New-York tribune., 1919-12-20
Palmer's Faith
Questioned by
Coal Operators
Continued from pagc I

ment Of December 6, the miners will
Immediately return to work with the
Ia per cent increase in wages, which
is already in effect. Immediately upon
n general resumption Of operations,
which shall be in all districts, except
as to wages, upon the basis which OBJ
tanned on October 81, 1919. the Presi
dent will appoint a commission of three
persons, one of whom snail be practi-
cal miner and one of whom shall be a
mine owner or operator, in active busi-
ness, which commission will consider
further questions of wages and work
ing conditions as we'll as profits Of
operators and proper prices for coal,
readjusting both wages and prices, If it
shall so decide, including differentials
and internal conditions within and be-
tween districts Its report will be made
within sixty days, if possible, and will
be accepted as the basis of new wage
agreement. the effective date and dpra-
ton of which shall also be determined
by the commission"
1t was this memorandum, the real
basis for the settlement, to which Mr.
Butler referred when he said it was
diame etrically opposite to the one
read to him by Mr.. Palmer.
The Attorney General explained that
he had received a long telegram from
Secretary Green of the mine workers
December 2, reciting the fact that
posed that the miners get an increase
of 31.6l per cent in wages, asking
whether the action of this Cabinet
officer. was to be repudiated and
whether he spoke for the government,
and suggesting that a further con-
tinuance Of the strike might result in
great calamity.
My. Palmer said he did not answer
Green, although he drafted a reply
which he showed later to DR.. Garfield.
know what Green meant by a calamity.
After some questioning he read the
draft to the committee. In it he &c
cared that in the light of present IN
formation the public should not be re-
Quired to pay more for fuel than now
charged, and itcrated the fact that
the miners should return to work with
out putting an additional burden on the
public.
"Under your commission The public
may be required to pay more for
Il can see that conditions may
change or that further information may
come to U.S." said the Attorney Gen
eral.
Mr.. Ogle said he talkel with the At
torney General on Friday. December s..
This was three days after the Green
telegram had been receive :. Mr.. Ogle
said he went to Mr.. Palmer's Office with
Mr. Butler and Mr.. Henderson, Of
Pittsburgh. a coal operator, and that
one of the things talked about was he
proposal the operators had made some
/ time earlier in the negotiations with
the miners for a 20 per cent wage in
crease.
Did the Attorney General advise
YOU that YOU could NEE. that increase
by an increase in the price of coal %
he was asked.
Not in those words was the
answer
THE Attorney General,' Mr.. Oglc
his mind a general background OF the
entire situation to enable him to deter
mine his future course of action and
how best to bring about an adjustmen
/ of the strike situation. He SAID 'yol
must have in your mind some figure be
yond Il per cent CHE figure suggested
by d.. Garfield and accepted by the
operatorsl TO which you might go IL
settle this controversy.
General Iprising' Feared
He said there was no thought OF
the part Of the government Of surrend-
ering or backing up, but that if on the
next Tuesday the contempt charges
against the miners officers were TO bt
pressed and Judge Anderson Gin Indian
apols) were to put some of these mer
in Jail there might be q general up
rising. And with that in mind he alss
wished to remind US that the fuel ad-
ministration prices on coal were only
temporary and wished to know how fan
VIC would be willing to 90 in advanc
ing wages to the miners.
1--WE told the Attorney General" con
tnued Mr.. Ogle, that it was biggel
issue than that of wages. 1t was ar
issue to maintain the law and order o.
this country, and that if any compro
mise was made it was a dastardly an(
cowardly surrender.
"Anything beyond IA per cent We
considered compromise and we re
pudiated it. We rejected the idea
as your organization opposed to the