
orators know when they will return
to work. and if they don't return to
work they will not be producing the
coal necessary to the industrial and
social welfare of the people of the
United States"
Mr.. Penna, after arguing against the
/ use OF the general committee plan, said
the central competitive field operators
were ready to negotiate with the men
representing those fields. In reply to
q question from Mr. Green, he said
has offices here, had no authority to
deal with labor questions. Mr.. Lewis
suggests that recently that association
put out public statement saying wage
increases for miners would mean bill
lions out of the pockets of the public,
and wanted to know if this were not
mixing in labor matters. Mr.. Lewis
asked the question with a smile that
implied has question was the answer
/ L
in anger and raising his voice to a
higher pitch, replied with emphasis,
Il say, Mr.. Lewis, that they do not
deal with labor matters"
Lewis Reiterates His Protest
Mr. Lewis let it 60 at that, and sat
down and fists were put back in pockets
/ again. IN moment he was on his
feet again He told how the miners
have been ready to negotiate at all
times with the operators without
reservations.
We have issued that statement
from the housetops all through the
long days of this controversy Now
we find ourselves again put in the
position and again given course Of
action that suits some one else. But
we agree, Mr.. Secretary, we agree.
But in Gods name | want to say
that we are getting tired of asking
that Some 400 900 human souls be
given bread and are given stone. We
have zen told about the law and about
propety rights and if we can get be-
fore some court that will consider the
human clement, and if we can get
there by going into the central com
petitive field conference Wen 60
But want to call your attention te
what in our judgment is a violation o.
law, ana tncn want 10 ASK you WucLN
er the law is to be enforced"
Mr.. Lewis read the telegram from
Alabama reciting that miners had beer
refused work, their union buttons de-
manded, and that the operators in {
meeting Wednesday may have con
spired to effect these results. He saC
the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company
had adopted somewhat similar tactics
and that in the New River field of West
Virginia the men have been intmidatet
and told when they returned tt
work the union no longer could speak
for them, but that they will be dealt
with in the future as individuals, anc
whatever conditions the operators seel
to impose viii be so imposed
Violation of Lever Act Charged
q wonder,' he continued, whether
those operators arc VIC .ating the Level
act which the honorable court relieC
upon so effectively. and | wonder if thi:
great beloved government of ours is go
ing to be fair with the workers anC
give protection and enforce its provl
sions against the operators who Sc
that law aside.
"Armed terror exists in the Guyor
Valley in West Virginia. They have
gone back to the feuda system, t'
strangle and throttle the rights of cit
zens. Hired guards armed with Win
chesters and side arms march up ant
down the valley, boastng and coercin}
,,,o,, xx,l,o oDlu Jociro tO a rt i'm a hP