The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-09
Coal Compromise
Designed to Save
FaceofEveybody
By DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright, 1919, by The
Inteligencer.)

WASHINGTON, D; G.: Dessss;M1I0g', ST. ss31IOS ,Ss Ss
coal crisis the Wilson Administration
has finally evolved Il pan winch m IS Gu or-
cernrd--a typical compromise thas
might just as well have been proposed
TWO weeks Ego and spared the country
period OF unnecessary sntterlnK. .hod
briefly the plan resembles the metnoo
adopted by Theodore Roosevelt when
Ms president Of the United states nc
,.cr<uaded tho miners to 90 back TO work
while a commission ~:avcstKeted the
subject with the result that the miners
got a substantial increase in wages ana
the operators increased the selling price
TO The, public.
The present situation is complicated
by the feet that inside the government
two rival authorities essaSed To setttc
the strike--Secretary Wilson. with ms
suggestion OF Il 81 percent increase III
wages based upon an incr"aSr IN 'R'
selling price Of coal and Dc. Harry y
Earfi"id fuel adm niS'rn'nr. with ms
,Ilt,u1atum that the selling price OF coat
mrgt n-t he increased and that the min
'rS ehould get a!on~ on II percent
have .Nc nudacity 20 rcSotT" this diffcr-
crc" bu' s:iestepped IN" t%sue. fa'lIng
Nycn to consult President Wilson. Now
howcvcr the cabinets error has been
corrected to the extent Of getting Mr..
Wilson'S personal attention to the
whole controversy. He has Tirtuaity
krucked Sky high both the plans sug-
geStcd md undertaken by 4 new schcTe
10 effect = settlement.
The negotiations.
Tho presidents official family has
been uneasy about the coal situation be-
cause il was discovered that injunctions
didn't get coal and that n" miners were
~ onrncst in their determination 20
ight {" finish for wages 'na' wnu'u
rnable them TO meet the cost Of living.
Conferences have been going on Tor
n-acticallv a week WI II the heads OF tho
miners union in order 90 determine what
would persuade them 10 get their men
Uar,z - work.
Th miners -nal;z"d that tho govern
r,e:,t had publicly proclaimed that the
operators could absorb fourteen per
r''rt increas" % that II c'nlUtSSi"n UH
nroiIv discover that IN" wages OF the
miners shon,d he Increased. N" nddi-
tinral sum above the II p"rcHn' would
lcpond upon tn" operators Tor a'r'P,
ance. bu, the fuel administration which
,rouId ;hcn incrrrSr N" price Of cCal. IN
C,Snr wards IL tho comm ssinn "c,ded
,hr, 9S perccnt was n fair 'ncr'aS" ~
wages. The operators ~"rld b" rcquiFrn
e. rh.orh fourteen r"rc"nt and the pub
hc the other nine percent.
Back To work.
Ry the aDpOirtnicn: uf Il C"U!'H' SFi"'i
rho whole ou~srion 81 whether any set
Element yirdlcatrS Secretary wilson or
DR. Garfield or the Cprra'ors or miners
"a 10 he Smot hrrCd tn" m ncrS Ar" q"
,ro heck To work ~" p"blic ~ 10 get
its coal and hv :hn TN" tn" commission
reports tho furor" which "r OPP rr"rS
nr econcni>.s rroy r1'S" - { the e. M
MISSIONS d"cisions mNy p" lost in
rr,zc ~ other cont rovcrS'c% much more
messing at III" tim" md much more
ac.rtcly in dcrand Of pubic attention.
Hut the operators insist that 9nr plan
which eventually is proposed that con
trr,nIa.rs an incr"ls" ~ N" selling
price Of coal will be vigorously opposed
BY 'h'm. ~ e.,
Iroal" iS wNHt thc operator; are SAYING:
because IL 49, don't look ou' We Sh"li
hc bn"stinc tho r-irc SO high that INDUS
tries VII begin using the nmcns" sup
plies uf Mexican fuel and We shall oe
undcrbid.'
Fuel Oil . Menace.
The operators claim that the matter
81 fuel oil is something for the miners
To worry about too. They predict that
hy next Spring. as tho demand for coal
dimtnshcs, miners will bc out OF work
nnd he new competition with fuel OIL
will begin tO hc etfectiv" 50 that opcr'
ators and nlinrrS must CoUbin" :" KEEP
down the price "f coal to tn" public.
The other side Oc that argument Is