Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-19
END OF STRIKE
IN MINES WAS
U. S. VICTORY
Attorney General Palmer Explains
Details Of. Settlement Of
Senate Benefit

Washington, Dec. 19.-Termins-
ton Of the soft coal strike was not
q settlement but . victory for the
government, Attorney General
Palmer today told the senate sub
committee investigating the strike.
"The government has won its
fight" MIR. Palmer said. j.. There
was no settlement in actuality. The
men and the union officers have
complied with our demands and re-
turned to work"
Mr.. Palmer said department Of
Justice action in the coal strike be-
gen with the preparation of in
Junction proceedings against Of
ficials Of the miners union under
the Lever law.
I'VE sought to nrevent the
strike," he said, ''by enyo..s.e. the
union officers from carrying out t2e
strike already ordered"
Breach Of Law.
"You have never changed your
mind that the strike was q breach
Of lawT Senator Townsend, Repub-
lican, of Michigan. inquired.
II never have" Mr.. Palmer re-
turned. "The injunction was is
sued and is still in effect"
He added that the miners now
were obeying the order Of the court
Ibid they always obey it," Sena-
tor Townsend asked.
''The letter Of the court order
was obeyed from the first," was the
reply, but insofar as getting men
actually back to work, 1t was moi
SO successful as We had expected.
"You considered that the order
was >Ttotxted, did you mott" Senator
Townsend continued. j.
Il did. And we instituted further
proceedings because. We had some
evidence that the order was not be-
ing obeyed in good faith by some ci
the union officials"
Grand jury investigation, Mr.
Palmer said, was still going on, in
volving the whole question.
Keep Funds Tied Up
Mr.. Palmer explained that The
Injunction was intended to sepa'
rate the strikers from their leaders
and the union funds.
WAS there anything said to tht
defendant officers Of the unior
which would make them understand
that no further prosecution woulf
be commenced against them?" Sen
ator Townsend inquired.
mot one word" Mr.. Palmer said
At the request of Senator Town
send, Mr.. Palmer described the con
ditions leading up to court action
He told OF efforts Of Secretar!
| Wilson to mediate between tht
miners and operators.
After q deadlock ensued II
Washington he continued, "Dr
Garfield was brought in and h
told both operators and miners tina
the price of coal could not be ic
creased one cent to pay wage In
creases. basing his finding ON cal
culations which he made that ,
wage increase Of IA per cent coull
/; be given the men and paid by tn
operators without increasing tn
nresout nrico of coal
Then Started Action.
This proposal the miners re
jected and all parties returnet
home. l then settled down to 8
through the fight to the end, re
solved to see the injunction orde
obeyed as best as I could in tn
hope that production Of coal woul'
be gradually resumed"
Mr.. Palmer then told Of the coz
ference he had with John L. Levi
and William Green, president an
secretary of the miners union. O
Dec. 6, which was arranged b
John J. Keegan, of the department
of labor. At that time, the attorne
general said, indictments chargtn
criminal contempt had then bee
issued against Lewis, Green an
other officials of the union.
! No Change in Position.
Mr.. Palmer said that when Levi
and Green arrived from India1
apolis, he told them the govern
ment's position would be maintain
ed and that no change In It woul
be permitted.
"Was DIR. Garfield's plan consid
cred" interrupted Senator Towr
send.
! AT the conference with thes
gentlemen" Mr.. Palmer said.
informed them that il the men wer
back to work the presidents assul
lance Of a fair settlement would B
carried out. They pleaded for
! 81 per cent advance In wages, b,
said that was not my part Of u
Job. I told them the governmer
could not surrender to the Unite
Mine Workers and was bound
win in the end. The president, th
department Of Justice and the fet
eral court had agreed.
i Finally Yielded.
They left me 1t p. m, withov
saying what they wore going to d,
but came hack later with Mr.. II
multy, secretary to the presiden
I then read to them the president
statement Of Dec. 6, and they Al
nounced that they were ready
acQuiesce in IT,"