Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-19
DR.. GARFIELD
PUTS MATTER
|ASCOMMAND
Conference Renewed With
New Hope of Reach
ing Settlement.


cittees Of bituminous miners and
in the central competi-
tive field went into executive ses-
sion today to negotiate = wage con-
tract, after Federal Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield had urged upon
them the necessity for adjusting
their difference and producing the
coal the country needs.
II represent the people Of the
United States in q different sense
from the secretary. Of labor" DR..
Garfield told the conferees. 1T is
part Of Mr.. Wilson's function to ef-
feet conciliation. 1t is my so:e
function to exercise those powers
conferred on the fuel administra-
tion, to see that an adequate sup
ply of coal is furnished the people
Of the United States and to see that
in times Of stress such as we are
still unhappily in the midst Of, the
prices asked and received for coal
~ ~
fubilc PARTNER.
I'VE all realize now that in the
great coal industry the public is
an important partner. At one time
the operators and mine workers,
like farmers, considered themselves
peculiarly independent But the
public hes paramount interest.
-Ehe ppdpie Of the United States
WI NOT consent to pay IN Gxcessive
1it3ces AuRsooal. We m Al aoressf
"a that hut the question nov n,
what u ,aA e9cssstve pfio6 8 NdS
Will the public ngreo 20 30 without
this commodity.
Ine people OF the Unised Sta1es
[ srd .he~ 49, -;,, ~, =. nrs-srtsd hv
srs,4s;.. - IT, .hn $1,000. ~ "a r,sr.r.
m.v ~ % AZ ,,,,,... M III ,ha 80 .ove-mrsnt - =
d;ssoi.ed @ E .i,to 81 ch.o+,s ccndit,or
1-' --'
-AU Not rarsAoni0as.
"The people of the United States
are willing to pay sufncient to
maintain American standards. but
the question ID what are American
standards! The people want the
operators to have Just return. but
what IL Just return?"
DR.. Garfield said he was not yet
prepared to say what conditions
could reasonably be made IN the
price Of coal, a. all the necessary
data, was not in hand. One Of the
items not yet determined, he said
was that Of the federal income
taxes for 1918. which the operators
have claimed should be included II
the cost Of operation. The govern.
ment has disputed this.
p.vo,, p.--..... M,
.s ooss'
Dr. CARRIED expressed regret thai
~. hI;shsS = ~ ns-mansa. - hsS. I ~ =.
adfudicata their disnutea Tactin.
that. he said. the oneation reynlvei
around the cost OF producffon
During 1918 he said n a0, n0n
600 wa naid fnr hitunnincn. co.I
the averare price beinr SsS1 ne,
| ton. The nroducfion coat v.s ss nj ii
per ton. the miners receivin1 sTso
l)0O. 600 a. An avsr.go ~ ei "a ~ -,
ton 4 tct.i ~ sesG noa 90 -. ~
to the mine ovners hst NJ ca
field s.id thia rs ~. u III M m..es -. :,
federal income md excess nrofit,
tax had to be deducted.
! I'm 1917" DR.. Garfield said, ''th,
taxes amounted to 30 cents = to,
average over the whole country
but it is difficult to estimate fol
1913. The taxes In 1918. however
to come out Of the margins ar,
somewhat less, I believe, than Il
1917, but will continue my in
vestigation to determine them &C
curately." e's
Increase Kanawha OUTPUT.
Charleston, W. Va. Nov. 1s.-C Goa
production in the Kanawha 1iel,
yesterday showed an increase Q
l,s00 tons over the best previou
day since the strike in the mine
was called, and Operators expect
ed an even Detter record Tor today
me % mines are operating far be