Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-17
COAL PROBE CONTINUES
I'LL RESTRICTIONS Off


Washington DEC 1.-THE Senate
Goa. InTeStigst ting ccMmsise, resum-
ing today its inquiry into the scnln-
atioa strike settlement agree.
nely. was tod ty Tracy w Guthrie
president C the Hiliman Coal * Coke
&C. that one Clause In the proposi-
tioa advanced by President Wilson
and accepted bY the miners would
bring about an increase in the min
rer cent which DR.. Harry A. Car
seid- resigned fue. admiEistra tor.
Eho-gtt justified"
While ;ts senate committee was
pursuing lis inquiry the railroai ad-
MiEIstra-.cn withdrew the las, seni-
clsnce q tie restrictions OF fue. re-
salti1g frcm tie strike ard began
delivering ccal TO original consignees
instead II distributing II 20 points
II greatest need I. rescinded the en-
largo cE he movement Of fuel oi!
cut Ct the ves. and the orders reduc-
Ing the amount Of coal permitted to
20 % coking ovens
Az the White House today il was
said that President Wilson would no;
appoint tie commission PROVIDED in
the strike settlement proposal until
Attorney General Palmer returns
t-om tie west late this week.
Tire senatorial ianu,ry was reopen
81 With the calling ot r V. Norris
engineer fcr the fuel administration.
VITO vas conducted by Senator FIRE.
Hnghuysen- Republican New Jersey.
chairman Of the committee, and
Senator Townsend. Republican.
Michigan. through a maze OF sta
'istics bearing On labor costs and
prices # necessities.
Secretary If Labor Wilson propos-
ed that the miners be gwen an in
crease Of 3l.s1 per cent" Nr. Norris
explained. because he based his call
eulatio,s on the pay given pick min
err. IL 1917, when the coal mine
wages we're rsadjusted- the pick min
ers were getting tire creates. amount
and the scales were balanced up by
giving them a lesser increase than
ether classes cf labor around the
mines This waE necessary in order
10 induce men 20 do the other work.
DIR. Garfield decided mat a par
t:cuiar wage group ought not to
serve rcw rs q basis Tor calculation.
and took the average wage Of all
workers After arriving at that. he
found that an addition OF "A per cent.
70 their earnings would compensate
them fJr the cost OF living since the
,ast adjustments were made"
Chairman Frelinshgysen asked IL
the witness approved Of the creation
OF a commission composed Of ons
miner. one mine operator and cne
representative Of the public. with
power to fx wages and prices
That would depend on the makeup
Of the individuals" Morris returned.
but 1 think at least a larger number
ought 10 be named. 1t gives two in
terests a chance to combine against
the third"
Mr. Guthrie was called to present
actual facts from payrolls upon
wages.
About - par cent. cf miners are
idle all the time. according 10 our
experience with 60 mines." he told tho
committee. That IL. we have to
have 40 names on the payroll in or
der TO get LOO men on the job as a
constant factor. Miners like 10 cele-
brate all American HOLIDAYS and a lot
Of foreign ones Then they have
Mitchell Day or April /. in honor Of
the late John Mitchell They have
Rabbit Day on November 10. whea
everybody adjourns to shoot a rabbit
From mine accounts. he read the
record of one miner who in 1s7 days
of the present year earned a3.6fe, or
an average OF $3.50 per day. He