The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-21
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f0Ouftuue0 rom E8EC Ohry uied to ogle and cited statements by Thomas T. Brewster. chairman of the operators scale committee, at St Louis, approving the plan of settle rnent which prevailed at Indianapolis to show it had been accepted by the operators.
 There was indication tonight the controversy as to the operators attl- Jude would be further aired; but at late hour no additional statement by inc executive committee had been is- sued in reply to Mfr. Falmer's asser- lions nor had the members or the com niittee or counsel anything to add for publication.
 Attorney General Palmer also issued a statement asserting that failure by the operators to agree to the govern ments plan for settling the coal strike now would be an amazing repudiatior of their own statements"
 He added that the operators -offi sfsl representatives have repeatedly agreed to the settlement plan.'
 The text of the Presidents letter to Mir. Robinson, identical with those sent to MT White and MT. Peale, fol lows:
 PRESIDENTS LETTER
 My Dear MT. Robinson: On Octo- Der G. 1917 with tn eofficial approva and sanction of the United States fuei administration, an agreement Cknowr as the 'sWashington wage agree nenta) was entered into by the oper- ators and union miners and mine workers of the so-called central competitive bituminous coal fields, composed of western Pennsylvania Ohio. Indiana and Illinois, which pro- vided for an increase in the produc- tion of bituminous coal and an in. crease in wages to the miners anc mine workers from the then existins scale of compensation. The agree ment contained the following clause
 Subject to the next biennial con vention of the United Mine Workers of America, the mine workers rep resentatives agree that the presen contract be extended during the con tinuation Of the war and not to ex' ceed two years from April l. 1918
 AGREEMENT APPROVED
 subsequently, on January ts, 1918 tfis agreement was approved by tht convention of the international union United Mine Workers of America.
 At the fourth biennial convention of the International union, United Mine Workers of America, held 1T Cleveland O.. from September t' September 2S, 1919. the sQ-called scale committee submitted report recon mendiug. among other things, that the convention demand q 50 per cen increase. applicable to all classified tions of day labor and to all tonnage vardsge and dead work rate' throughout the central competitive field; that all new wage agreement' repIacing existing agreements shoult he based on six-hour work das fror bank to bank, five days pc week: the abolition of all automatic pa1sl'v clauses: that all contracts Il f'se h'trse'pous field should be de ,' fe irc on November l. 1919 ; hat n tbe e'cnt q satisfa ctor, p ga aa'rc ont is nos secured fo i''e c,flt5al competitive field befor' Na~einber 1. 1919. to replace the on now in effect tho international off ec-s be authoribzed to and are hereb, inssrficted to csll . general strike O all bituminous miners and mine work CTS throughout the United States the sanfe 10 become effective Novem her l fe1 1p
 Ii',N,N~e DTCIINED
 .gf,bsee conferences wer ,sh6i be''es .lr ~ee resentatives of tn o,s tors 'arl ef the miners, a .'f en 'f'e ~''a n~-i dnuands were sub faitfed aad dee''aes on the part O fife operators The officers of the in
 
 CTS of America. then issued so-calle strike orders to all of their loca unions and members, requiring then to cease work in the mining of bitu minous coal at midnight on Friday October a1.
 On october tg. 1919. the Secretary 0 I.ahoT called a conference between th crerators and isiners of the bituminou mines in the central competitive field vaica ctnferant Q also resulted in faiinr ta reach an agreement. In letter | Secretary Wilson which was submitted t the conference. l said:
 If for aay reason the miners an operators fail tn come to mutual under standing. the interests of the public are c such vital importance in connection wit the pr roduction of coal that it is incumben upon them to refer the matters in dispur to board of arbitration for determine tion to continue the operation of tn mines pending tEe decision of the board
 "Sabsequentl5, on October 25.. 1919. l is sued statement in which I said that strike ir the circumstances therein de