Arizona republican., 1919-12-17
Wilson Settlement Will Work Hardship, Says
 Owner-Witness
COMMISSION ILLEGAL
Senator Wolcott Declares Government Has No
 Power to Act
[Republican A. p. Leased wirel

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-The sen ate coal investigation committee. re- stunning today it's inquiry into the ad- agreement, was told by Tracy W. Guthrie, president of the Hillman Coal and Coke company, that one clause in the proposition advanced by President Wilson and accepted by the miners. would bring about an increase in the miners wages at least doubling the 14 per cent, which Dr. H. A. Garfield, resigned fuel administrator, thought justified
 Final Ban on Coal Lifted
 While the senate committee was pur- suing it's inquiryetbe rsilroad admin lstratlon withdrew the last semblance of the restrictions on fuel resulting from the strike and began delivering coal to the original consignees instead of distributing it to points of greatest need. It rescinded the embargo on the movement of fuel oil out of the west. and the orders reducing the amount of coal permitted to go to coking ovens.
 At the White House today it was said that President Wilson would not appoint the commission provided in the strike settlement until Attorney Gen eral Palmer returns from the west, late this week.
 The senatorial inquiry was reopened with the calling of R. V. Norris. engi- neer of the fuel administration, which was conducted by Senator Frelinghuy- sen. republican. New Jersey chairman Of the committee and Senator Towns end, republican, Michigan, through a maze of statistics bearing on labor costs and prices of necessities.
 Based on Pay to Pick Miners
 Secretary of Labor Wilson proposed i that the miners be given an increase of s31.67 per cent" Mir. Norris ex- planned, because he based his caleu- lations on the pay paid pick miners. In 1917, when the coal mine wages were readjusted the pick miners were get ting the greatest amount, and the scales were balanced up by giving them a lesser increase than other classes of labor around the mines. This was necessary in order to induce men to do the other work.
 l Dr. Garfield decided that a partic- ular wage group ought not to serve now as basis for calculations. and
 took the average wage of all workers After arriving at that. he found that
 an addition of IA per cent to theil earnings would compensate them fol the cost of living since the last ad justments were made"
 I Chairman Frelinghuysen asked il
 the witness approved of the creation Of commission composed of ont miner, one mine operator and one rep 4 resentative of the public, with powel
 to fix wages and prices.
 Favors Larger Commission
 That would depend on the makeuI
 of the commission" Norris returned
 but I think at least larger nunnbel Il ought to be named. It gives two in. terests chance to combine agains the third'
 MT. Guthrie was called to presen actual facts from payroll upon wages About 20 per cent of the miner
 are idle all the time, according f, our experience with 23 mines" he tol,
 the committee. That is, we have t have 120 names on the payroll in or , der to get 100 men on the job as constant factor. Miners like to ceIe ! brate all American holidays and a To l of foreign ones. Then they hay : Mitchell day on April 1, in honor o 5 the late John Mitchell. They hay ? rabbit day on November 10. whe everybody adjourns to shoot rabbit. From mine accounts he read the rec f ord of one miner who in 1S7 days c l the present year. earned s3070 or a t average of s15.50 per day. He pal SIP as rent for company house q during the period, and his fuel bill wa
 $5. Other records furnished shove earnings during the first nine month
 of 1919 ranging from $1400 to $210 : for pick and machine miners Senator Wolcott. democrat. of Dela
 ware, drew out MT. Guthrie's view C ], the claimed double increase in min U CTS wages involved in the settlemer T by observing that Dr. Garfield's pro posal was the same as that put fort
 by the president.
 n No Ban on Actions c As I read the memorandum give out by Attorney General Palmer" M f Guthrie replied. 'it Is proposed to s, s up a commission with power to fl : wage scales and coal prices. One Il the things this commission is to do e 10 20 back to the mine districts al If settle what are known as internal di l. ferences and disputes over differeI lCoztinued on Page 2