Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-09
MINERS ACCEPT
PROPOSITION Of
PRESIDENT WILSON
Conference Saturday Con-
siders His Definite Sug-
geStion Which Is Accepted
by Lewis and Green for
Miners +

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-Heads OF
the United Mine Workers Of Amer
ica today accepted proposal of
President Wilson to end the nation
wide coal strike. according to .
statement of Attorney General
Palmer here after midnight.
All indications are that the ac-
ton means a speedy ending Of the
coal strike.
The decision was reached here to-
day after a conference of President
Lewis and Secretary Green, of the
miners, with Attorney General
Palmer and Joseph P. Tumulty, Sec
rotary to the president, who pres
scented the new proposal on behalf
of the president.
The acceptance of the new pro-
posal will be urged upon the general
scale committee of the miners and
operators in conference at In i
dianapolis next Tuesday, which will
be attended by Attorney General
Palmer. %e
AT that time statement of tbs
attorney general issued late tonight
said President Lewis and Secretary
Green will urge the other representa-
tives of the miners to accept the new
proposition.
Just what the new basis Of settleS
ment will be was not revealed, but
it is understood to follow closely
the proposal Of Fuel Administrators
Garfield, which the miners previously
refused to accept.
The statement of the attorney gen.
eral referred to it as a definite, con-
crete proposition from the president
looking toward a speedy termina ton
Of the strike situation and an adj
justment Of the entire controversy"
1t was at the suggestion of tho
president that thA Indianapolis con-
ference was called. The new and
unexpected action was the result of
a conference of the attorney general
and the president this afternoon.
Mr.. Palmer declined to comment
further on the turn of events or
the new proposition, other than the
text of his statement, which follows:
A conference was held at the
department of justice, in WASH
ington, on Saturday, at which
were present the attorney gem
eral, Mr.. Tumulty, secretary to
the president; John L. Lewis, act
ing president, and William Green, 81
secretary treasurer, of the United
Mine Workers of America, with a
view to reaching an understand
ing between the government and
the miners. which would result
in settlement of the coal strike
situation.
At this conference there was
submitted a definite, concrete
proposition from the president
looking to speedy termination
of the strike situation and an
adjustment of the entire con-
troversy. TIE officers of the
United Mine Workers, in response
to the suggestion of the presi-
dent, agreed to and have called
meeting of the general scale
committee, the representatives
of all the district organizations
and the international executive
board Of the United Mine Work
- ers, to be held in Indianapolis on
Tuesday, December 9, at o'clock
D, M, a. which time the presi-
dents proposal will be conSid-
Grad and it's acceptance by the
miners urged by Mr.. Lewis and
Mr.. Green. The attorney gen.
eral will be, in Indianapolis on
Tuesday.
The announcement came as a COM
plete surprise as government off,
Gals had not made known the fact
that the union leaders had been
called into conference or that new
proposals were under consideration.
TRAIN SERVICE BADLY
CRIPPLED IN NATION
CHICAGO, Dec. 8.-Hundreds of
passenger trains were withdrawn
from service on the railroads Of the
country today, mostly in the middle
west, south and southwest, in accord
ance with instructions issued last
week by he railroad administration,
and hundreds of other trains had
been ordered anpulled On next We'd
nesday chiefly in the east, as a re-
suit of the coal miners strike.
In New England alone orders were
out cancelling nearly three hundred
trains on'@Wednesday, dozens are to
be discontinued in Pennsylvania! ana
even Canadian railroads have felt
the coal shortage to such an extent
that thirty-fve additional passenger
trains were taken off, including the
crack trans-continental limited of the
Canadian Pacific. The reduction of
passenger service in the United
States since the strike began No
vember l, amounts to approximately
one-third of the total, and in Can
ada a saving of $4,000 train miles
per month has been effected
Measues to conserve fuel supplies
went ahead today in nearly every
part of the country, despite the meet
torney General Palmer and other Of
fcials of the department of justice
with heads of the United Mine Work
ers of America, in an effort to bring
about a settlement of the strike
Many hundred thousand workers
were idle today on account of clos
ing of non-essential Industries from
which coal has been withheld by re-
gional committees, and the curtail-
ment of business hours in many
cities.
Governor Cox, of Ohio, called off
the conference of operators and
miners today at Columbus, which has
to settle the strike in that
state. In a statement Governor Cox
said indications were the controversy
would be settled Tuesday on a ma
tion-wide basis
Further shipments of coal mined
by volunteers in Kansas and Mis-
souri, under protection of troops,
were made today to points in those
states where the shortage was most
acute.
Digging of coal by volunteers also
was expected to begin today in Ok
ahoma, Arkansas and Montana. In
Oklahoma, where martial law pre-
walls in the coal districts, Governor
Robertson has began crusade
against agitators and several men