The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-11-18
UNCLE SAM WILL
PAYCOAL MINERS
Kansas Governors Action In
Taking Over Mines Arouses
Operators.

Washington. Nov. 18.--Uncle Sam
will pay the bill for the coal miners
increased wages IL the latest propo-
sition of the operators Is successful.
Operators meeting In secret ses-
sion here today had practically
agreed to grant wage increases to
the miners, equal to the excess profits
which they had last year and which
were taxable.
DR.. Harry A. Garfield. federal fuel
administrator. this morning called
the miners into conference and told
them the public and the government
demanded quick settlement and fair
dealing for all parties concerned. He
warned them that the public would
stand for no unnecessary delay. This
afternoon DIR. Garfield will give the
same message to the operators.
Getting Along Slowly.
President Wilson's cabinet dis
cussed the coal situation today and
Secretary of Labor Wilson rendered
report that conditions promised q
settlement.
I'VE are on the road--getting along
slowly" Secretary Wilson said be.
fore entering the cabinet.
DIR. Garfield was present at the
cabinet meeting.
Operators Aroused.
Aroused by the action Of Gov. Al
len, Of Kansas, in taking over thu
coal mines in that state, the opera
tors. today were speeding up theiI
work in an effort to secure definite
proposition to make to the miners
Behind closed doors they "oIeanec
house" and fought hard for unitec
opinion which would lead to quick
action.
John L. Lewis. acting president ot
the United Mine Workers, said he
had received new evidences of dis
ordinations by operators against
union miners returning to work ir
Utah, Washington, New Mexico aid
Alabama, which he would lay before
the encouragement. Percy Tetlo
| statistician for the mine workers
was today in conference with. OF.
ficials OF the department of justsel
| giving them all information In hi
possession.
The excess profits paid by the btu
minous operators last year ran int
| millions OF dollars. Neither the op.
| orators nor the miners would esti.
mate the aggregate sum today. These
profits were paid carefully on the sal,
OF coal by contract which during tn,
first eight months of last year wa.
not Saffected by the cost-plus price,
that were in effect by the federal fue
administration. Operators. declared
that If this plan were adopted Il
would take considerable time to worl
out the actual amount of increase.
which the miners would get.
Manifesting the aggressive atti.
| tude with which the coal industry
was administered during the war, DR.
Garfield today told the miners tina
an agreement with the operator.
| must be reached. He announced a
| the Name time that while acting IL
the capacity of unofficial arbitrator
he does not propose to see an agree.
ment made that will saddle the cos
Of settlement on the coal consumer,
of the country in the form of an in.
creased cost.
BY some Of the miners, the actor
of DR.. Garfield was interpreted a.
tantamount to the federal govern.
ment stepping into the situation anc
announcing that an agreement mus
not be only arrived at, but with term.
and provisions that are satisfactory
to the federal administration in be
| half. Of the country as well as tn,
miners and operators.
There Is an equitable basis or
which the rights of the public, tn,
| miners and the operators may b,
equally protected" DR.. Garfield said
THAT is the basis which must b,
| found in solving the problem of tn,
present moment"
mo agreement which does not pro
| tect the interests of the consuming
| public as well as the miners and tn
| operators will be tolerated.
Prejudices Rife.
MY desire and my wish is to as
| sist you in finding a basis and t,
serve each of you in coming to /;
harmonious understanding"
Trade difficulties and prejudice
| are running rife among the operator
| in their executive meeting today
| Groups OF operators from differen
sections of the country, fiercely re
sentful over what they term TIL
competitive inequalities of tn,
past, are demanding that the forth
coming wage agreement shall assur,
their trade rights under competitive
vestments in the matter of the wage
scales that are put into effect.
| - "a