The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1919-12-23
ATTY. GEN. PALMER
GIVES OPERATORS LIE
I'm COAL CONTROVERSY
CONTINUED From PAGE ONE

CONTINUED From PAGE ONE
ident wilson's letter as a COM
mand from the Chief Executive OF
p the nation This command itself
provides, as the main objective.
for continuous operation of the
mines during negotiations or arbi-
tration, the first and most impor-
tsnt point for which the operators
have contended at all times. I'm
der the circumstances. the opera
tors decided that there was no
proper course but to accept the
Presidents proposal without res
ervations and thereupon informed
the Secretary OF Labor of their
acceptance
The miners rejected the proposal
President States Views.
On October 25 the President is
sued statement in which he re-
peated his Willingness to appoint a
tribunal to investigate all the facts
Nth a view to aiding in the earliest
possible orderly settlement of the
questions at issue between the coal
operators and the coal miners This
proposal also the operators prompt
ly accepted, while the miners re-
jeoted il.
in the Presidents statement. dat
ed December s. he repeated his will
ingness to appoint such a tribunal
to make further inquiries into this
whole matter and to review not only
the reasonableness of the wages at
which the miners start to work.
but also the reasonableness of the
government prices for coal and
said that this plan assured TO the
miners prompt investigation and
action upon matters which are not
now settled to their satisfaction
This also the operators promptly
accepted and the miners finally ac-
cepted it also.
In addition to that. the operators
at joint conference with the miners
had repeatedly offered arbitration
of the matters in dispute. Offering
amongst other plans a commission
10 b. appointed by the President,
which the miners had rejected. Thus
the operators pledged themselves
repeatedly by agreeing to the Pres
dents proposals to submit to arbi-
trati"n the matters in dispute
and the questions at issue
Changes Not Made.
The memorandum which was
prepared by me and submitted to
the miners conference at Indianap-
oils did not change the Presidents
proposal, thus repeatedly accepted
by the operators. in the slightest
particular. Its reference to the
matters in dispute and the Ques-
lions at issue was in plain harmony
with the language of the Presi-
dents proposal. 1t received the
unqualified approval of Mr.. Brew
ster, who had been the chief spokes-
man Of the operators up to that
time.
The fact is that the operators
from the beginning have been clam
Oring for arbitration. More than
that. they repeatedly stated their
perfect Willingness to &C along with
the government in any plan that the
President suggested. Their aIlega-
ton now that they were not con-
suited about the form OF the memo
randum. which was submitted to
the miners conference, is absurd.
1t was. in fact. submitted by my
Secretary to their representatives
in Indianapolis, who communicated
it to Washington, and no objection
was made. The operators remained
absolutely silent until after the men
were back in the mines. Then for
the first time they begin to object
Miners Resume Work.
The miners went back to work
in obedience to the law and orders
e the court without having their
demands granted They relied. as
they had a right to rely, upon the
promise of the President that i'm
mediateIy upon complete resump-
ton of operations a commission
would be appointed to take up the
matters at issue. The officers of
the government had an equal right
to rely upon the good faith of the
operators in their previous declara-
tons of agreement with this pro-
gram. The government will not as
sumo that the operators will break
faith and, indeed, ways will be