The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-23
SECRET DEAL BY. GOVERNMENT WITH. COAL MINERS. IS SENATOR'S CHARGE
Strike Settlement Loaded Dice for Public, Declares FreIinghuysen = Presi
 dent Kansas Union In
 Jail for Contempt
By Associated Press


 Washington, December 22. Entering into the controversy raging about the governments proposal for the settlement of the coal strike, Senator Ere linghuysen, republican, New Jersey, chairman of the Sen ate committee Investigating the coal situation, in a formal statement issued tonight, de- clared that in the governments negotiations there must have ( been some sort of a secret deal made in addition to the signed statement"
 Explaining that he spoke for himself only and, not for other members of his committee, Senator Frelinghuysen re- viewed the testimony adduced By the committee hearings to date and added that out of the settlement of the strike in any event the public may look for an increase in the price of coal or an- other strike
 The New Jersey senator charac-
 terized the settlement proposition
 as put forth by Attorney General
 Palmer and accepted by the miners
 has loaded dice for the American
 public.-
 OPERATORS SILENT
 The executive committee of coal mine operators, following their statement of yesterday declaring that the govern ment's proposal as finally drafted was vitally different from the plan formu- lated by former Fuel Administrator Garfield, and which they bound them selves to accept maintained silence Today the operators howeverfi decided during the day to call of a general meeting of the scale committee of the central competitive field which had been called for Tuesday in Cleveland At the conference, which will take place after Christmas, it was said the. operators expected to form declara- Won as to the policy they will adopt towards the governments plan and the commission appointed Saturday by President Wilson to adjudicate the miners claims.
 PRAISES GARFIELD
 Praising the stand taken by pr. Harry Garfield, who recently resigned as fuel administrator because of dis agreement with the strike settlement, Senator Frelinghuysen said:
 The present plan, which incurred the hostility of pr. Garfield and caused the resignation, acceptable to the miners lecause it opens the door to further demands and further wage increases, p hich the public must pay.
 The miners are expecting the ad- ditional raise as result of this agree ment. Chairman Lewis. in his address to his men, December 10, 1919, speaks of the probability of further increase in all classifcations of labor when the comm sson finally makes it's award
 There must have been some secret deal made, in addition to the signed agreement. In any event. the public may look for an increase in the price of coal or another strike. There was a vital principal involved in this con- test and that was ignored in the set clement of this strike; namely, shall the law be supreme shall or sanitation, a class, hold itself above the law, and refuse obedience thereto when it's selfish interests come in con- flict with the public good
 OPPOSED INCREASE T was opposed even to the II per cent authorized by Dr. Garfield. It should never have been granted Though ostensibly coming out of the pockets of the operators, involved an addition to the cost of production of Hundreds of millions of dollars and makes practically impossible any re- duction to the consumer for two or three years to come.< If that concession is objectionable how much more objectionable is the possibility of any further increase such as Mr. Lewis. acting chairman of the United Mine Workers, has assured his men they are likely to secure under the agreement with the Attorney Gen. eral, which Mir. Lewis himself says differs materially from the propos- tion made by Dr. Garfield That is what the miners expect. It was npon that basis, upon that assur- ance. that they were willing to obey the law. ''It will be a sad day for America if obedience to the law must lbe pur- chased in this manner. I am opposed to such proposition and believe the American people are opposed to it.v DISTRICT PRESIDENT HELD
 By Associated Press Indianapolis, December 22.-Alexan-