Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-12-05
MINERS OFFERED
a Pei. INCREASE
To Be No Raise in Price of Coal,
u. S. Decision.
OFFER Anglers BOTH SIDES
Operators Bear Disappointment in
Silence, but From the Miners
Came Denunciation After De-
nunciation.

Washington, Nov. 27.-Acting under
instructions from the cabinet, United
States Fuel Administrator Garfield
told the coal miners and the operators
that the wage increase for the miners
should be IA per cent and that the
price of coal to the public should not
be raised.
This declaration, coming from the
government as basis for settling the
wage controversy, was received with
great dissatisfaction by both the
miners and the operators.
Some of the miners representatives
declared that the offer of IA per cent
increase, in the face of the fact that
Secretary of Labor Wilson had Of
fered them 31.6 per cent, was an in
suit. They declared that the miners
would starve idle rather than go back
to the mines at this wage increase.
The operators, who have been ex-
pecting that the government would see
them through on any wage Increase,
declared that their margins would not
permit them to give the miners the IA
per cent out of their own pockets.
They said that it would break many of
the weaker mines and that it meant
ruin and sacrifice of years Of earnings
and savings.
Garfield Adamant.
The operators for the most part
bore their disappointment in silence,
but from the miners came denuncia-
tiOn after denunciation of the govern
ment's solution. Without reservation.
and without mincing words, the miners
questioned Doctor Garfield and,
through him, grilled the government
for more than two hours.
Doctor Garfield stood adamant in the
face of the questions and the criticism
hurled at him from the miners side of
the hall. He answered all questions
without betraying personal excitement
and firmly but kindly told the miners
that what he had laid before them was
purely series of facts.
Doctor Garfield said his statement
was made on the facts and the figures
i'm the case as he had investigated it.
He said that it was as If one looked up
at the clock and there read the time.
'"The clock tells you the hour, and
that is what l have done. I tell you
that per cent of increase which should
be applied to the miners wages, on the
average, to equalize wages with the
rise in the cost of living is IA per cent"
said Doctor Garfield.
Shot From Other Barrel.
DR.. Garfield was equally insistent on
his finding that the price of coal should
not be raised at this time. This was
shot fired from the other barrel of his
double barreled statement to the con-
terence. He made it clear that the
facts, as he found them, meant that if
the miners wages were increased IA
per cent, as he said should be done,
that the burden should be borne en-
tirely by the operators and not by the
public.
D. Garfield also made a third state
ment, which almost ranks in impor-
lance with his two main propositions.
This was that government control of
price will be maintained at present.
This means that the government does
not intend to relax its grip On the coal
situation through holding prices within
d maximum limit.
at seems to me that the reasonable
way to deal with this situation" Gar
field said. ''is to give the industry as
a whole an average increase common
surate with the increase in the cost
of living and then let that amount of
increase be apportioned in accordance
with the wage basis that is accept
able to the employers and the employ
ees.
Asks Joint Commission.
"The present negotiation stands by
itself, but it is far from dispoSing of
the fundamental controversy between
bperators and mine workers. That
controversy is hound to be a continu-
ing one as matters now stand. 1t In
wolves living conditions and conditions
i'm the mines. as well as wages and
profits. and the general relations be-
tween operators and mine workers.
Therefore, to aid i'm applying the prin-
ciples which have governed us and
which should govern in reaching con-
clusions i'm the future. it is urged that
a permanent consultative body with
purely advisory powers. be set mp con-
sisting of the secretary of the interior
as chairman and of an equal number
of representatives of the operators
and of the mine workers. chosen in
,ob manner rs they NAV each deter
mine from time TO time. In order that
tho data necessary for the considera-
tion of this consultative body may at
all times be available, it is urged that
congress make provision for collecting
definite and trustworthy information
concerning the coal and coke industry
and for the tabulation of the same in
quarterly reports