The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-20
Joint Committee Makes Prog
ress on Mine Wage Scale.
Garfield WithhOIds Nation Wide
Fuel Restriction Orders.
MINERS COMPROMISE FIRST
Recede From Demand for Local
Settlement of Dispute.
Operators Firm Against 80
Hour Week.

Washington, Nov. 20.-Fuel Ad-
ministrator Garfield still withheld to-
day any action towards a nationwide
restriction of coal consumption. while
subcommittee of mine workers and
operators continued negotiations for
wage scale in the central competitive
field and basis of settlement for the
miners strike. Steps taken in locali-
ties where the pinch of coal famine
has been felt, have been the action of
regional coal committees of the raM-
road administration.
The joint committee were reported
today to be making progress toward
settlement. For the first time, it was
said, they were considering details of
wage and condition agreement. The
miners were reported to have receded
from their proposal. for local adjudi-
cation of disputes arising from the
general difficulties in localities after
an agreement had been negotiated.
Operators, however, still were with
holding a definite counter proposal to
the miners demand for the thirty
hour week and so per cent increase
in wages, but it was understood they
were prepared to offer some wage in
creases-
An increase in wages of fifteen cents
per ton and twenty per cent over the
Immediately the bituminous coal
miners return to work was offered
by the operators at the meeting today
of the wage scale committees in the
central competitive bituminous field.
In announcing the offer Thomas T.
Brewster, chairman of the operators
wage scale committee, said the oper
ators had propo ID the existing work
ing conditions continued and that
the contract be operative until March
81, 1922.
John L. Lewis, acting president of
was totally inadequate, adding that the
miners had mot assumed the offer
had been made seriously. The oper-
ators he said had proposed increases
in the prices OF miners supplies which
would absorb practically all the wage
advances.
Nothing was said about reduced
hours. altho the miners had demanded
a thirty-hour week. An increase of
fifteen cents a ton, it was explained
would be an advance of twenty per
cent over present wages for machine
mining as compared with the sixty
per cent increase demanded by the
miners.
A members of the wage scale COM
mittees prepared to go into executive
session on this, the sixth day of their
conference, reports reached govern
ment sources of the closing of plants
in the middle-west for lack of fuel.
In the south. domestic consumers
are on basis of one ton to a house
hold, dictated by the regional ration
ing committee of the railroad admin
istration. Despite optimistic views of
officials of the labor that differences
would be settled within a few days,
few of the 100000 miners who struck
November 1 have gone back to work.
Operators in conference here are
delaying negotiations on the question
of wage scale. it was learned today
and are insisting that John Lewis
president of the United Mine Work
ers. make a new attempt to get the
men back to the mines.
UItimatum Is Denied.
The operators deny they have pre-
sented an ultimatum to the miners
refusing to consider wage scales until
the men return to work But they
admit the suggestion has been made
to the miners chiefs that they may
hasten agreement by getting the men
back 20 work.
Meanwhile the nations supply of
coal is running short
December l thus should bring both
sides near the breaking point. But
before that the public will begin to
make itself felt in the situation, gov
ernment officials believe. Letters and
kilograms are flooding almost every
government in Washington. Congress-
men and senators are being bonn
barded.
Palmer today. however, will make
one move. He is to meet miners and
| operators from Alabama and West
| Virginia. In both states miners
charge operators are discriminating
against union men.