New-York tribune., 1919-12-11
Advises
Caution Until
Crisis Passes
Coal Reserves Largely De-
pleied, He Says, and Re-
turn to Normal Status
Will Require Some Time
Ne'r va-k tribune

Wa h;~Oton cureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-With the
word from Indianapolis that the btu
minous coal miners have agreed to accept
President Wilson's proposal for settle
ment of their differences with the oper-
ators, government agencies which have
operated to restrict the distribution and
use of coal laid their plans to get
the country back to normal again as
quickly as possible. Until it develops in
the next few days how successful the
leaders of the United Mine Workers will
be in getting the men TO resume work
the government will be unable to say
how many of the drastic orders against
the unnecessary use of coal for light anc
neat can be lifted. md in the mean time
the pubic is advised TO exercise causior
III the use Of coal.
: i-.a@e &. Is. Ames. assistant to At
torney General Palmer. telephoned tht
f',i*ed States Railroad Admins traitor
from Indianapolis that Acting Presi-
dent Lewis of the mine workers was
send'ng kilograms urging the men to 20
back to work at once. If Mr.. Lewis $
efforts meet with an immediate re-
Sponse, some Of the more heavy re-
strctlons may be removed shortly, al
though Director General Hines, of the
Railroad Administration, in state
mcnt tonight. warned the public not
to be too optimistic about an early
return to normal, and advised that
great caution ought to continue to be
the rule in the consumption of coal.
Trains an Early Consideration
One of the first steps to be taken
by the roalro&d administration is tn,
re toratlon of passenger train SER
vice wherever possible. Curtailmcnts 5
throughout much of the country have
been unusually severe. and althou;sr
restoration to normal will not come for
some time officials expect to take up
the subject tomorrow and work out
their plans as speedily as cor Iltiors
permit.
For the present DR.. Harry Garfield, the
Federal Fuel Administrator, will con-
time to function, although he may decide
to turn his duties over to the railroad ad-
mInstraton II the need of a govern.
ment check on coal continues for long.
DR.. Garfield. it became known definitely
tonight, had no previous knowledge o.
President Wilson's proposals to the
miners on which to-day's settlement
was reached, and is not in sympathy
with the suggestion for the creation OF
commission which in the end may
approve both a raise in the wages OF
the miners and Of the price of soft coal
to the nations consumer DR.. Gar
field declined to diecuss his position but
it is known that if he decides he must
get out because Of these facts he will
resign to the President and not tel the
public about it first.
Operators Interested in Details
The bituminous operators have not
been officially advised, either by the
PRESIDENT or by Attorney General
Palmer, of the terms of Mr. Wilson's
offer to the miners, and feel they can
not accept something which has not
been officially put before them. They
are keenly interested to know whethe +
the miners accepted the White House
plan just as it was outlined by the
President in the memorandum read to
the miners at Indianapolis yesterday
by Mr.. Palmer. They are exceedingly
inqulsltive about the makeup OF the
proposed commission, which would in
vestlgate the industry and which might
brlng about wage raises and price in
cleases. In the end, however, no one
here is inclined to think thew viii
refuse the plan.
Official Washington was without in
formation as to how soon the Presiden-
tlal commission will be named, al
though 1T was agreed the President
YOU'D act as quickly as possible. Who
he m ght appoint to represent the pub
tic was a matter of specu alton in
which the name of former Pres ident
William II. Taft figured. Mr.. Taft, al
though once bitterly opposed by labor,
as chairman of the War Labor Board
during the war period demonstra ted
that he was not unfriendly to workers
and might not be opposed by them for
such commission.
Caution Advised by Hines
Mr.. Hiness statement began with
the assertion that the dislocation ere
aeed in production, transportation and
distribution of coal by the strike could
not be instantly remedied. He ad-
vised great caution in the consump-
tion of coal. and continued:
During the strike the weekly pro-
duction OF coal wGs cut from II 900 600
or 10000 coo tons to about 5 00O. 900
tons. and this much reduced tonnage
was mostly mined in Pennsylvania and
West Virginia. Widely distant portions
of the country. which were ordinarily
dependent upon other coal fields, had
to be supplied from these and other
unusual sources Of supply. The CEN
rn4a tsa,.@oI ~, .,a~@ ~~