The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-20
COAL OPERATORS
CONTINUED Prom Page ons.)

strike. The operators chairman retus-
al 70 aiyu1ee details when first put on
the stand, but finally told his S'oly'
after getting permission to consult ms
attorney. Rush Butler. who was also
called as a witness.
To Continue Probe.
Chairman FrelinGhuysen' or INC son
ate committee, indicated AFTER conclu
s,on or the hearing that the inVestiGa-
ton would be continued on the suens'"
of the information brought out
The attorney general, aided by oues-
,,o,. from Senator Townsend, Repuo-
ncan. Michigan. took the committee over
tho entire ground travcrsod by the gov
eminent in the strike. After fucl No
ninistrator Garfield. who later res'h"tN
because OF the settlement. mad Suggest
cd and thc miners had rejected II per
ccrt wage increase and retention VI
the present price on the COAL the GOV
crnment. he said, had prepared 70 hehl
the thing out. Then John. L. h''EHtI'
nm attacheof the department OF lahor'
hr,rrht about successful mediation.
1nbo /, Lewis and William Green, pres
idcnt and secretary respectively. or the
1.nIted Mine Workers. came to Washine-
20, on their own volition, Mr.. faIner
said and held two private conferences
with him in one day
president Wilson, meanwhile, had pre-
nared a statement Mr.. Palmer salo' anu
! At the second conference, which Joseph
Ii Trrnulty. secretary TO the president,
attended, the miners representatives
"acouiesced to the presidents pro
posal." There was no settlement Oh
! the strike, Mr.. Palmer asserted, put an
Arrangement which finally accomplished
the object we wanted, the production OF
coal"
1 Rctycen the first and second confer
o,ces With the miners union chiefs.
Palmer said. Secretary Of the Treasury
Glass. Director General of Railroads
! Hines. and Fuel Administrator Garhcld
had been consulted. and had approved
! the arbitration plans
Agreement on Train
Finally. on q train going to indian
apolis. where injunction proceedings
were TO be disposed of. Palmer accom-
! panied by Lewis and Green drew up
memorandum specifying the conditions
which the miners accepted.
1t was this memorandum that finally
caused DR.. Garfield TO resign, the testi-
mony developed. because Of Its terms.
II proposed to create n commission or
three with power to "readjust both
wages and prices" he explained. while
DIR. Garfield thought that only a con-
| sultativc body" should be created.
! II knew what the president meant"
Mr.. Palmer said, when question: by
Senator Wolcott, Democrat Delaware,
as to whether the memorandum OF
agreement had carried out the presi-
dents intention. He added under furth-
or questioning that there was nj author
! ity under which the government could
fix wages but that much Of the agree
mcnt's force would depend upon public
opinion, which has not lost its power In
the United States"
Called on ogle
: Attorney Butler, when called to the
stand, declared that the final memoran-
dunn Of agreement between the attorney
general and the miners was "diametric-
! ally opposed" to that Of Dr. Garfield
/ which theoperators had accepted.
"Dr. Garfield never contemplated a
commission to AK prices. for one thing.
he said.
Senator Townsend. at the conclusion
Of his testimony. asked for some one
who could speak for the mine operators.
and Oglc was called
After a moment Of fencing with Sen
ator Townsend and conference with
Mr.. Butler, he proceeded.
"On Friday. December five after Dr..
Garfields' proposal had been rejected by
the miners and the injunction proceed
ings were being pushed at indianapolis
Mr. Ogle said. members Of the coal
! operators .xecutive committee and my
self were called in for talk with the
attorney general in his office.
HE said that We must have some fig
ure for a wage advance above the IA
percent suggested by DR.. Garfield which
we would be willing to offer the miners
| in order to settle the situation. The
government was not engaged in compro-
missing It's stand, he said. but had some
difficulties.
In Panic Of Fear.
The Injunction proceedings were COM
ing to head at Indianapolis on Tues
day. he told us. and they were afraid
that Judge Anderson would act in n
characteristic fashion and put some OF
these men in Jail for violating his In
junction under the Lever act. There
might be a general uprising, he said
which ouS ht 10 be avoided. He said that
his proposal of IA percent increase
could be set aside. He asked US how
far we would go in further advance OF
wages"
what answer did you makc?' Sena-
tor Frelinghuyscn inquired.
| We told him thnt inc question OF
miners wages and prices Of coal had
no wbecome relatively insignificant.
Ogle responded. 1T seemed to US a
question Of law and order, an issue thai
could not be yielded.
I We said that q settlement now by
granting an increase would be dast'
ardly, cowardly surrender OF principles
that must be sustained"
You believed this an effort to com
promise?" Senator Frclinghuysen pur-
sued.
never Accepted.
I'VE did," Ogle returned. 'and we re
jected the idea"
Have you agreed to the govern
ment's proposition now?" Senator Town
send asked.
I'VE have not" Oglc responded. THE
proposal has never been submitted &c
us. We have called the attorney gen
erals attention to several vital change:
made in DR.. Garfield's original sugges'
ton"
Operators have been left very much
confused" he said. further. rs to wha
the government has done. No commits
sion, he asserted. could cover tho wage
and price problems arising in the sof
coal industry Of the United States II
months and come TO any just conclusion
The committee arose without fixing
date for further hearings.
Palmer's Testimony.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 19.-Tcrmina
ton Of tho soft coal strike was not
, cottIcrncpt Int n victory for the govern