Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-11-28
Act1g Pres. Lewis Bitter over Stand Of Fine
BeafScores Govt for Failure to Make
6ood Promise Of 81 Per Cent Offered
by Sec. Wiken-bis Blunder by Gar
field and Cabinet He Assefts-COn-
fident Of Peoples Verdict

Washington. Nov. can abrupt
end come today to all attempts TO
settle the nationwide coal strike by
peaceful agreement.
Miners and operators spent
bleak Thanksgiving afternoon in en-
FILTERED debate over the government
proposal for ID per cent wage in
crease, made last night by Fuel Ad-
minlstrator Garfield, rejected it and
every other proposal that was forth
coming and then dissolved sine die.
Participants went home tonight
and where the break left coal strike
conditions no one Of them. miner or
operator. would say Likewise in Of
ficlae quarters there was silence.
Acting President john L. Lewis Of
The miners, though refusing TO say
one word as To the strike itself,
which Theoretically was called off in
obedience to federal court injunction
holding il violation of the Lever
act for wartime food and fuel con-
troll, scored the gov srnment ruundiy
al the conclusion Of the conference
So did Willis Green, secretary of the
mime workers.
Operators, though accepting the
government proposal. definitely in a
letter of explanation to DR.. Garfield
which they made public. intima1ed
that the government refusal To al
low price increases wouiu bear re-
consideration
It was behind closed doors that the
coal situation reached its climax TO-
day, after involving the fun atten-
ton of the federal government for
two days previously. There was much
heated oratory, but T. ". Guthrie Of
PirtsbErg, acting chairman of the op-
orators committee, described the
parliamentary procedure succinc1ly,
as he came out. The operators, by q
pre-arranged plan. notified the min
ers' committee for the central COM
petitive field of their acceptance of
DR.. Garheld's plan.
This the mine workers promptly
voted down. In turn, the miners put
forward acounter-proposal, that Sec
rotary Wilson'S suggestion for a
31.65 wage increase was agreed and
this the operators fatty refused For
the third time the operators renewed
their formal offer of arbitration and
this the miners voted down. JnanI-
mously an adjournment was voted.
THE operators are pretending to
accept DR. Garheld's proposal" Mr.
Lewis said, manifesting scorn and
Indignation as he called the newspa-
permen around him in the Uttered
and noisy hall that was the scene of
the all-day gatherings.
But as they do II they state they
are unable TO operate many of their
mines under it. II would he foolish for
us to attempt TO make an agreement
unless miners are 10 ne given work.
Our position is unchanged. We hold
the United States government can not
break its word The pledge of Score
tar Wilson TO grant us a q per cent
increase must be redeemed. In my
Judgment DR. Garfield and the cabinet
have committed the mosf colossal blum
der in the history of our nation. They
are following bIintiy an academic theo-
without regard TO justice to the
mine workers or effects on the people
OF the United States
Responsibility for the crisis now con-
fronting the nation must be with those
statesmen using the powers of govern
ment to Cypress and deny Justice to a
great element of its citizenship directly
concerned in industry
81 can not believe the people of our
(Conssnued on PAGE -col. 81