The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-07
SICK AND TIRED
 OF PROPOSALS Tjj
 MAKE PEOPLE PAY, GARFIELD STATES
Fuel Administration Has Full Backing of Cabinet In Determination to Hold Price of Coal at the
 Present Figure
Rx Axosiatrd Press

w aSn1ngCOn, DeCeInDel o'- The coal strike cannot be com- promised with the consent ot the federal government in any fashion that will mean an ad- vance in the price of coal to the public, Fuel Administrator Gar field declared tonight.
 Declaring himself "ssck and
 tired of proposals to make the
 people bear additional burdrns,7
 Dr. Garfield said the fuel admin
 fstrntion alone hnd authority to i'm
 increase coal prices necessary to
 my wnxc advances in excess of the
 If per cent proposed by the gov
 ernment. So long ns he was fuel
 administrator, he said. no advance
 In the price to the consumer for
 this purpose would he allowed.
 ''The cabinet stands back of me on the principle involved, "Dr. Garfield said enough I am responsible for the presentation of the facts which moved their decision.
 The fuel administrators statement was made after day spent Tn near ing compromise proposals from dele cations of business men and others from various parts of the country. Us- ing the most emphatic language Dr. Garfield left no doubt that he regarded com promise proposals as "a monkey wrench" thrown into the machinery hAr; x-t1l nnnrata ad- just the situation with justice both to the public and the mine workers. FURTHER RAISE IMPOSSIBLE The position of the government Is that no wage advance in excess of | 14 per cent is possible under the price 1 of s235 per ton. nine-run, fixed on coal by the fuel adm illustrator. At the same time it was pointed out the gov ernnent had no authority to fix wages and that no objection could be in- terposed if operators favorably situ- ated agreed to pay more than the 4 per cent advance from their own prof | 1t without charging tho increase to the public It is not the opinion in the fuel administration however. that enough mines to supply the country with coal can be operated on this basis. Discussing restrictions imposed in the use of coal. Dr. Garfield said to- night local differences in the severity of the application of the curtailment orders soon would disappear under measures now being taken by the railroad administration which is acting as the fuel administrations agent in distributing coal He said further the production of coal had increased every day this week and indicated his belief that a majority of the miners would sooner or later accept the set clement basis which the union lead CTS have rejected.
 Another step was taken today by the fuel administration to restrict coal consumption by resuming the fixed prices on coke established during the war period. Distribution of coke will also be regulated. Gas coke, however will not be affected.
 TO PROSECUTE OIL MEN While Dr. Garfield was comforting with delegations today and receiving numerous telegrams suggesting a compromise in the strike situation. | Attorney General Palmer conferred with President Wilson on the general coal situation and took steps to prose- cute oil producers in the west who are charged In a complaint made by Sena-. tor Capper of Kansas with increasing | the price of oil from sl to s4D a
 barrel since the inception of the coal strike.
 | At the same tune the railroad eadnrnis- traitor has an embargo on oil efectiy1, Monday, which is designed to make avail
 able full supply for industries in the | west and thus make it necessary to naut
 less coal to that section from the east Factories In the east using oil may ob.
 tain their supply as heretofore. through
 a permit system and shipments in tram
 sit. or cn order, will not be affected 1 Reports on coal production served to increase the optimism of officials handling the fnel situation Additional mines were | said 10 be in operation now and produc-
 ton vas steadily increasing though it continues less than half normal. N- | Figures made public today by the geoS logical survey showed that dcspite the l Thanksgiving day lay-ofr. miners remaii,- | ing at work since the strike began pro- duced 5,l29,0oo tons during the week ended ! November % This was about 45 per cent 7; of normal and per cent greater than the output the week before, when the | men worked the full six days.
 ! Total production since the beginning of ! the strike on November 1 to the eud of
 November. was placed at 1SS15,ooo tons compared with 5G,e7O,o0e tons in October. | or about g Is Ter cent. The October pro- | duction, however. was greater than the average as the mines were operated at full time throughout the week proceeding
 tContinued on Page Eleven)