Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-12-23

been recognized and upheld, the SUI
premacy of the law has been vindi-
Gated, and a precedent of, incalculabie
value has been set for he peaceful.
orderly and lawful adj1unent of in
dustrial disputes"
The Presidents Proposal.
President Wilson's proposal to the
miners as a basis for settling the
strike Is as follows:
II nave watched with deep concern
The Developments in the bituminous
coal strike and am convinced there
is much confusion In the minds OF
the people generally and possibly OF
both parties to this unfortunate con-
troversy as to the attitude and pur-
poses of the government In It's nam
ding OF the situation.
1.-The mine owners offered wage
increase of 20 per cent. conditioned.
however, upon the price of coal Delng
raised to an amount sufficient to coves
this proposed increase of wages which
would have added at least $160,OOO,OOe
to the annual coal bill of the people:
'aThe fuel administrator. in the light
of present information, has taken tho
position, and / think with entire JUS
LITIGATION, that the public is now pay
ing as high prices for coal as it ought
to be required to pay and that any
wage increase made at this time ought
to come from the profits of the coaf
operators.
Would Equalize Wages
'In reaching his conclusion, the fuel
administrator expressed the personal
opinion that the IA per cent increase
in all mine wages is reasonable. bea
cause it would equaliZe the miners
wageson the average with the cost or
living, but he made it perfectly clear
that the operators and miners are at
liberty to agree upon larger increase,
provided the operators will pay it out
of their profits so that the price or
coal would remain the same.
'aThe secretary of labor, in an eff
fort at Cancellation between the par
ties, expressed his personal opinion in
favor of a larger increase. His efforts
at cancellation failed, however. be-
cause the coal operators were unwiil!
ing to pay the scale he proposed un-
less the government would advance
the price of coal to the public and this
the government was unwilling to do. /,
"The fuel administrator had also
suggested that a tribunal be created
In which the miners and operators
would be equally represented to cons
slider further questions of wages and
working conditions. as well as profits
of operators and proper prices for
coal. l shall, of course, be glad to ald
in the formation of such tribunal.
Assured Steady Employment.
81 understand the operators have
generally agreed to absorb an in
crease of IA per cent in wages, so that
the public would not pay to exceed the
present price fixed by the fuel adj
ministratOr. and thus way is opened
TO secure the coal of which the people
stand In need, if the miners will re-
sumo work on these terms pending
thorough Investigation by an impartial
commission which may readjust both
wages and prices.
aBy the acceptance of such plan
the miners are assured immediate
steady employment at substantial
increase in wages and are further as
sured prompt investigation and action
upon questions which are not now set
tied to rheir satisfaction.
81 must believe that with a clear
understanding of these points they
will promptly return to work. If, new
ertheless, they persist in remaining on
strike, they will put themselves in an
attitude of striking in order to force
the government to increase the price
of coal to the public, so as to give
still further increase in wages at this
time rather than allow the question or
a further increase in wages to be
dealt with in an orderly manner by a
fairly constituted tribunal represent
ing all parties interested.
Must Resume Work.
mo group of our people can justify
such a position, and the miners owe it
to themselves, their families, their
fellow workmen in other industries
and to their country to return to
work.
Immediately upon general re-
sumption Of mining l shall be glad to
aid in the prompt formation of such
a tribunal as i have indicated to mako
further inquiries into this whole mat
ter and to review not only the reason
ableness of the wages at which the
miners start to work, but also the rea-
sonableness of the government prices
for coal.
"Such a tribunal should within six
ty days make its report, which could
be used as n basis for negotiation for
a wage agreement. l must make II
clear, however. that the government
cannot give its aid to any such fur
Their investigation until there is gen.
eral resumption of work.
at ask every individual miner TO
give his personal thought to what
say. 1 hope ne understands fully that
he will be hurting hts own interest
and the interest of his family and will
be throwing countless other laboring
men out of employment II he shall
continue the present strike, and fur
Their, that he will create an unnecee-
sary and unfortunate prejudice
against organized labor which viii be
injurious to the best interests Of work
ingmen everywhere.
WOODROW WILSON"