Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-22
OPERATORS BALK
Coal Settlement Not to
y Their Liking

posaIs Made by Fuel Head-Those
Finally Accepted by Miners Vital
ly Different from Garfield Plan -
May Block Work Commission
Named by Wilson
Washington, Dec 21-Coal opera
tors Of the United States through
their executive committee explained
further tonight their reasons for re-
fusing to participate in the govern
msnts' plan for settling the bitHn.i-
nous coal strike. Renewing the de-
NAL that previous agreements mad
bound them to accept the govern
mcnt's plan, the operators asserted
that while they were bound by and
had agreed to accept strike settle
mnte proposals made by DR. Gar
field. former. fuel administrator the.
government proposals as accepted by
the miners differ vitality from those
of the Garfield plan.
The insiStence of the operators on
the stand left open tonight the pos
sibility. it was held, that the commits
sion named Saturday by President
Wilson and given by him power to
fix wages and prices for coal neces-
sary to sustain wages. might be un-
able to function. The executive
committee did not say, however, that
| the operators would stand aloof from
the commission in its Investigations
and decision, but left the question
| open. to be settled probably at a
meeting Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio,
where general session of the scale
committee, central competitive field
committee and other operators gen.
orally has been called.
The operators in a formal state
ment tonight said:
I'm the light Of the statement of
Attorney General Palmer of yester-
day in which he says that it would
be an amazing repudiation of their
| own statements if the operators do
/ not acquiesce in the plan which their
official representatives have repeat
edly agreed to in the settlement Of
the coal strike, the bituminous opera
tors feel impelled to restate their at
titude so that it may be clearly ap-
preciated by the public.
"Attorney-General Palmer, in his
statement of yesterday, asserted that
| the operators had agreed to the
memorandum of the attorney-general
and John L. Lewis, acting president
Of the United Mine Workers of Am
erica, laying down the terms of
agreement for settlement of the coal
strike. The fact is that the opera
tors never learned of the existance
of that agreement until after it had
been presented to- the miners at the
Indianapolis conference of Decem-
ber l..
"The operators did accept the pro-
posal of the government, presented
through DR.. Garfield. former fuel ad-
ministrator, and referred to in Presi-
dent Wilson's letter of December
9Th. Under the terms of this proposal
the mine controversy was to be set
tied on the basis of the five principles
announced by DR.. Garfield. The ap-
plication of one Of these principles
determined the IA per cent. advance
which was granted the miners. The
Garfield proposal further provided
for the establishment of n board with
advisory powers only.
"The operators still stand by the
acceptance of the Garfield proposal.
! The Presidents letter of December
9Th referred specifically to it and it
seemed clear to the minds of the op-
orators that it was the intent of the
President that the Garfield proposal
was to be used as the basis Of settle
ment of the wage controversy.
Continued on Page +coi. s.